Transportation design is at an exciting juncture today, as cars are no longer just about moving people but also about design with imagination, purpose and impact !
Ramya Manoharan, our next pathbreaker, Transportation Designer with an engineering background, blends creative vision with a problem-solving mindset to craft emotionally resonant mobility experiences.
Ramya talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her collaborations with CCS (College of Creative Studies, Detroit), for OEM-sponsored studios such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Lordstown, and General Dynamics, where she explored future mobility through both conceptual and production-level design thinking.
For students, Don’t let other people’s words or choices take over you. Whether your career starts at 20, 30, or even 40 — it’s never too late if you’re doing something you love.
Ramya, Your background?
I’m Ramya Manoharan, born and raised in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. I come from a family of engineers, but I’ve always loved art, sports, and anything creative — especially sci-fi movies and anime. Art was my biggest hobby, though I never had the exposure to see it as a career.
Like many in India, I chose a practical path and studied Robotics and Automation Engineering at PSG Tech. But soon, I realized that a 9-to-5 technical job wouldn’t make me truly happy. During COVID, I had time to reflect and found my true calling — car design, which beautifully blends art, technology, and storytelling.
Even though no one around me knew much about this field, I decided to take a leap and join the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, one of the best schools in the U.S. for automotive design. That’s where my creative journey really began.
What did you do for graduation/ post-graduation?
Currently, I have a Bachelor’s in Robotics and Automation Engineering, PSG Tech, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India (2017 -2021), and Bachelor’s in Transportation Design, College for Creative Studies, CCS, Detroit, Michigan, USA (2021-2025)
What were some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in Transportation Design?
I think I’ve always had a passion for designing, primarily cars, mobility, and utility based solutions — I’ve always been drawn to things like off-road vehicles and how they’re built for adventure and purpose. However, growing up, I never realized that car design could be a viable career. There just wasn’t much exposure to it where I’m from.
It was, in fact, my own curiosity and effort that led me to discover this field. Once I found it, my family supported me completely, which gave me the confidence to pursue this dream seriously.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
Luckily, during COVID, I had plenty of time to prepare — building my design portfolio, practicing sketches, and getting ready for the interview to apply to CCS. Once I got in, things weren’t easy at first. I joined as a Master’s student in a three-year program since I didn’t have a design background, and coming from engineering, I had to train my brain to think creatively instead of technically.
Transportation design is a field where most people think its designing cars (mostly), but it also includes Motorbikes like maybe say Kiska, Can-Am, future mobility pods, autonomous vehicles like Zoox, off-roading vehicles ATV like polaris, Dakar rally cars, trains (interior), buses, trucks like volvo, Daimler, yatchs and boats and what not ; even fictional vehicles featuring in movies (entertainment). Its about designing vehicles and mobility experiences — not just cars, but anything that moves people. It combines creativity, purposeful design and user experience to imagine the future of mobility.
CCS is one of the top universities in the world for the field of Car designing, and its also a Detroit (“auto city”) based school. Compared to the cost of living and tuition fee of Art Center College of Design ( California based), CCS was affordable. These were the 2 top universities for car designing as far USA is concerned . There are a lot more universities in Europe compared to the USA, but when I decided to apply during Covid year (2021), all the universities in Europe had an artistic aptitude test and interview in person. That was the reason for me going to the USA.
Yes, I did get scholarship based on my portfolio and my interview.
Between Art Center College of Design and CCS, CCS had a 3 year program structure ( for students who don’t have a design background) during the time I applied, even now though, but I think Art Center also has a similar program structure as CCS for students with non-design background
My year 1 – sophormore year (2nd year) of the bachelors program
And the rest 2 years would be the regular masters program, but by the time I finished my year 1, I felt I needed a lot to learn and experience, so I switched to the regular bachelors program( 2021 to 2025)
It took time to let my imagination flow freely without limits — but that’s what design is all about. The journey was challenging, competitive, and time-consuming, yet truly rewarding. During my studies, I had the opportunity to collaborate with companies like General Dynamics (U.S. Defense), GM, Volkswagen, and Lordstown, and I also worked as a Teaching Assistant for two summers, which helped me grow even more as a designer.
All these collaboration projects are part of the university program structure, students get to be placed in the Sponsored Studio for the semester based on the previous semester overall performance and grade.
