Joshua Hoffeld (TRAN, ’05)

“My advice would be to look beyond the automobile industry…”

Joshua Hoffeld is one of Art Center’s more recent graduates to have broken into the design field, only he’s done it in aviation rather than automotive design. Since January, he’s been working as an exterior and interior designer at Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, a leading aircraft manufacturer. Having lost much of his hearing as a child, Hoffeld has faced—and overcome—special challenges in getting to where he is now.

What made you decide to make a career in transportation design?
The first spark of passion was ignited when I stepped into The World of Motion at Epcot Center in 1982. The gathering of designers’ sketches and scale models made a lasting impression on me.     

What do you see as your most exciting career achievement?
I’m still breaking into the business, but getting that first real design job was exciting.

Art Center’s Transportation Design Department turns 60 this year. What do you think has been the most significant development in the transportation industry during the past 60 years?
I believe the most significant developments are safety-based electronics. Current advances in technologies run the gamut from multiple airbags to rear-view cameras. Such technologies allow designers to pursue shapes and forms that were once considered impractical and unsafe.  We’ve also seen the improvement of digital design programs. These programs allow us to create complex shapes while cutting down the development cycle. 

Where do you see transportation design going?
The current climate has awakened a lot of people to alternative fuels, which will set the stage for designing vehicles for the long term. 

What kind of car do you drive?
I currently drive my trusty 1998 Land Rover Discovery!