Wednesday 8th November 2023

WORDS: WAYNE BATTY | PHOTOS: FRANK STEPHENSON DESIGN

For a car designer whose back catalogue stretches clear across the automotive spectrum, from the original BMW X5 and 2001 Mini to the Maserati MC12 and McLaren P1, you might think Frank Stephenson’s love for design would be sated after a stellar 30-year career.

But not only is his mind still well grounded in the auto industry, designing the award-winning Babyark infant car seat and various race car liveries, but his eponymously named consultancy has also taken off, quite literally, into the electric-powered VTOL flying taxi and near-space tourism sectors.

His latest venture, however, brings it all back to the start – the humble sketch. Learn to Sketch with Frank is an online creative-sketching course that aims to empower the next generation of designers. During an exclusive launch event, A Masterclass in Creative Design, held at the Royal College of Art’s Battersea complex, Frank tells us that the course has been developed in response to what he describes as “a decline in the ability of designers to come up with fresh ideas”. He’s never one to skirt the issues, is he?

Click here to find out more about Learn to Sketch With Frank….