I thrive on ambitious, high-stakes projects—I'd rather shoot for Mars and crash land on the Moon, than stay grounded on Earth and never have tried at all.
About
In 2020 I launched Rienks Motor Design, LLC to get through college. I envisioned a bustling design studio with 3D printers and fab equipment, high-powered computers, sketching areas and moodboards, and some sharp people by my side.
The goal was simple: design for ambitious early-stage startups, and bring in the emerging companies I was working for prior to college.
My foundation was not built upon college degrees, but lucrative blue-collar apprenticeships and hands-on experiences, that my college education was later built upon. Because of my skillset, I was able to focus on delivering 90% solutions for 10% the cost - exactly what most lean, efficient startups are looking for.
Now in 2025, as I lead the design team for LEO Flight's flying cars, collaborate on amazing projects with Salaff Automotive, and tackle exciting projects like portable nuclear products, this website is turning into something much more personal. No longer for presenting my aspirations to the world as a business, but for expressing my individuality.
The Future of Design Requires a Swiss Army Knife Mentality
While some pursue deep specialization, mastering a single field, my approach has always been different, stemming from my far-out projects and experimentation as a kid. I have found, in practice, that moderately specializing across multiple related disciplines creates a better ability to problem solve, manage both the big-picture ideas and intricate details of a project, and to better understand and appreciate the work needed to accomplish a goal.
This Swiss Army Knife approach also improves the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, synthesize more effective questions and ideas, and rapidly iterate solutions—particularly valuable in today's fast-paced, ambitious companies. The future of design demands critical thinking, adaptability, and a hands-on approach; precisely the kind of thinking nurtured through cross-disciplinary, practical experiences rather than mere conceptualization or outsourcing.
From AI to the ever-evolving set of tools and capabilities available to a designer, sitting back and relying on a single specialty is no longer an effective option for modern companies.
Before founding Rienks Motor Design, I had the privilege of working with and learning from some remarkable individuals and companies – many who were true masters in their respective fields.
I was lucky enough to find people who saw my passion for building and designing, allowing me to learn and work with them for a number of years, before I set foot in design school at 22.
Shane Rienks
Prior to entering the world of design, my foundation is primarily in fabricating for the high-end custom automotive industry - legacy sheet metal shaping and fabrication, carbon fiber production, and prototyping. Largely resulting from these hands-on skills, now at 26 years old, I have 8 years of professional experience working on multi-million-dollar automotive projects - from artistic design to 3D modeling, fabricating, marketing, project managing, and more.
Built upon these skills, I'm devoted to pursuing advanced design and problem solving across as many industries as I can get my hands into.
I thank you for your interest in my site, and hope we can work together on something amazing.
Pull-Max metal forming - a custom firewall for a '56 Chevy, using an MDF patten.
@ZRodz and Customs
Huge-scale 3D printing on a BigRep One
@Fiber Forged Composites