The evolution of CMF decision making

CMF lies at the heart of car design, with a magical ability to breathe life and personality into a vehicle. This integral nature means it is now considered much earlier in the design process, acting as the glue between departments to make a richer and emotionally connected product. 

This early involvement also aids the development of new, innovative and sustainable materials. Digital CMF libraries support this evolving workflow, allowing the department to test out different materials quickly and efficiently – as well as work together with design teams across the globe. 

Yet the shifting nature of CMF means that digital can’t be the only way materials are validated, which is why some believe a hybrid approach is the way forward. This was spotted by Afry ‘CMF X’ designers, Anna Ekholm-Hallberg and Stéphanie Petit Berggren, who saw an opportunity to blend digital material twins, validation labs and material storytelling with what they call a CMF X approach.

It begins with the digital material library, which acts as the common tool and single source of truth that everyone – from designers to engineers to marketeers – can tap into. This library works by storing digital material twins that are render-ready and able to reproduce visual nuance in 3D environments while linking to the materials’ real-world properties.

Designers can apply shaders to forms, test how materials read under different lighting and share visuals with global stakeholders – shortening feedback loops and avoiding costly late-stage redesigns.

This focus on speed is key, and OEM studios are taking note. LEVC CMF design chief Stephen Stanforth reflects on his team’s use of digitalised materials: “The pace of delivery – particularly within China focused programmes – moves so quickly, and often so reactively, that it’s essential for us to have ready-todeploy solutions for our visualisation teams. As the CMF discipline becomes increasingly digital, the way we manage our tools and workflows is becoming just as critical as the materials themselves.”

Digital tools also account for the growing demands of materials, with Afry recognising that certain materials cannot be manufactured as they would have been in the past. To find alternative solutions, Afry’s digital material library is powered by early material scouting and trend intelligence, aided by a close relationship with suppliers and gathering market cues to spot emergent possibilities.

What’s more, with the introduction of the EU Digital Product Passport in 2027, a mandatory digital record that documents a product’s environmental footprint so consumers can verify sustainability, digital material libraries are now more important than ever. Afry points out that the digital library will act as the united work tool that will contain all of these figures.

Of course, physical validation still plays a key role in the CMF design process but, as Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE)’s CMF design chief David Hopwood points out: “Validation confirms decisions that have already been carefully reviewed in the digital space. This reduces unnecessary physical sampling, saves time and cost, and ensures that only selected and approved directions progress to physical material creation. As a result, physical development becomes more focused and efficient.”

Part of Afry’s CMF X approach is the CMF validation lab, a controlled environment where designers can see, touch and measure materials under standardised lighting using spectrophotometers. Combined with Afry’s material storytelling approach, where experienced CMF designers and material artists select the most resonant materials to the appropriate surfaces, it’s clear a multi-dimensional strategy can lead to confident material decisions.

This article originally appeared in Interior Motives Spring 2026. Order your physical copy here.