Meet Jonathan Kfouri | Transportation Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonathan Kfouri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The design process is never as linear as it is made out to be – nor is there one particular process to follow. The public is always shown doodles that turn into sketches that turn into sketch renders that then turn into a clay model and then a car, but in reality the process is all over the place. Sometimes you go straight from a napkin doodle to a digital model, sometimes you get to the digital or clay model and decide it’s best to start all over again. The majority of the time, the fancy sketch renders shown to the public are done after the real car has been fully completed. Design is constantly evolving, and new flaws and problems are constantly being discovered and solved – so the creation of a car’s design is never quite as clean cut as it is made out to be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’d say that my design work is very solution focused. I began high school with a focus in engineering and product design, and even as I transitioned into the more artistic realm of transportation design, I feel like those characteristics stuck with me. I always enjoy designing transportation in a way that is both possible yet unfamiliar – I always believe that designing within “the box” does not have to yield the same solution every time.

I think anyone who tells you that becoming a transportation designer is incredibly easy would be lying to you, but I also strongly disagree with the idea that we have by any means the hardest job / journey on earth. I’ve been lucky enough to have a family willing and able to put me through a pretty non-traditional school with pretty non-traditional expenditures, and I think this made it possible for me to remain focused and dedicated. I found along the way that empathy is far and above the most important aspect for designers, and I think the biggest differentiator between us and actual artists. It took me a while to learn, but I think once I really came to grips with it a lot more doors opened for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, given that I lived in Pasadena during my time in LA, I had incredibly good access to the metro system. So I’d probably start by taking them on the metro into the downtown union station. I like walking from there through the city to the Broad, MOCA and Disney hall because there’s a great little Plaza that often has some sort of market or festival event going on. When we get to that area, the Broad especially is, in my opinion, one of the most incredible museums I’ve ever been to given its extremely low fee of free and the amazing modern art within. The escalator and elevator bringing you to the second floor are worth the trip alone even if said friend could care less about art. Walking back to the train station I’d make sure to stop by the grand central market for lunch or dinner, as it has something for everyone. This is my idea of the kind of “perfect day in LA”, so it’s definitely how I’d start their trip. Through the rest of the week I’d make sure to take them to the Arts District and Little Tokyo, as well as Glendale, the Getty Museum, and now Long Beach (which I discovered the day before I left LA is pretty cool and now accessible by the train as well).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In addition of course to my family and partner who have supported me throughout my journey to becoming a transportation designer, and to whom I’m extremely grateful for the continued love and encouragement, I’d like to give a shoutout to my friend and classmate Glen George. Glen and I started ArtCenter together and graduated the same term, and throughout that he has always been someone I can bounce ideas off of and receive general advice from. He has kept me honest and humble, and I appreciate him infinitely. I’d also like to quickly thank the additional friends I’ve made throughout the many random stages of college who continue to support and uplift me.

Website: https://jkfouri.myportfolio.com/work

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jons_concepts0121/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-kfouri-a50095148/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonathankfouri3431

Image Credits
Jonathan Kfouri Aryan Gupta