german acevedo
︎︎︎
About me
Hey, I’m German! I am a Mexican designer from Hanover Park, IL . My mix of cultural backgrounds has led to a dynamic perspective, as demonstrated in my highlighted work. An ongoing influence on my work is also my deep interest in cars that I’ve had for as long as I can remember; the balance of design, engineering, and art that goes into automotive manufacturing has led me to my desire to work in design, and to study Manufacturing and Design Engineering with a minor in Art Theory at Northwestern University.
As I have progressed in my design and art courses there, I have developed a fast paced approach to iterating on projects. I prioritize hands-on rapid prototyping with any material that’s in front of me, to get to user testing quickly, which to me is one of the most valuable steps of the design process. My focus is on learning empathetically from users to apply their detailed feedback for a human centered approach.
When I’m not working on projects, I spend time advancing my clothing brand, where I explore my admiration for fashion. Along with this, I am always working on layering my knowledge of the past, specifically in the history of art, architecture, and fashion specifically, to inform my design perspective and broaden my ideation potential. Now, I hope that you get to know my straightforward and spontaneous personality looking through my work, and please connect with me after, as I would love to hear about you and your favorite designs, paintings, cars, and more!
EDUCATION AND FIELD EXPERIENCE
Northwestern University:
4 years studying Manufacturing & Design Engineering (MaDE) that was focused on working on designing and innovating products as well as identifying and researching white spaces culminating in a Senior Capstone Design Project where we identified a design white space in the form of a secure art transporter designed for commuting art students for which my team and I have a patent pending. To compliment my passion for design, I studied art which led me to a minor in Art, Theory, & Practice. GPA 3.8/4.0.Segal Design Institute Summer Internship:
In the summer of 2021, I partook in a Summer-long design program that allowed me to develop a design solution that I had previously created for patients at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago that involved a umbrella wheelchair attachment for patients with hemiplegia who have limited mobility.CAPSTONE PROJECT
As a part of the senior year curriculum, my team and I spent 35 weeks researching and identifying a white space, designing and testing solutions, and iterating on our solution to best design it for manufactuing and assembly. I led the design of our secure art transporter for commuting art students which is meant to keep delicate artworks secure during travel. Our design has a provisional patent which allowed us to safely seek advice from companies such as Illinois Tool Works to provide feedback on how to facilitate manufacturing.Role:
Head of DesignFabricator
Teammate
Skills:
White Space ExplorationRapid Prototyping
User Testing and Interviewing
Creativity
Problem-Solving
Research
Braingstorming
CAD
Material Selection
Manufacturing
Workshop proficiency
Teamwork
Lean Design
Design For Manufacturing
Design For Assembly
ART AUTOHAUS CLOTHING BRAND
For the past two years, I have been working on the growth of a fashion start up, Art Autohaus. This project is the culmination of all my interests as it combines my love for cars, architecture, design, and fashion. It has also allowed me to work with and lead my friends to create a brand that we are all invested in and will continue to foster its growth for years to come.Role:
OwnerSkills:
LeadershipCreative Direction
Design
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Shopify Webstore Management
Website Development
Material Selection
Advertising
Packaging