Better known as RF_Design on GrabCAD, Ruben Freire is an industrial designer from Portugal. Ruben is well-known for his challenge submissions, his high-quality CAD models and accurate renderings. A jack-of-all-trades, he has been a visual arts teacher, graphic designer and a CAD software consultant.
Ruben wearing his GrabCAD T-shirt like a champ
When I ask him how he designs something, Ruben quotes Sir James Dyson,“Design is intelligent problem solving”. He elaborates, “I try to pay attention to everyday objects, the way they work, the way they are built and the way people interact with them in order to find problems. A problem is the best starting point for a great design.”. Thus, Ruben sketches incessantly on anything he has on hand to document problems, ideas and refine the final solution. When it comes time to make a ‘real’ object, he begins to use CAD tools. At this point, working alone is not an option – teamwork with various people of different disciplines is essential.
“As an industrial designer, my projects involved office furniture, industrial machinery, medical products and consumer products.I always worked in teams involving marketers, engineers, designers and other specialties, I believe multidisciplinary team work is the best approach to product development.”
Ruben feels strongly that an idea is ‘greater and more powerful when shared’, fitting snugly with his team-oriented design process. GrabCAD fulfills this role by providing a free environment where CAD users can meet and interact. He foresees a future where not just users utilize GrabCAD, but companies as well, while giving credit to engineers and designers where it is due. In Portugal, as with the rest of Europe, the crisis has hit hard – GrabCAD has provided an opportunity for people like Ruben to make a little cash via challenges and show off their portfolio.
Best of luck Ruben!
