“In the end, we’re human beings designing for human beings” – Todd Willing

There are lots of interesting challenges in the industry right now. We’re dealing with the constraints that come with market segmentation and also legislation. People’s expectations of products and performance continue to get higher. The blip in the road around EV adoption is probably just that, so we have to set ourselves up for the future. And there are a lot more products and brands, either start-ups or entries from other countries, particularly from Asia. 

The acceptance of local brands in China is 180 degrees different from a decade ago. I would expect over time there’ll be more influence from local talent and local identity being infused within the designs there. We are responding to all of this with more experientially-led design. There’s a significant design consideration now for customers working in their vehicles in stationary moments and the idea of the vehicle as an activity hub. People are spending more time in and around their vehicle, interacting and engaging with it, as opposed to just using it as a means of transportation and image projection.

There are certain segments that are ridiculously competitive and commoditised, and when you’re playing in those segments, other things become important. Price is obviously critical and it’s harder to differentiate, to stand out, in those spaces. But they’re equally important, so you can’t rest on your laurels. You’ve got to go after ‘the new’ just as much as tending to the garden.

We opened up our Advanced EV Product Development Center in Long Beach, California, and it is taking a very aggressive approach to affordability and manufacturing efficiency. The larger scale considerations are how we work more seamlessly across teams and disciplines to really deliver the most efficient designs possible. It’s not about de-contenting but including the most essential and meaningful things in the product.

We’ve recently launched our full-size SUVs – the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator – and the comprehensive digital experience that’s integrated into those vehicles. Technology enables a lot in terms of bringing our digital lives into the vehicle, so the physical elements have to leverage that. For Lincoln, especially, the elevated interiors and the material applications make a huge impact on the feeling and the experience.

We also launched the Ranger Super Duty in Australia. It’s got elevated capability, particularly around hauling and off-road, and it’s the first time the Super Duty brand has been applied to a product outside North America. It’s the 60th anniversary of Bronco as well, so we released a special edition for that, and we showed off our Bronco Roadster concept, which is reflective of the original version from the 1960s.

For Ford, our iconic nameplates – Bronco, Mustang, and F-Series – are certainly important in terms of playing to our strengths. We treat them as anchor points. They’re at the epicentre in understanding who we are and how to build in an authentic way. It’s important we don’t lose sight of that and do things superficially. I would say that’s critical to our identity.

We’re leveraging AI tools like everybody else and found that AI is great at recognising patterns. But we treat it as a workflow accelerator, primarily. And we’re using other advanced tools, like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) too. None of these replace human talent and connection. And we still use clay, we still have physical models.

We’ve also noticed a desire from our early career designers to understand the classical practice as well, so we’ve developed a programme specifically for them as they come in. It’s kind of like a boot camp, one that incorporates the technology with the first principles of design practice. In the end, we’re human beings designing for human beings.

I started with Ford a little under 25 years ago and my connection with the brand goes back a lot farther than that – I did my high school work experience in a Ford studio. In spite of the fact it’s a large-scale company, Ford has always felt like a family environment. And our designers are able to work all round the world in Europe, Australia and Asia, as well in the States.

The diversity of product and customer makes it feel almost like you get the opportunity to have different careers within one company. And we’re very ambitious. We want to have as much impact on the bottom line of the company as we possibly can through design and believe it plays a critical part in the success of the company. We’ve got this great ‘North Star’ that’s come directly from our CEO Jim Farley. He and I share a passion for racing, which is a great leveller. But when he says ‘No boring cars,’ he means it. Being able to bring that to your job is exciting