Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dave Fustino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dave, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
As an end-to-end Industrial Designer, I help clients bring their product visions from idea (literally napkin sketches) into reality. Navigating this process can be exhausting & demands a great deal of endurance to determine the best results. Design in general, is not a linear process & requires many iterations, failures, attempts & abstract observations, to discover the right solutions. This can be discouraging at times but necessary for success.
Naturally, I’ve encountered burnout many times throughout my career… It’s an imminent side effect of giving it your all to get exceptional results. Product development is an absolute grind, easily spanning from 6 months to 2+ years, depending on the complexity & planning of market bound innovations. Bringing new ideas to life can be taxing & vulnerable, while remaining open-minded & resilient to unforeseen challenges along the way.
At one point in my career, I was designing for both a great employer by day & establishing my own company on free-time, nights & weekends (“running on fumes”). Passionate about both roles, I began hitting a wall mentally & physically, burning both ends of the candle for years. Each commitment was extremely important to me & overwhelming at times, but necessary to build a greater capacity for the work I love.
To overcome this pressure, I constantly remind myself there’s success on the other side of sweat equity & hustle, towards my goals. Conversely, it’s equally important to get away from the daily grind // Resets are essential, when possible // Staying active, getting sleep & maintaining healthy relationships, helps avoid burnout in the long-run. “In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”… especially for yourself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
When bringing ideas to life… Imagination is the most powerful tool. It’s essential for Industrial Designer’s to “Have your head in the clouds, but your feet on the ground.” Product development is a field in which manifesting an outcome and executing a vision, is critical to success.
“Simple Goal”: Develop meaningful products, with a profoundly positive impact.
Make Goals Happen: Before great ideas become real products, they go through a rigorous processes of extremely coordinated efforts. During this process, there are many methods to help creatively manifest thoughts & ideas in real-time like: user-research, drawing/sketching, scrappy mock-ups, CAD modeling, rendering, physical prototyping, ergonomic studies, work-like models, engineering, etc….
When done exceedingly well, results can be emotionally gripping on many levels & bring unimaginable joy… This reality drives me on a daily basis to develop purpose driven results, that solve real world problems. My job allows me to help others I can’t actually reach. Geographically, I have the opportunity to design an object that will positively impact someone I’ll never meet. It’s my responsibility as a designer to create results that genuinely resonate with people that use my products. Left to our imaginations, it’s important we utilize this powerful tool, to provide a better reality for others.
Throughout my life, I’ve leaned heavily into my artistic foundations. I’ve always loved drawing & capturing the world around me with different artistic mediums. Professionally, I use my abilities to help others succeed in life & bring life changing products into existence.
To whom it may concern: Growing up, I was terrible at articulating my thoughts verbally – drawing gave me the voice I didn’t have & struggled to develop. Thankfully, my profession has empowered me to balance both over time, but it’s important to note, visual communication can help clear your mind & assert your purpose. This imbalance allowed me to overly commit to something that gave me a voice. I realize this continues to serve me today in every aspect of my career. Express yourself through the medium you love, whether it’s sports, art, music, coding, food, fashion, etc… it will benefit your soul.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
the eagerness to improve… an obsession with creativity… a desire to help others succeed
Focus on what makes you happy in the process of discovering your abilities. If something brings you joy & true happiness, allow yourself to explore options that bring you closer to that realization… the goal is to authentically self-improve, as often as possible.
During that journey, you will meet others that appreciate you for who you are & lift up your talents. In turn, do the same for them – be a fierce team player when surrounded by others who make you a better version of yourself. Together a strong team can mutually develop productive environments & impactful solutions, motivated by good intentions.
How would you describe your ideal client?
– Focused & determined on purpose driven solutions that make a positive impact & innately serves unmet user needs
– Respects the design process as a key component & essential aspect of successful product development & decision making
– Understands developing a product is not a linear process & requires a strategic combination of resources, to develop unique results
– Open to creative problem solving & exploring a wide range of viable options, to arrive at a well-rounded outcome
– Has a professional temperament & leads with integrity – kind to others in all stages of development
– Embraces the iterative process to diligently prototype, learn from findings & refine practical results
– Cares about the wellbeing, mental health & quality of life of their team & extended network
– Works towards a meaningful vision that is rooted by the fundamental drive to help others
– Respectful to colleagues and business partners / has a tactful personality
– Enjoys the creative process of bringing ideas into reality
– Not afraid to fail / embraces the discovery process
Contact Info:
- Website: https://davefustino.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefustino/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ETHOProductDevelopment/playlists
Image Credits
“Personal Photo” – Juan David Galvis Photography
“Additional Photos” / (3rd image in – blue button down shirt) – Juan David Galvis Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
