Dacia teams up with design students for UX and YouClip project

Partnerships between design schools and OEMs help to embed emerging creatives in the professional world, giving them not only an insight into what it could be like as a full-time design pro but also providing access to tools and products that might otherwise be out of reach. For the OEM, it is a chance to see how the next generation thinks and works, perhaps scouting future additions to the design team and perhaps leading to more than just theoretical concepts.

Late in 2024, Dacia challenged design students from French schools ISD Rubika, Strate and Ensaama-Olivier de Serres to come up with new accessories for the brand’s YouClip system. We saw this first with the Manifesto concept, and more recently with the production-ready Bigster SUV.

In short, YouClip describes a series of universal fixing points to which various gadgets or holders can be mounted – and removed – with ease. From rechargable lamps to clip-on cupholders, there is already a wide mix of options, but the hope is that students at these three colleges can come up with more.

“Our primary aim is to work with young designers, not only to garner fresh perspectives, but to give them an opportunity to design something for a best-selling brand,” Durand tells CDN. “We aren’t here to just take their ideas though… We’re giving them a platform to showcase their talent and have real-world experience.”

Alas, the project has only just kicked off, so we will have to wait to see. The top three ideas are due to be shown “early 2025” at which point the design team under David Durand will vote for the best – and it may formally find its way into the YouClip catalogue. As things stand, Durand and co seem to be having fun.

“We wanted to break away from the usual and explore innovative ideas that might otherwise be overlooked,” he explains. “The team and I have enjoyed working with future talent, learning from them as much as they learn from us, and fostering an environment where they feel valued and inspired. For us, this project is about pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and ultimately, creating designs that resonate with our customer base in new and exciting ways.”

From CDN’s experience of touring graduate shows hosted by the world’s top design schools, it is easy to see how such a project could unlock creativity within the wider team. These are talented young individuals with their own ideas about the future of mobility – because yes, it is about more than just the car now – and bring a passion that is quite infectious. OEM collaborations enable them to spread their wings, so to speak, beyond their conventional studies.

“Working with the students has been nothing short of inspiring,” notes Durand. “Fresh ideas are already being brought forward with enthusiasm and energy. I’ve been impressed to hear how each designer is bringing a blend of creativity and practicality to their ideas – it’s incredibly important when designing for Dacia as we’re looking for a little bit of that ‘Dacia magic’ that we’re so often credited for.”

In a broader sense, this is one of the more tenable examples of how personalisation is growing, enabled through modular systems and products that can be tailored to the wants of a particular driver (or passenger). It is no coincidence that this trend has surged alongside improved accessibility to 3D printing, and there are already third-party forums where users share their YouClip designs that can be downloaded and ’printed’ at home.

Reflecting as any good designer does, Durand notes that this student collaboration has also been a reminder to “keep an open mind and embrace new perspectives in the design process,” something that we should all take on board in our professional lives and beyond. We will report back with the results when the project wraps up.