Mindset of an Engineer in to Designer & How its common Across different Fields ?

People have really transitioned from a very different background. Right, this podcast I'm going to be telling you what is the mindset which a typical designer has, which a typical engineer has when he's transitioning into a designer. I am the best testimony of it and I'm having a personal experience of working as a designer as well as engineer as well as both mingled in product development. And I have interacted with more than 15 to 16 different country people working with cross functional teams like sales, marketing and design, product design, engineering design and testing quality. I worked with Tier 2 industries and I worked with supply chain management. And you know what guys, I really understood what is the mindset which is really takes to transition into a designer particularly this is true for every field. It's not only for being an engineer, it's also for accountant, it's also for medical field. It's also for software developers who are, I mean earlier they were graphic designers and now they are coming into a product design and UI UX design. What does it really take? Let's take a leap, let's take a deep dive into this perspective to understand because if you have this mindset prepared, you will become a very good designer in terms of differentiating your work and your transitioning will be much smoother when you start as a designer. A lot of people really get scared of this phase and they, they have a misconception about design field and they leave it. Right. I'm going to be addressing that as well in this podcast. First let me share my personal story guys. Because I've been a mechanical engineer for five years. I did my mechanical engineering in 2009-13 and after that I got selected in campus interview being a product development engineer. I started my career as a graduate executive trainee. There has been a 5 years, very good in TAFE tractors and farm equipments. I've really learned a lot of things, particularly with respect to managing people, managing team and not much of engineering I would say because I was in a product development role where we don't get the core R and D understanding right, we don't jump into design calculations does that and all. But I was very much fascinated towards creating designs, solving some problems in terms of making product design as a whole thing. I really don't know whether this kind of field exists like let's say product designing and UI UX designing and all. So I was doing a lot of sketching and all these things. But initially when I saw one of my colleague, his name is Mahesh, so he used to work in TAFE so he used to draw a lot of stuffs. He used to sketch lot of tractors. He was in a tractor R and D. He was also earlier part of TAFE in the R&D department. So he was sketching lot of the times. And I asked him sir, why do you really sketch? See you have a 3D model, you have a 3D modeling software, you have a rendering software and why don't you go and do it directly? Why do you waste time in doing sketching in your hand and take some effort to practice it to make it perfect. And I asked him, he was like no Jagdish, this is different. What you are talking is an engineering design. What I am doing is different which is called industrial design. And here creativity is a major thing. And when you draw with your hand you tend to put the forms and curves and think your product how it should be there in your mind in your own way by sketching it out initially all the designs will be like this Jagdish then and only it will transition into a physical product design. So I was like shocked. Like what is this? No, to my knowledge I have seen only people working in 3D models and they really get into a 3D printing or manufacturing or make prototype and do it. But what is this? It's little different. Then he said there is a college called N.I. sorry, the college called IDC. It's Industrial Design Center IIT Bombay's design division. And luckily that was a moment I had to talk with him and he was in the time of writing the exam of that particular college to get into a design education. I was really fascinated. Oh my God, what is this? So people are really having a course for this. Then I started to try myself to sketch some ideas. Like I was not sure whether I will get it right because I was thinking to join in this college is to be a designer. You need to be very good in sketching. That's a very big misconception I had. After that I came to know it not even required. That's just a part of a skill. That's it. It's like building your screens or talking to people to get research done or doing some ideation sessions and building prototypes. That's also a skill, it's not a big thing. So I also did my best part and he got selected in IDC at that year and then he went as a sabbatical sponsor through my company and I was so excited. Oh my God. Company sponsoring him because it's a specialized course and I need to also get prepared so that I can get in the best colleges in my country. I was doing my research. I found NID was more synchronous with me. I've also written but I was not very much keen on that. But I was more interested in NID because NID is more of artistic nature and expression which I wanted to really cater engineering stuff. I've seen enough already. The very first learning. I'll tell you guys, if you are a designer, if you're coming from an engineering background, don't forget your analytical skills. Because lot of times people forget that. I'll tell you if you are solving a problem, attention to details and having the technical materials knowledge, process knowledge, your engineering background knowledge. Let's say if you're a software engineer also no problem. That particular knowledge will help you a lot when you become a designer. A lot of people forget that, you