Knowing some mechanical engineering can't hurt either.  And patent grants take a while, so the fact that they're revealing their design to the public suggests they've had their design in the works for a while.  Also, there's only so many different ways to layout and orient the parts of the vehicle to the robot body in ways that people expect so it's not unlikely that designers would end up using the same method to solve the same problems.

 

I wouldn't take any response, from Hasbro or the boards, as a slight against you either.  Developing worthwhile skills will normally take hard work.  Find out what skills they're looking for and keep at it.  You may have come up with similar design elements that their professionals use.  At the worst, any improvements you make to your current skill level will only help you become a better customizer.  And according to that panel Viagra mentioned, HasTak splits the design apart from the engineering.  You're trying to do both.

Well if your idea is in the public domain with no patent pending you have pretty much no chance at all of claiming intellectual theft (I know thats not what you were saying)

 

As for hasbro taking you on I think the chance is zero to nil, no offense or anything but there are 100s if not 1000s of professional technical designers who would kill for the job if there was one going so competition would be quite monstrous.  Also the design team is small to say the least and i suspect that anyone who has the job is not going to give it up without a fight ;)

 

Only real way to get an in is to keep your work secret, design and document your designs and send it in as a freelancer, if they like it they may deal with you on a freelance basis and buy your designs

Oh, another thought.  There are engineers and designers out there who do professional prototyping for would-be entrepreneurs (of all different industries) who're hoping to sell new products to larger companies or develop them for their own businesses.  Prototyping can be costly, but you might consider looking up some of these individuals and just ask them about useful skills, what sort of materials they use, what their turnaround times need to be, and any useful tips on what you're trying to do.  It costs nothing more than effort and networking, and you don't need to give away anything other than a generic sense of the type of work you're using the info for.  I've considered doing this myself.

No offense:

 

Um... Kitbashing is to 'Toy Design' as signature photo-shoppers are to 'original art.' Kitbashing is NOTHING compared to the work and knowledge it takes to make toy designs. I mean it is like someone who photoshop's MTMTE art from dreamwave into wacky colors and says 'hey IDW! Hire me to draw your comics!'

 

No one stole your design. Using hoods of vehicles for  a transformers torso is the most common and derivative design in existence. I would be surprised if you hear an actual response at all from Hasbro.

Okay, a few things,

 

Rodimus VTS: if you want to get into toy design, there is a school out in califonia that teaches a degree course in it. It's the Otis College of Art in California. I can give you the url later on if needed.

 

 

The rest of the gang: While Rodimus VTS might be a little premature in going to the top for a job (no offense Rodimus! :thumb), you have to hand it to the guy for determination. The toy design industry is something of a "niche-industry," and a bit of a Starscream to get into I was originally going to go to school for toy design, but it is a fast-paced, high-stress carrer that can involve 12 hour workdays at times. So I decided to nix it for gentler pastures.

 

Even after schooling, getting in is a matter of putting your name out there, and getting your work known. Tat can take some doing. And while kitbashing isn't exactly toy design, it can lead to that route. Many of the skills one has are involved in the other, and a little secret: a toy company will "cheat" by including design elements from a previous design on a level that you would have to look VERY carefully to notice. So kitbashing isn't as excluded from toy design as one might think.

 

One last thing: Rodimus, if you really want to work for hasbro on their design team, then GO FOR IT! We all have to start somewhere, and we oftern don't know the way. I'll give you what info I can if you seriously want to pursue this, along with all the support and luck that I can give you. Things more impossible have been accomplished with far less, and I think you have a good shot at it. You just need a way in, and the training. PM me later on this.

 

-Robert.