Skateboarding, failing, getting back up, doing it differently, learning, and moving forward—it’s a metaphor for life, but it’s also a powerful analogy for the design process.
Tark Abed
Founder & Director
Imagine a skateboarder riding down a ramp, their board defying gravity as they perform flips and twists. With a triumphant grin, they land successfully, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in skateboarding.
Now, picture a product designer at their desk, envisioning a novel product idea that still needs to be created. With determination, they iterate and refine their concept, testing prototypes and gathering feedback until finally, they have a creation they’re proud of as a product design.
Skateboarding and product design are kindred spirits. Both involve creativity and innovation, relying on trial and error for success. Whether mastering a daring skateboard trick or refining the functionality and aesthetics of a new product, both pursuits demand resilience and a willingness to take risks to attain perfection.
Skateboarders and product designers are explorers, continuously pushing boundaries and bringing their visions to life through creativity and hard work. In their unique ways, skateboarders and product designers are artists, inspiring awe and admiration.
In the recent podcast “Skating into the Future of Design with Tark Abed,” Tark passionately discusses how skateboarding inspired his illustrious career in product design.
As a child, Tark’s limitless imagination ignited a creative fire, and skateboarding’s challenges ingrained in him a resilient spirit. This spirit seamlessly transitioned into his career in industrial product design, where he found a structured discipline and process that intrigued him.
A Story of Creativity, Resilience, and Innovation
Tark Abed’s passion for product design was sparked as a child when he and his friends would spend hours dreaming up spaceships and other sci-fi wonders. His limitless imagination ignited a creative fire that still burns brightly within him today.
With its inherent challenges, failures, and relentless determination, Skateboarding has been more than just a hobby for Tark. It’s a metaphor for life, a journey of falling and getting back up, adapting, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
The resilient spirit he developed through skateboarding seamlessly transitioned into his career in industrial product design, where he discovered a structured discipline and process that intrigued him.
As skateboarding demands innovation and fearlessness, Tark approaches product design projects with the same zeal. He’s driven to revolutionize industries by solving real-world problems through creativity and meticulous attention to detail.
Yes! Skateboarding and design are more than just mastering skills. They’re about self-expression and making a positive impact on the world. Skateboarders inspire awe with their daring tricks, while designers create products that enrich lives.