know, I also tend to do that mistake. But I somehow got the remembrance of it. A lot of people have given me this advice also. Forget your engineering, forget everything, start design fresh. No, that's not the real thing. That's the very first thing I'm telling you being an engineer, don't forget your analytical skills, don't forget your technical knowledge. Do not just forget everything what you learnt in design in engineering as a designer, definitely you will be putting that thought process, mindset, creativity into it. Then what happens is I wrote the exam, I got selected in NID same I got a sabbatical sponsorship also. But here I was a little different. I did not choose that sabbatical option because I really wanted to do it on my own. Because when you do for a sabbatical sponsorship, industry will ask you to sign a bond for five years. Of course, TAFI is a very good company. They've asked me to come back again. But I have not chosen that option because I wanted to really make myself free in that way to explore my senior, he was having a family situation constraint. He choose a different decision. But for me I was more people were like why didn't you choose this? Why didn't you choose that particular option? It's a good option, right? But I know like if I am building my own career, I need to be choosing my path very differently. Because later doing design I found that medical product design was very interesting. And I had a freedom to jump into internship to do a medical product which got the best product also of the year 2021 for a medical ventilator called NUMO. I was very happy to work in that Phoenix Medicals team as a part of A ui, UX designer. And also later I joined in a medical product design company. One of the best studios in India, hcl. So all this freedom would have not come. When you do this, lot of people make the second mistake which is losing their freedom. They think I'll be only working in this, I'll be designer, I'll be only building some screens. Don't have that restriction in your mind. You know what? The moment when you switch off your mind and think about design is having an endless possibility. And you can switch into product design, digital design, game design, system design or even you can go into graphic design, you can go into furniture design, toy design, multimedia design. Design is endless guys. Strategic design, retail design, experience design, exhibition design. I'll keep on telling you textile design, ceramic design. Design is completely a way of problem solving into different arena. So have that openness. Particularly if you are from a different background, engineering background or anything. Please don't leave this guys. The second learning I'm telling you. Okay, the third important thing. So let's say if you're coming from an accounting background, please have that management of financial things. Please have that management of people and project how you do. Because I seen people who are working in accounting field or people are working in that particular arena, they have a very clear documentation of their numbers and stats and pictures and figures or whatever they have. They have a very good presentation skill, they have a very good organizational skill, they have a very good project management and people management skill. Particularly when you're coming from an MBA background, people have this project management skill in a more different way. Do not forget that. Because as a designer this mindset is very important to keep that discipline with you because you are already blessed with that skill. And why do you want to waste that? Lot of people think, oh no, I have to learn everything from the beginning. Design is everything. Of course design is different. But these skills will make you leverage as a person to take an advantage of your earlier skill. Lot of people start their design career initially they won't be able to get good job. It's because they don't know how to tell their experience properly. It's a very big problem. Also they treat themselves as a fresher and obviously industry will take their advantage and they'll treat you like a fresher and they'll give you 20,000amonth. Because for them it's profit, right? So it's your responsibility to showcase that particular skill set to get hired and leverage your experience in that. Don't forget, if you are in that particular background, the Third is like let's say management. Okay, see management. I'll tell a lot of things guys because when it comes to management you have a very systemized way of working. You have a very good interpersonal and communication skills. You have a very good effective. What do you call brainstorming with different cross functional teams like let's say sales, marketing, design and development, testing. You know what, this is a very good skill which people really lack. Designers are definitely poor in this guys. They know how to make concepts and creative and all these things. But they don't know how to collaborate and get the leverage of other team. They are very scared and skeptical about talking to other teams. They think they will spoil their creativity. Their marketing will come and tell. Don't do this concept, don't do this colors. That's not the case guys. If you effectively talk to them and understand their pain point as well then you can contribute better. So have that collaborative nature. If you're coming from a management background. Next is let's say if you're coming from a medical background, if you're a doctor, if you are a physician who are really interested in design and I've seen a lot of doctors coming into UI Uxville and still there are a lot of people who are coming also. Particularly one of my student also was a 15 years experienced gynecology, she's a doctor, but she is very interested to learn design. I mean I'm really happy to guide these kind of