What happens in the final project of the automotive design summer camp
Most summer programs end with a presentation, a diploma, and a memoir. The summer camp of automotive design carried out in Milan, ends with something concrete: a complete automotive project developed by the participant over two weeks, with refined sketches, digital rendering and a physical model in clay on a scale of 1:10.
This final deliverable is not a complementary activity. It is the leitmotif of the entire program. Each class, each laboratory, and each technical visit over the two weeks allows the young person to construct and refine the project that will be presented on the last day. For parents who want to understand what their child will produce, this article details how this process takes place in practice.
How the project begins: from the idea to the first sketch
The project does not start with a ready-made design instruction. It begins with a question: what car do you want to create? Participants receive guidance on the fundamentals of automotive design, but the vehicle design is individual. Each young person develops their own concept, with language, proportions and aesthetics chosen by them.
The first phase of the project is ideation. Participants learn automotive sketching techniques, drawing volumes and proportions of cars, and begin to translate the idea onto paper. Early sketches don't have to be perfect. They are exploratory. The instructor guides each youth individually, helping to identify what works and what needs to be reviewed.
In this phase, participants go through:
- Fundamentals of automotive perspective and proportions
- Tracing techniques for communicating volume and shape
- Fast line exercises to develop the designer's eye
- Individual feedback on early concepts
At the end of the first few days, each young person has a clear direction for the project that they will develop over the following week.
From the sketch phase to the digital rendering
With the concept defined, the project moves on to the refinement and digitization phase. The sketches are worked to a level of finish that allows the transition to digital rendering. At this stage, participants have access to professional software in the program's laboratories and learn basic automotive rendering techniques.
The goal isn't to fully master the software in two weeks. It's about learning how to use the tool to communicate the project with visual quality. A well-executed rendering shows materials, lighting, reflections, and the general language of the concept vehicle. It transforms the sketch into an image with a visual impact close to that of a real project.
This stage includes:
- Introduction to digital rendering with professional software
- Color, material and lighting techniques for vehicles
- Refinement of body proportions and details
- Basic exploration of interior design and automotive UX
Digital rendering is one of the central elements of the application portfolio for design schools. Having a render developed with professional guidance in Milan is a concrete differential for young people who have not yet had access to this type of training.
The modeling stage: from digital to physical
The third phase of the project is clay modeling. The participants work with industrial clay to build a three-dimensional model of the vehicle at a scale of 1:10. This is the most practical stage and, for many young people, the most revealing.
Clay allows you to explore the shape of the vehicle in a way that sketching and rendering do not allow. Volume, curves, edges, and surface transitions only become completely understandable when physically worked. For this reason, clay modeling remains a central tool in the design studios of the world's largest automakers, even in the digital age.
The modeling process in the program includes:
- Introduction to modeling techniques in industrial clay
- Construction of the base volume of the vehicle on the defined scale
- Refinement of surfaces and design details
- Final finish for presentation
At the end of this stage, each young person has in their hands a physical model that represents the concept developed throughout the program. This model can be photographed and included directly in the college application portfolio.
What does the final presentation look like?
At the close of the program, participants present the complete project to instructors and colleagues. The presentation includes the sketches of the process, the final digital rendering, and the clay model. Each young person explains the design choices, the evolution of the concept, and what they learned over the two weeks.
This presentation has a clear pedagogical value: it forces young people to articulate the creative process in words. This is exactly what design schools evaluate in application interviews. A young person who has experienced defending a project before an audience has a real advantage over those who face this moment for the first time in the college selection process.
The final presentation is also the moment when the certificate of completion is delivered, documenting the completion of 30 hours of classes and laboratories and the completion of the project.
What does the young man take home besides the model?
The physical deliverable is the clay model. But the set that the young man takes home is wider:
- Process sketches and refined sketches of the project
- Final digital rendering produced with professional software
- Photographs of the model In clay
- Certificate of Completion From the program
- Visual references of the technical visits to Italdesign, Pagani Automobili and ADI Museum
This set makes up the initial elements of a professional portfolio. For a young person aged 15 to 18, having this material structured and produced with specialized guidance represents months of anticipation in relation to the college application process. The article on how to build an automotive design portfolio before the age of 18 details how to organize this material for applications.
Do technical visits influence the final project?
Yes, directly. Visits to Italdesign, the National Automobile Museum in Turin, and Pagani Automobili are not separate cultural activities from the program. They are part of the creative process. When young people visit Italdesign, one of the most important design studios in world automotive history, they come into contact with aesthetic and methodological references that directly influence the choices they make in the project.
Motor Valley, the region that concentrates Lamborghini, Ferrari and Pagani, offers a context of design excellence that doesn't exist in any classroom. Seeing up close how these vehicles are conceived and what their visual identity represents expands the young designer's repertoire in a way that cannot be replicated through images or videos.
This repertoire appears in the final project. Young people who have experienced these visits make more conscious design decisions, with concrete references to justify each choice. Families that consider it as an alternative for international training find an equally consistent structure in another field.
FAQ
Do all participants produce different projects?
Yes. The vehicle concept is developed individually by each participant. The instructors guide the process, but the creative choices, visual language, and identity of the project belong to the young person.
Can the clay model be transported back to the country of origin?
The model is made of industrial clay and may be fragile for transportation. The best thing to do is to shoot with professional quality before returning. The photos enter directly into the young person's digital portfolio.
Does my child need to have previous drawing experience to develop a good project?
Formal experience is not required. The program begins with the fundamentals and progresses at a pace suitable for beginners. What determines the quality of the final project is the commitment and willingness to learn during the two weeks.
Can the digital rendering produced in the program be used for college applications?
Yes. Renders developed with professional guidance and with specialized software are of adequate quality for application portfolios. The context of the program also adds value to the work presented.
How long does it take to develop the project from day one to the final presentation?
The project evolves over the two weeks of the program, with 30 hours of classes and laboratories distributed between the days of activity. Each stage, from the sketch to the physical model, is completed within the program period.
Be Easy: Boutique exchange consultancy
Be Easy accompanies families who want to give their child a real advantage before college. If your child is interested in automotive design, we have curating right for him to develop a real project in Milan and build a portfolio before entering college. To understand the options available and speak with a dedicated senior consultant, contact us.
