August focus: Holistic design

The car is an incredible product. A personal freedom device that shuttles people from home, work, play and beyond in safety, comfort and style. It is a trusted companion, and something that can say a lot about the person driving it, which is why holistic design principles are so important.

From the exterior form and associated connotations – sporty, sensible, brash, restrained, etc. – to the interior where passengers spend most of their time, all the way through to comfort, ergonomics, technology and materials. All this must somehow converge as a harmonious user experience. Even for those with limited emotional connection to a car, the design considerations are enormous. Durability, safety, storage, the list goes on.

And all this must chime with what the brand stands for, lest it create an unnerving dissonance – just look at the furore following Ferrari’s first electric vehicle as a recent example. Does a brand hold rugged utilitarian values with affordability at its core, like a Dacia, or more of a premium feel defined by performance and refinement, like any of the big German three. The car in all its presentation should marry with the wider brand story, and vice versa.

So comes the topic of holistic design where the car and its broader universe are carefully considered to ensure all those components align (how good it feels to use that word away from LinkedIn).

This month the team at Car Design News will be exploring this rabbit warren of topics, from conventional design themes – exterior, interior, CMF, UX, lighting etc. – to associated concerns like perceived quality where gap and flush and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) come into focus. What about manufacturing, sustainability, repairability? Also of relevance, no doubt.

But our primary focus will strangely fall beyond the car where we suspect branding, marketing and even leadership ‘style’ to play a role – remember Thomas Ingenlath’s ‘pops of yellow’ while at Polestar, or Mary Barra’s distinctive leather ‘worker’ jacket? (Niels van Roij goes even further and tailors an entire suit to match his cars’ interiors).

It is of no surprise to see art direction already in the spotlight. Ford just teased its new mid-size pick-up and, as part of that marketing effort, created a new typeface and graphic theme to go with it. Brand design lead Jacob Parr has spoken about “streamlining the typographic landscape” at Ford. We suspect certain colours included in that launch material will stem from the CMF strategy of the car itself.

The customer journey is perhaps a little detached from our usual design focus but it is the next logical consideration once the car rolls out of the factory. The role of design in selling the story to potential buyers has long been of interest to CDN, but this can be expanded to design’s relationship with sales channels in dealerships and online portals, merchandising and pop-up stores. How does the customer experience align with the car, its portrayed lifestyle and expected nature of being an ‘XYZ’ owner? All interesting things of note.

We will also be delving back into the history books and CDN readers no doubt delight in hearing from GM’s archivist Natalie Morath who explains why, for decades, car launches were turned into full-scale musical theatre – complete with matching ‘brand’ costumes that align with Cadillac, Chevrolet and the like. Very much worth a read if only for the original illustrations from Winn Morton.  

Do you work in holistic design, or have a strong view on its role in the broader car design journey? Reach out to any of the team.