At a cocktail party filled with non-creatives, mention you’re an architect and even the most ignorant layperson has some idea of what that entails. Mention you’re an industrial designer and eight times out of ten you’re met with blank stares.
Which explains why Mattel, in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects, announced an Architect Barbie earlier this year, but no ID Barbie. Architecture is an aspirational and glamorous field compared to our lowly profession. We realize an Industrial Designer Barbie is too much to wish for, so while we’re dreaming, here are some other unsung design profession Barbies we’d like to see:
Injection Molding Expert Barbie:
She’s not just made of plastic, she knows the material intimately! This Barbie looks at your designs and adds draft angles, removes undercuts with clever geometry, and adds a mass of supporting ribs, fins and flanges all while reducing sinkmarks. She puts the “pro” in “prototyping!”
Design Firm Intern Barbie:
Need a cappucino? Hard drive crashed on that last render and you need a replacement machine hauled out of storage? Gotta get these presentation boards to the FedEx before they close in fifteen minutes? Crack that whip and Intern Barbie comes a’running!
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