Tae Kim is a camping product designer working out of the Mission in San Francisco. His first design job was in automotive design for Ford Motor Co. and most recently was the design director for The North Face. He currently designs tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and other camping gear. If you've been inside a Crown Victoria COP car or owned a North Face backpack, then Tae's designs have been in your life.

How did you know you wanted to do design?

“My favorite class in high school was physics; I loved the aspect of making stuff. We made a bridge in a bridge making contest. We used only matches and tested to see whose bridge could hold the most weight. I got 2nd place! My high school guidance counselor recommended Purdue University for their design and engineering programs since I had an interest in making things. I didn't have any idea at that point what I would or could be but I went with it."

How did you get your first design job?

“I was a junior in college at the time and met with a recruiter from Ford Motor Company. He was interviewing for a variety of jobs but I showed him my portfolio and probably lucked out and got an internship at Ford designing for semi trucks in the clay modeling studio."

tae and his desk workspace at alite designs

What was the most influential part of your design education?

“I went to Purdue University and then Stanford University for grad school. I remember my favorite class was the Design 101 at Purdue; it was my first insight into the design process. I had studied fine arts as well as science classes and Design 101 was the first time where I could put them together and it just clicked."

sketch book and pens

sewing workshop

machine shop

What was your favorite childhood toy?

“I had a 3-foot Boba Fett action doll. It was the last thing I got for my birthday before my parents got divorced and I treasured it. As a kid I felt like it was great product design. It had Boba Fett’s missle launcher on the arm and everything!”

What do you eat for lunch these days?

“Salad... I'm trying to lose weight."

slowclub - chicken caesar salad

Any Pro-Tips for aspiring designers?

“Take life drawing classes. It lets you draw things at many different angles where you have no control of the form or the organic nature of the human body. It’s just a great building block to the type of sketching I do now.”

from prototype to product

alite designs - mantis chair