Industrial design students saw a significant change in the early '80s, when computer-aided design classes began to impact their curriculum. Most students still learn to draw with pens and markers, but computer-aided design programs are a more common tool for the serious professional, who must compete at the cutting edge of product and automotive design.
Recently we were introduced to Vizual Tech (www.viztech.se.com; mail@viztech.se), a Swedish-based company and website. The small design firm specializes in computer-aided automotive and product design. The principal designer of the company is Bo Zolland. Bo tells us that Vizual Tech was founded in 1999, and that although his company is small, it works with a number of subcontractors for three-dimensional design and translation into other languages.
Bo is a seriously infected race fan and automotive enthusiast, but will take on almost any design project, including wooden boats and recreational watercraft. Yes, he continues to draw by hand, but admits that computer-generated renderings provide an entirely new dimension to the services he can offer his clients-clients who must be wholly confident of the product development direction before committing millions of dollars in tooling.
The computer-generated renderings are an important intermediate step in the product development process, allowing clients to thoroughly review a product design, graphic design, or vehicle concept before reaching the three-dimensional phase-before any decisions are cast in economic concrete. Bo can easily change the shape, color, or graphics of an object in the computer. He can also change the viewing angle, the lighting, and the entire surroundings by modifying the program input of 3DS and Rhino.
 This Rendering Features A...  This Rendering Features A Comparison Of The Original F-100 Sitting Alongside What Bo Refers To As The Fatty F-100 Pickup. The New Pickup Design Has A Slightly Larger Overall Scale And Quite A Muscular Appearance, Without Losing The Flavor Of The Original F-100 Truck. |  |  A lime-green F-100 sits beside...  A lime-green F-100 sits beside another 18-wheel car hauler with advertising graphics applied to the sides of the enclosed trailer. Note the matching wheels on both vehicles. |
 Here's a particularly illustrative...  Here's a particularly illustrative rendering-the taillights of the red truck are blazing away in the low light-level environment. The wheels and fire extinguishers add to the visual realism |  The red truck image on a reflective...  The red truck image on a reflective surface was one of the first of Bo Zolland's renderings we viewed-it got our art-appreciation attention immediately. We believe this autobahn runner-styled project is currently in-progress in San Diego, CA |  We thought our readers might...  We thought our readers might enjoy seeing what Bo can do for the custom-loving crowd. This early '50s Mercury and Cadillac have a few mild custom details and big wheels. The object on the ground is a vintage-perfect radio. |