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James D’Alessandro, SOPHMORE WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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As a recent #graduate of #NorthKingstown High school, what courses challenged your #thinking and prepared your #imagination for your #path to #college.

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WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

I graduated North Kingstown High School in 2013. I was always interested in science and art, not so much math or history. I knew I wanted to do something to do with either of those subjects, but I wasn't sure if I could combine them.

I took a lot of classes that were stimulating to both my analytical and artistic mindsets. Classes like physics and chemistry don't seem immediately related to Industrial Design, but I de�nitely think that taking both those classes helped prepare me in a lot of ways.

I also took 2D Design, and boatbuilding, which were both very hands-on, the latter being more so. Boatbuilding helped me learn to work with my hands with 3D materials, which is something that I do a lot now in college. But the class that really sparked my interest for design was CAD. CAD class taught me how to use AutoCAD, and it was my �rst time being exposed to a 3D modeling program. I had never used anything like it before, and I am thankful that NKHS provided me with that opportunity.


You participated in the #JamestownArtCenter Design Expo as a student of the #Youth #Design #Studio course. How did that experience help propel your creative process and #inspire your interests into industrial design?

The Youth Design Studio was a great experience. That class de�nitely taught me the way of thinking needed in creative work like Industrial Design.

I learned all about the design process, from idea to �nished product. I learned how to think outside the box and take inspiration from multiple and strange sources. That class taught me that although an idea might not be the solution, it can contain parts of it, and by combining certain parts of ideas, you can come to a solution you would have never thought of otherwise.

From the rocky coastline of #Jamestown to the brownstone streets of #Boston – How has your new #environment influenced you as a young designer? What projects at #Wentworth #Institute of #Technology have challenged your mind to #explore new #horizons?

I'm very thankful to have grown up in Jamestown, it is so peaceful and vibrant in southern Rhode Island. Going to college in Boston has de�nitely changed the way I think. There's so many opportunities in Boston, and being surrounded by college students really puts you in the mindset to learn. I love going to class and everyone is o�ering up ideas and critiques, you get a lot of input from everyone on your designs, which almost always leads you to something unexpected.

A project that de�nitely challenged me was we had to design a bar of soap for a speci�c audience. I think that was the �rst time I ever had to design something for someone, not just a speci�c purpose. We had to do a lot of research and gather images for inspiration, and I ended up making a soap for doctors or veterinarians. It breaks o� pieces like a Kit-Kat bar for single wash usage. It went through a lot of phases, and a lot of re�nement. During this project, we had to make the mold for the soap using silicon, and we had to pour the liquid soap, so this project not only exposed me to new ways of thinking, but also to new methods of making things. It was a challenging and fun project.



Can you describe your interests in #music and the influence the #audio #arts have on your industrial design #aesthetics? How does music and #industrial #design relate?

It's funny, I actually applied to another school before Wentworth, and I applied to major in Audio Engineering/Sound Production. I wanted to make beats, like for rappers. I have this thing called a sampler, and it's this electronic piece of music equipment that can take parts of songs and chop them up and remix them, and I add other instruments, and eventually I can turn a ~20 second clip of a song into something that sounds totally di�erent and it's a full song. It's similar to Industrial Design in the way that you take inspiration from something, add your own ideas, and turn it into something else entirely. I really like electronic instruments and maybe someday I will be doing Industrial Design for a company that makes them. That would be the ultimate fusion of music and design for me.


#Imagine if you were employed as a #Global #Industrial #Design #DJ — What would be the top 3 songs on your #PlayList — and Why?

Without a doubt, Hot Sugar makes the top of the list. He is a producer/beat maker that makes music in a very unique way; his creative process is unbelievable. Hot Sugar samples things that aren't musical, like the sound of someone snoring, and through di�erent processes, makes it sound great. The reason I chose him is because he thinks very creatively, which is something you have to do in Industrial Design.

The next song would have to be "Flying Lotus - Zodiac Shit" – Flying Lotus is the MASTER of electronic hip hop. He said in an interview that he takes a lot of inspiration for his sounds from video games, and old school jazz. How di�erent could those two genres be? It amazes me how he can combine genres like that to create something that still sounds good. (To me). I realize it's not for everyone. The way he takes inspiration from multiple sources is very reminiscent of design to me.

The last song is "Four Tet - She Moves She” – Four Tet makes music in a radical way. He takes parts of audio that purposely don't sound good, and tries to make them sound great. His drum patterns are often varied and hard to follow at some points. He will take half-a-second clips of audio and layer them, reverse them, throw e�ects on them, anything he can to make it �t together. And often this is combined with soothing and melodic samples from obscure sources. The result is something no other artist can do. I feel that Four Tet's style is very recognizable. Which is something I strive for as a designer.


From your #perspective, what trends in Industrial Design will #stimulate the #next #generation of #Social #Innovation?

I think Industrial Design wasn't something a lot of companies took very seriously until semi-recently. One company that does take it very seriously is Apple. A lot of people hate on Apple products, but I think it's unwarranted. When you use an Apple product, everything is intuitive. Everything feels very comfortable and is simple to understand. And hopefully more companies adopt Apple's love for good design. Because I see it like this: sure your product works, but what is good about that when half the people who try to use it can't �gure it out? A lot of problems with �guring out the function of a thing can be solved by form. I just hope that more people/companies take Industrial Design more seriously.

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