Firms want designers that mirror multicultural society, but colleges are producing few candidates.

Nashon Francis is a rare commodity in the auto industry -- he's a talented black car designer.

The 22-year-old Miami native is preparing to graduate from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit in two months and already the offers are coming in.

While Francis said he hasn't given much thought to being an exception in a field with a dearth of minorities and women, automakers are beginning to view the lack of diversity as a serious issue.

The companies want design teams that connect with their increasingly diverse customer base. But colleges are producing few female and black car designers, spurring car companies to support scholarship programs and scout talent in high schools.

Full article here

RavenR1 - 3/13/2006 9:30:38 AM

+1 Boost

the hispanic part comes in AFTER the car is initailly designed. Where do you think these spoilers and multiple fog lights come from?

atomicbri - 3/13/2006 9:52:47 AM

+1 Boost

Maybe there are not a lot of minorities in auto design, honestly I would have never known that cause I have never, ever thought of cars as being too white, too black, too hispanic... One reason whhy there may be less is because schools to go for car design are so damn expensive! I wanted to go when I was young cause I drew cars and designed things. I am caucasian however all the colleges that taught it were like $30K or more a year, not counting room & board! So unless you were rich or could happen to get a scholarship, a lot of people may be out of luck.

atomicbri - 3/13/2006 1:34:56 PM

+1 Boost

BTW a lil FYI, GM's head designer is an African American designer named Edward Welburn who lead the new Camero Concept which is retro. So to say Caucasians designers are only creating retro designs and making the comment that minority designers would design "more bling" is really ignorant.