For every semester, we get sponsors willing to collaborate with CCS for 4 different studio classes – exterior studio, interior studio, vehicle( military/defence) studio, mobility ( zoox, American chemistry council) studio. Sometimes, my work would change to motorbike or a yacht studio.
I worked for Lordstown Motors which is a EV company, they do pickup trucks mostly and I was the interior designer there.
Next, I worked at General Dynamics Land Systems which is a aerospace and defence company. Here, I designed an arctic based 2 people reconnaissance vehicle.
In GM, I designed a off road vehicle ( exterior), with a team of Interior and UX/UI students
In VW, I was the interior designer, collaborated with exterior and Communication designer student at CCS.
For my work photos, i will attach my portfolio link :
https://rmanoharan8104.myportfolio.com
How did you get your first break?
As, I mentioned before, You get to be placed in the sponsored studio class based on your previous semester performance, how good are you with team projects, creativity and skill sets.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
When I started at CCS, everything felt new and overwhelming. Coming from an engineering background, I struggled at first to think creatively instead of logically. I used to overanalyze things instead of just sketching freely. It took time to train my mind to imagine without limits — to be okay with making mistakes and exploring ideas that might fail.
Another big challenge was the competition. Everyone around me was incredibly talented — many had been sketching since childhood. At first, I doubted myself a lot, but I turned that pressure into motivation. I started practicing every single day, asking for feedback from mentors, and slowly, my confidence grew.
There were also emotional challenges — being far from home, managing deadlines, and feeling burnout. But I reminded myself why I started. Every late night in the studio and every project critique shaped me into a stronger, more patient designer. I learned that growth doesn’t happen when things are easy — it happens when you keep going even when it’s tough.
Where do you work now? What problems do you solve?
Currently, I’m seeking car design opportunities while freelancing in 2D and 3D animation to stay creative. But for me, designing cars isn’t just about creating vehicles — it’s about understanding people, art, and culture.
Car design is an art form that tells stories about how people live, move, and dream. Every line and surface reflects emotion, identity, and purpose. So when I design, I’m not just thinking about wheels and metal — I’m thinking about human experiences. That’s what makes this field so meaningful to me.
How does your work benefit society?
Most people think a car is just an engineering product — something made of machines, wires, and physics. But a car is much more than that. And that’s where design plays a huge role.
Design makes a car mean something!
A designer decides:
- how the car should look,
- how it should feel,
- how people will experience it,
- and what emotion or story it should carry.
Design is not just about cars, its about human understanding, culture/art, innovation and imagination, user experience, purpose and storytelling. As designers, we study how people think, behave, and feel, so the vehicle becomes natural, safe, and enjoyable to use. We add culture, art, and identity — which is why German, Japanese, and Italian cars all feel so different. Design gives a car a sense of purpose through emotion and storytelling. An off-road vehicle feels tough and adventurous, a luxury car feels calm and elegant, and those emotions come from design.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
One of my most memorable projects was my Volkswagen sponsored project at CCS. It was truly fun, exciting, and full of learning. We were challenged to design a concept that created a new social experience within mobility — not just a car, but something that connected people.
It was the first time I really saw how design thinking, creativity, and teamwork could come together to make something powerful. Our ideas were later selected and recognized by the Global Design Leadership, which gave me a huge boost of confidence. That project reminded me why I fell in love with car design in the first place — because it’s not just about vehicles, it’s about imagination and impact.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Follow what truly excites you — even if it seems unusual or different from what everyone else is doing. Be curious, explore new fields, and don’t be afraid to fail. Every failure teaches you something important.
And please, don’t compare yourself with others. Everyone’s timeline, goals, and career paths are different. The effort, opportunities, and even the pace of growth can change everything. So my biggest advice is — be brave and confident to pursue what you really love.
Also, remember to be happy and proud of your own journey. This is your life — you are the main protagonist of your story. Don’t let other people’s words or choices take over you. Whether your career starts at 20, 30, or even 40 — it’s never too late if you’re doing something you love. Time doesn’t wait, so live in the present, build your skills at your own pace, and write your own story with confidence.
Future Plans?
My future plan is to find a car design job where I can grow and apply everything I’ve learned so far. I want to gain more experience in art, explore new people, new cultures, and new countries, because I believe everything around us is a form of art.
Every place, person, and moment teaches something new — and those experiences spark imagination. I want to keep learning from the world, stay curious, and go wild with creativity.