This Is How GM Invests in the Future of Design

Designers begin working on vehicles years in advance and must consider the people needed to mold the future, too.

When 14-year-old Jill Grayson submitted her portfolio for an amateur photography competition last year, she was disqualified. The organizers informed her that the competition was not for professionals.

Her portfolio, which features photographs of her dad’s Chevrolet Silverado, stunned the judges. It was clear that she had an eye for capturing design. With the competition out of the way, Grayson took a chance and sent her portfolio to GM. Their design team responded the next day with an offer for Jill and her parents to explore the GM Design Center and learn firsthand what a design career at GM entails.

“My mom and I both started freaking out when we saw that GM got back to me,” said Grayson. “The entire experience that followed showed me that the opportunities for turning my passions into a career are endless, but that very moment was simply thrilling.”

She toured the GM design studios where she experienced the car design process, including watching designers sculpt clay models of future vehicles. Next, Jill joined in a photoshoot of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ alongside professional GM photographers.

“I’ve never done a professional photo shoot before, so that – and all of this – was entirely new to me,” she said. “Seeing GM’s design professionals at work exposed me to a professional field that I never knew I could actually do as a job.”

Just as impactful as seeing professional design work happen right before her eyes were her conversations with GM design executives. Whether it was meeting with Global Industrial Design Executive Director Crystal Windham and Global Chevrolet Executive Design Director Phil Zak or checking out the Cadillac CELESTIQ with Global Design VP Michael Simcoe, Grayson got a new appreciation for what an automotive creative career could look like as a photographer.

GM strives to ensure students are aware of the creative paths within the industry through programs like You Make a Difference (YMAD) and investments into creative colleges and programs. “We are constantly working to bring in the best design talent, so we have to expose people to these careers early on,” GM Design Outreach and Development Manager Kristie Spadine said. “YMAD is critical to our talent development. For the past 16 years, YMAD has exposed junior high and high school students to creative careers, and many YMAD students eventually become interns before choosing to join GM full time in design.”

Through these initiatives, GM inspires students to take their creative aspirations to the next level and pursue a career full of creative development. “Showing young people creative career paths at GM is so exciting,” Windham said. “As a YMAD mentor in its early days, I’ve always loved to give back to the young talent community, and am thrilled to have met with Jill.”

The future is always a priority in GM’s design organization. Designers begin working on vehicles years in advance and must consider the people needed to mold the future, too.

GM is investing its time, resources and expertise to ensure the creators of tomorrow see a path for themselves in a quickly changing world. And for many, the path leads toward GM.

Photos: Jill Grayson

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