Application Guide

How to Apply for Industrial Design Intern – Mobility & Infrastructure

at Glydways

🏢 About Glydways

Glydways is pioneering net-negative greenhouse gas autonomous transportation systems, focusing on affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly mobility solutions. Unlike traditional transportation companies, they're building complete ecosystems including vehicles, stations, and guideway infrastructure with sustainability at the core. Working here means contributing to revolutionary urban mobility that actively reduces environmental impact while improving accessibility.

About This Role

This Industrial Design Intern will directly shape the physical experience of Glydways' autonomous transportation system, designing both the Glydcar vehicle and station touchpoints. You'll balance innovative form development with practical considerations like ADA compliance and safety in autonomous environments. Your work will directly influence how cities and investors perceive the feasibility and appeal of this transportation revolution.

💡 A Day in the Life

You might start your day reviewing ergonomic studies for station seating, then transition to refining complex surfaces in CATIA for the Glydcar interior. After lunch, you could be preparing 3D files for rapid prototyping of a boarding interface, followed by creating high-fidelity renders for an upcoming investor presentation. Collaboration with engineering teams would be frequent to ensure designs are both beautiful and production-feasible.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Glydways Is Looking For

  • Currently enrolled in Industrial or Transportation Design program with hands-on experience in CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, or Rhino for complex surface modeling
  • Has practical prototyping experience including 3D printing and physical model making, with understanding of manufacturing constraints
  • Demonstrates genuine passion for sustainable transportation and accessibility, with portfolio examples showing human-centered design thinking
  • Can show experience balancing aesthetic innovation with practical requirements like safety standards and production feasibility

📝 Tips for Applying to Glydways

1

Include specific portfolio examples showing your process from concept to 3D modeling to physical prototyping, especially for transportation or mobility projects

2

Demonstrate your understanding of ADA compliance and accessibility in your portfolio or cover letter with concrete examples

3

Research Glydways' existing vehicle and station concepts, and suggest one specific improvement in your application materials

4

Highlight any experience with autonomous vehicle interior design or passenger experience in shared mobility environments

5

Show how you've used both digital tools (CATIA/Rhino) and physical prototyping to solve design problems in past projects

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience with transportation design and how it applies to autonomous vehicle interiors and station touchpoints', 'Examples of balancing innovative design with practical constraints like manufacturing, safety, and accessibility requirements', "Your passion for sustainable transportation and understanding of Glydways' net-negative GHG mission", 'How your prototyping experience (3D printing, model making) has informed your digital design decisions']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Study Glydways' existing vehicle and station concepts shown on their website and in presentations to understand their design language
  • → Research ADA compliance requirements for public transportation vehicles and stations
  • → Look into current autonomous vehicle interior design trends and challenges specific to shared mobility
  • → Understand the complete Glydways ecosystem - how vehicles, stations, and guideways work together as a system

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a boarding experience for an autonomous vehicle that accommodates wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and elderly passengers simultaneously?
2 Walk us through your process for taking a vehicle interior concept from initial sketches to production-ready 3D models in CATIA or NX
3 What manufacturing processes would you consider for different components of the Glydcar interior, and how would those choices impact passenger comfort?
4 How would you conduct ergonomic studies to optimize the riding experience for passengers who may be anxious about autonomous transportation?
5 Show us a portfolio project where you had to balance innovative design with strict safety or accessibility requirements
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a portfolio with only aesthetic vehicle sketches without showing the engineering and manufacturing considerations behind them
  • Failing to demonstrate understanding of accessibility requirements (ADA compliance) in transportation design
  • Showing experience only with consumer products rather than transportation, mobility, or large-scale public infrastructure projects

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Glydways!

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