DESIGN CHALLENGE
“WHEN SPEAKING WITH A CLIENT
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY’LL
ALMOST ALWAYS BRING UP iVT”
Jon Pope, industrial designer
13
iVT International Off-Highway 2020
Speaking with Jon Pope is like chatting to
an excited student of 21, full of energy and
about to set sail on a journey of engineering
discovery. “With a hat on I do look a lot younger,”
he says. “Hats hide bald patches.” Nothing though
can hide Pope’s infectious enthusiasm for design
and new ideas. From his earliest years Pope was
surrounded by design. Today he is highly
regarded within the industry and has 22 years of
experience in heavy equipment industrial design
to his name. His standpoint is one of creativity
for the pleasure of it. It is his vehicle that adorns
the cover of this magazine, and kick starts the
reintroduction of iVT’s Design Challenge.
“To me iVT is like the Sports Illustrated of
heavy equipment magazines,” says Pope,
unprompted. “It’s unlike any other publication for
industrial design. e Design Challenge is a great
way of showcasing original ideas. It’s a win-win
for everyone involved.”
For Pope a Design Challenge is an excuse to
devise something o the beaten track. A hard-nose
might say you don’t get paid for it, but as Pope is
eager to point out, it o en leads to other work.
“I can’t tell you how much work I’ve picked up
from the iVT Design Challenge including some
of my longest term clients,” he says. “When
speaking with a client for the rst time, they’ll
almost always bring up iVT. From a propaganda
standpoint, it’s huge.”
More than the business opportunities
however, Pope enjoys the problem-solving
element that a Design Challenge brings. It’s less
about creating renderings or “models that look
cool,” more about the challenge of devising
something in response to a call out.
“ at’s the part that keeps me up at night,” he
says. “While I’m waiting in line in the grocery
market or anywhere, I’m thinking about the
problem instead of staring at my phone. Over
time I have given away some interesting original
ideas. But it pays back tenfold in terms of
Cab forward design for superior
operator visibility an spill
protection
Electric power means there
is no drive shaft, enhancing
articulation at the pivot point
Traction motors in all wheel hub
assemblies
Super-structure access to battery
banks and cooling system
Optional roll-formed fabricated
steel rear fenders (not
recommend for most off-road
applications)