Jordan Domjahn had a packed uni schedule maximising international travel and work integrated learning internship opportunities. It’s no wonder then he was awarded the Graduate of the Year by the Design Institute of Australia.
Since graduating, Jordan has gone on to complete an internship at BMW Group in Munich, Germany as part of an international collaboration project between QUT and BMW. The program allows students to have the amazing opportunity to work across a range of BMW Group departments, using cutting-edge emerging technologies such as VR, AR, robotics, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and big data to develop world-first solutions to real world problems.
We catch up with Jordan to discuss this and how to get the most out of being a QUT design student.
Can you sum up what you have been up to since graduation?
After graduating from Industrial Design at QUT, I went straight to an internship at BMW in Munich, Germany. I am one of 26 QUT design students (and counting) that have been accepted into the internship program through the official partnership that BMW Group has with QUT. I was employed at BMW as a Digital Design Intern working on various 3D projects, mostly within the logistics and manufacturing areas of BMW.
Once I returned home to Australia I was offered the chance to join the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy as a Design Associate. The Academy is administered by QUT here in Brisbane and based on 3 key programs: Internships, Research and Special Projects.
What made you choose this career/organisation?
The main reason I chose QUT’s Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) was because I really enjoyed Graphics and Technology Studies during high school. Industrial Design was the closest course at university to those subjects. As I learnt more about Industrial Design – what it is and the career opportunities it provides – I realised it was something that I wanted to do continue doing.
I chose to accept the job at the Academy as it was an opportunity to keep working on some unique BMW Group projects, including some of the work I started during my internship in Munich.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
At the Academy I get to do a bit of everything – things like 3D modelling and visualisation, graphic design, photography, project management, in addition to leading the Internships program and Special Projects program. Being involved in all areas of the Academy has helped me to maintain or develop important technical and personal skills, and I also really like helping design students develop their skills and succeed. We have a very skilled and knowledgeable team at the Academy and being able to learn from them and work with them is great. The other bonus is that the Academy now has a BMW M8 Competition Coupé as a design teaching and research tool, and as someone who has always been into fast cars this is incredibly exciting.
What are some of the major projects you have been involved in/career highlights to date?
One of the first big projects I worked on at the Academy was the 3D model and rendering of the idealworks iw.hub, an autonomous mobile robot used in logistics and manufacturing applications. This robot was initially a project within BMW, which was so successful that the core team responsible for the iw.hub formed idealworks, a fully owned BMW Group subsidiary. The renders we produced coincided with the announcement of the idealworks company.
Another major project has been creating 3D assets used in digital twins and Artificial Intelligence training systems for autonomous robots within BMW Group. This is a global project which includes NVIDIA as an official partner with BMW Group.
A highlight of my career was being awarded state and national level Graduate of the Year Awards by the Design Institute of Australia. This was unexpected but something that I am very proud of.
What are your future goals?
I’ve always said that doing something car or mobility related is the goal for me – I know this is my passion and what makes me happy. More broadly, I always want to be creating positive and meaningful experiences for people.
What did you find most beneficial, or particularly enjoy about your experience at QUT?
Attending the Asia Studies Tour, a two-week trip to Hong Kong and Tokyo was definitely a highlight. This was an amazing experience in which I got to see various design consultancies and universities. We also went to the TTi (Techtronic Industries) headquarters and participated in a workshop with some of their designers, followed up by a tour of their manufacturing plant in China. These are still some of the best experiences and opportunities that I’ve had abroad.
During my course I elected to completed a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) minor to compliment my Industrial Design major and other minor in Graphic Design. This gave me the opportunity to complete internships and start gaining industry experience prior to completion of my degree – something I’m glad I did, as I ended up learning a lot and getting some part time work at one of the companies.
How did your learning at QUT prepare you for career challenges or help you get to where you are today?
My studies at QUT were an excellent introduction to the key technical and personal skills that I need to succeed as a graduate designer. There were so many knowledgeable people embedded throughout the Industrial Design course – either as teaching staff or guests – who were able to provide immense learning support, new perspectives, knowledge, information about the industry, plus make me aware of unique opportunities (such as the BMW Group internship).
Learn more about the Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) and the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy.
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