Personal Record of Learning:

The Hybrid Designer-Journalist (#과제용입니다)

Author: Younghun Jeong

Design is Storytelling

In the automotive world, a vehicle is more than a mode of transport—it is a character in a story. This belief is the foundation of my studies in Automotive & Transport Design at Coventry University.

My journey is unique compared to my peers. While many strive solely to become automotive and transport designers, my ambition lies at the intersection of creation and critique. I aspire to be an automotive journalist who does not just describe a car's appearance but understands the clay modeling, the engineering constraints, and the brand heritage and history behind it. My goal is to bridge the gap between the sketchpad and the editorial column, translating technical design language into compelling narratives that resonate with the public. I don't just want to draw cars; I want to explain why they matter.

Creativity – The AI Advantage

In the traditional design curriculum, we obsess over manual rendering and line work. While I respect this discipline—and my portfolio demonstrates my work with Alias—I have identified a massive shift in the industry: Artificial Intelligence.

Looking at my "Dior 2035" and "Jaguar Obscura" projects, I realized that the future belongs to those who can iterate fastest. I have positioned myself as an "Advanced" user of Vizcom, Gemini and ChatGPT. This is not about shortcuts; it is about cognitive offloading. By using AI to visualize initial forms rapidly or to structure the skeleton of an article, I free up my mental energy for the creative direction and the "human" element of the narrative.

For a journalist, speed is currency. The ability to generate high-quality visuals and synthesized text structures efficiently is a skill gap I see in the current market. I am filling that gap. My proficiency in AI allows me to be a "one-man newsroom," capable of researching, writing, and visualizing a story with a depth that a standard reporter—lacking design training—cannot match.

Case Study – Decoding the DNA

My approach to "Journalistic Design" is best exemplified by my Jaguar Obscura project. The brief was complex: attract a younger, "cash-rich, time-poor" demographic to a brand steeped in tradition. A lazy designer might just add big screens. A lazy journalist might just critique the grille size.

I took a different approach. I analyzed the "golden ratio" of the classic E-Type and applied it to an autonomous pod. I realized that for Jaguar, the "story" is about the tension between "Grace" and "Pace." Even in an autonomous age, the car must look fast standing still. I rejected the industry trend of making every EV look just simple. instead, I integrated a sharp, black hole shape and minimalism design, while offering a lounge-like interior for the modern commuter.

This project proved my hypothesis: you cannot design (or critique) a Jaguar without understanding its soul. My role as a journalist will be to uncover these hidden narratives in every new car release, explaining not just what the car is, but who it is for.

Development – The "Archivist" Mindset

A key competency for any journalist is research. It is not enough to know what a car looks like; you must know where it came from. This is where my "Mazda History Archive" (MHA) comes into play.

Starting in 2016, I realized that my strength wasn't just in drawing the future, but in documenting the past. My blog has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors not because I post generic news, but because I dig deep. I focus on "forgotten concept cars" and the specific lineage of brands like Mazda. This required developing a forensic approach to research—hunting for brochures, translating Japanese texts, and verifying data.

This activity bridged a critical gap in my employability. It moved me from a passive student to an active content creator. Collaborating with an online car magazine community in Korea for four months was the practical application of this skill. It taught me that readers value insight over information. Anyone can list specs; few can explain how the Mazda RX-7’s rotary engine heritage influenced the design language of the modern era. My strength lies in concise, dense writing—packing layers of history and technical analysis into accessible articles.

Market Insight – The Kit Car Experiment

To truly understand the automotive industry, one must understand the aftermarket and the enthusiast. My "DMO 2028" project was a pivotal study in this area. Unlike standard OEM projects where the car is a finished sealed product, DMO creates "kit cars" based on BMW E36 and E46 chassis.

Designing for a kit car required a completely different mindset. The "Legend" model, inspired by the Lotus Seven, is not just about aesthetics; it is about accessibility and assembly. I had to consider how a customer would interact with the panels. The design had to be modular, simple to manufacture, yet emotionally resonant for a driver who builds their own machine.

This project taught me about the "democratization of design." As a journalist, this insight is invaluable. It allows me to write with authority on the rising "Right to Repair" movement and the culture of car modification. I learned that a car is not just what the factory builds; it is what the owner makes of it. This perspective helps me connect with the hardcore enthusiast audience, a demographic often overlooked by mainstream media.

Technical Competence – Understanding the Machine

To critique a design effectively, one must understand the engineering beneath the surface. A pretty sketch is meaningless if it cannot be manufactured. My "DMO" project, which involved designing a 2028 sports car based on the BMW E46 chassis, was a deep dive into these constraints.

Unlike pure styling exercises, this project required me to respect the hard points of an existing platform. While my sketching hand wanted a low, supercar-like cowl height, the reality demanded a higher hood line. I had to use visual trick, side surfacing—to hide this visual mass as much as I can.

This experience gave me "engineer’s empathy." When I write about a car in the future, I won’t just criticize a high hood line; I will be able to explain why pedestrian safety regulations or engine packaging forced that design decision. This technical literacy is what separates a fan from a professional critic.

Problems & Solutions – Bridging the Gap

The Problem: The automotive journalism industry is bifurcated. On one side, you have technical writers who understand engineering but lack aesthetic sensibility. On the other, you have lifestyle writers who describe the "feeling" of a car but cannot explain the design decisions that created that feeling. Furthermore, the sheer volume of content required today is overwhelming.

The Solution: My portfolio projects, such as the Yutong Lyn autonomous shuttle, serve as my solution. This project wasn't just about styling a boxy vehicle for the Chinese market. It required analyzing the GDP and population density of the Yangtze River Delta to justify the design. This is "journalistic design."

To expand my employment opportunities, I am treating every design project as an investigative article.

Contextual Analysis: For the Yutong project, I didn't just draw; I researched the societal need for green mobility in high-density urban zones.

Brand Ethos: For the "Dior 2035" project, I had to deconstruct a fashion house’s philosophy and translate it into automotive form. This is exactly what a journalist does when reviewing a new Rolls-Royce or Bentley—analyzing if the product fits the brand.

Visual Communication: I am using my skills in Photoshop and Illustrator not just to make pretty pictures, but to create infographics and layouts that communicate complex ideas simply.

Continuous Learning – The Editor’s Eye

Design is visual, but journalism is structural. To sharpen my writing, I have turned my daily routine into a study of editorial structure. I rigorously analyze articles from Car Design News, Story Cars, and Top Gear, dissecting how seasoned editors introduce a topic, build an argument, and conclude with impact.

I am also teaching myself photography and layout design. A good article is a marriage of text and image. By understanding how to frame a car in a photograph to highlight its "character line" or "stance," I can write better descriptions. This holistic approach—being able to shoot, write, and layout—is my strategy to become indispensable in a shrinking media landscape.

Future Direction – The Specialist

Reflecting on my whole year, I see that my path is not to abandon design for writing, but to fuse them. The industry needs specialists.

I am currently dedicating myself to refining my writing to a professional standard. Simultaneously, I am reinforcing my unique 'Hybrid' toolset. By leveraging Photoshop and AI tools, I personally create the essential visual materials needed for my articles. My goal is to combine this technical capability with deep research to uncover and narrate the stories that others miss.

Again, the "Jaguar Obscura" project taught me that heritage matters. Jaguar’s audience is aging, and they need to capture the youth. My career strategy is similar. I am targeting a niche that values deep design literacy combined with modern digital efficiency. I am not just a design student; I am an analyst with a sketchbook.