students because I developed a very different perspective. You know what, if you are a medical professional, you will have more empathy than anybody because you tend to understand the patient in a more deeper sense, right? Whether the patient tells you full information or half information, you. You see their pain, you understand their need, you find out the real problem, root cause of their body problem, pain or something. Because that's the power of a doctor, right? Let me tell you guys, if you are using that power in a design, you will become a much more empathetic and user centric designer. Because the transferability skill designers definitely don't have lot of experience designer will have, but you definitely have already in that. Why don't you understand that particular aspect and bring into a human factors kind of a way? Because what is human factors? It's about designing for human needs, right? That's called considering those factors will be human factors. There are a lot of things called anthropometry and human anatomy physiology which you can understand better while you're designing interfaces and experience for the this current people of the current generation. Because you already have that advantage of medical technical knowledge, talking with patients and dealing with different diseases and understanding their whole history of pain points. And you can become a medical product designers, guys, because I'm telling you, medical product design has much more complexity and that's an epitome of product design. I would say if you do medical product design, literally you can work in any industry. That's the big complexity of it. You can understand the advantage of doing this. Okay? And let me tell you guys, fifth important thing is attractiveness of design. Lot of people got attracted, like let's say engineer or medical or software or anything. Why do you really get attracted? I don't know this answer. Guys, you need to write down that I'm giving you an activity for this podcast. You can pause this podcast and write what are the reason you have come into design? What is that attraction factor? See guys, initially I got attracted with a lot of forms, sketches, different sketching, good beautiful colors and graphics and this, that. But the second attraction, what I got is the functionality in which the design solves a problem. Lot of people don't get this because you might be seeing it, but you don't know how to express this. You might be forgetting that. That's why it's very important to see the major attraction factor. What brought you into this design career. Or maybe you are still exploring your design career, you're not still finalized. That's totally fine, guys, but write down. And the last impact is let me tell you, you need to have the adaptability mindset in you. Whatever is your attractiveness, or you're coming into design field or you're yet to choose design field, have that particular knowledge mindset, like what impact you wanted to create, what problem you wanted to solve, what design you wanted to make. See guys, that is a big core pillar of your aspiration being a designer. And once if you have that, slowly you will develop the resilience. Slowly you will develop the adaptability. Slowly you will develop the collaborative skills. Slowly you will develop a big curiosity. Slowly you will develop an innovative mindset. Slowly you will become. You will make design as a big passionate career in you. This is the last important point, guys, because you need to get this clarity. Because the way in which you think why you got attracted to design and the impact, what you wanted to really create will make you completely transition into a designer's mindset. Whether if you're an engineer or software or medical background. No problem, guys. I've discussed about the different four categories, right? So if you have that motivation, very Clear. I definitely had a very huge motivation and aspiration because I really wanted to impact design and I mean impact other fields in a lot more way. Using design, using the power of design. Particularly when I really started reading about system design, my neurons and senses got even more wider. I've started seeing design in a more different way, which normal people don't see. But the point is you have to first find it. Don't fall for the flashy things come from your own basics and your interest and your curiosity to do it. Because generally you will develop that nature of adaptability, that nature of continuous learning, that nature of collaboration, the nature of passion, innovation. And slowly you will make design as the biggest impactful career of you. Okay, I hope this podcast would have given you the mindset, clarity, what it takes to become a designer, and how you can leverage the power of your existing field. Okay, thank you so much guys. Thank you for staying tuning in with me in this podcast. If you need my mentorship support and getting you 2x to 3x salary growth, if you're already a designer in less than three months, hit that email dfcdesignforchangemail.com if you are someone who are really new, don't know anything about design, who want to start from scratch, I would highly recommend you you join my personalized mentorship program. This is a very intensive program. If you are only serious, do that. Send that same email that you are a fresher, you wanted to learn design. In less than three months, I'll make sure you get a very good job of minimum 50,000 to 60,000 in design because that's the minimum result which I guarantee to students. But if you put a lot of effort, you can get even more better results and job and career opportunities than that. Okay, so thank you so much guys. If you find this useful, give me a best rating in Spotify and Apple and subscribe me for further episodes. Thank you so much guys. Bye bye. All the best. See you.