Maksym Shkinder

 

IN A NUTSHELL:

• IED Torino
• Transportation Design - 2011
• Senior Designer at McLaren

Q.: Do you consider sketching as an aptitude?

A.: due to the nature of our work, aptitude is definitely a significant part of every designer’s daily routine as well as a way out, forgive the contradiction. 

At work we draw a great deal of time; sketching cars and related subjects may urge one to explore this type of topic in spare time, which consequently I do occasionally. A change is as good as a rest – they say. Although I could name a few people in the industry, no one is a sketching machine and taking a break from any activity sometimes is crucial. 

Q.: watching your Instagram profile, you show a strong artistic and illustrative pulse. Where does your passion for modern motoring come from? 

A.: well, we are the result of what we are exposed to. Apart from the obvious, generally inspiring pass places such as museums and galleries, people get influenced by the environment they live in. Anything emotional can affect me in either way and reflect on my art too. 

Q.: how was your student experience in IED Torino? Please, tell us some tips.

A.: Italy was my first overseas experience, the first plane I was ever on. I was thrilled, excited, full of courage and desperate to leave all I had gained behind, including the friends and family I said goodbye to. In hindsight this was slightly reckless, however, I was willing to pay a price to pursue my dreams.

I enjoyed my time in IED, even though I had a few ups and downs.

“ I remember how great was to spend time with tutors who were actual designers from Pininfarina, and Fiat Group who often were not much older than us and as result, it helped to establish a close and friendly relationship. “

The energy was incredible, everyone was competitive yet empathetic and wanted to outdo one another, and challenge themselves in order to keep up with fellow designers or be better.

Needless to mention how remarkable was to experience life in Turin for two years overlooking the Alps from an apartment shared with old schoolmates. The location was astonishing giving us access to car museums coupled with the Italian lifestyle. The good old days. 

Q.: during our first Alumni contact you mentioned Cesar Mendoza – IED Torino Master Coordinator of Transportation Design – and Professor at IED Madrid. What did he pass down to you, both as a professor and professional figure?

A.: Cesar Mendoza was a role model which many looked up to, but my interaction with Mendoza was different as we openly shared our disagreements when it came to design and philosophies. Mendoza was not assigned to my course as a tutor, however, he interacted with my class every now and again which left a strong impact and impression. 

“ I remember we were given an anonymous questionnaire about our experience in IED. As I had a lot to express I decided to leave my name - if the school cared about the feedback they would have reached out to me. “

I was glad I nailed it as the school reached out to me, giving me a lovely half an hour face to face conversation with Mr Mendoza. The conversation with Mendoza was productive and he provided me with fruitful answers to my questions.

Q.: what happened after your graduation? Could you tell us something about your experience as a young professional in McLaren?

A.: halfway through my Master’s Degree I had several options - amongst them, there was an internship in The Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Centre in Sindelfingen, and also a long-term contract in Skoda-Auto in the Czech Republic.

Being ambitious but also pragmatic I chose Skoda as I knew it would be a consistent environment with a firm base to build on. 

During my three years in Skoda, I was in touch with a few companies, one of them was McLaren - I was absolutely blown away and still I am, nearly five years since I joined. Every day I still learn something about the industry, or myself. As a company, McLaren pushes you to your limits. As a result, you grow either professionally or personally. 

“ Absolutely a dream company to work for. “