- Home
- Cars
- Designers
- Exteriors
- Interiors
- CMF
- UX
- Lighting
- Design Tools
- Register now: Sculpted by air? Balancing aerodynamics and aesthetics in car design
Watch now: Perceived quality in car design: creativity, consistency and craftsmanship- Watch on demand: Panel discussion - The future of German automotive design
Register now: Be safe, be seen: the future of automotive lighting
- Careers
- Events
- China Design
- Opinion
- Video and Audio
- Publications
- Surveys & Trend Reports
- Partner Content
- Media Pack
- Subscribe
- Sign In
Features
Back-to-front: the curious case of end-to-end symmetry
Car Design News charts the rise, fall and renaissance of end-to-end symmetry in car design
Coventry Automotive Design BA degree show 2025
Coventry’s Automotive & Transport BA class of 2025 brought the heat this spring. In the first of two reports, CDN spotlights a selection of undergraduate projects that hint at where car design is headed next
Ten intriguing concept car lighting designs
A sampler from the weird and wonderful world of concept cars
Inside Cloud 46: Mercedes-Benz’s new Shanghai studio
Mercedes-Benz has a new studio in Shanghai way up on the 46th floor of a high-rise overlooking the famous Bund. With spectacular views plus a helipad on the roof, Cloud 46 is a strong commitment to mastering the Chinese market
Interview: Richard Stevens, JLR
Range Rover’s time-travelling installation at Milan Design Week was the star of the show. Car Design News spoke to design director Richard Stevens about how it feeds into a broader design strategy
First look: Citroën C5 Aircross
The second coming of the larger Aircross is an aero-led flagship for the French brand. Pierre Leclercq talks us round it
Slate: Your automotive canvas
Slate is the latest EV startup to hit the US market, offering a compact, convertible pickup designed for customisation. With analog charm, the ‘Blank Slate’ is set to stand out
Luc Donckerwolke: competition fuels strong design
Genesis’ chief creative officer speaks on his coupe and convertible concepts and beating competition – on road and racetrack
First sight: Genesis X Gran Equator concept
The Korean firm targets Defender and G-Class appeal with its luxe, old-school take on an SUV
Results: Car Design News & Ultrafabrics Colour, Materials & Finish Trend Survey 2025
Download the results of our CMF survey to understand what’s hot and what’s not
The future of screens: balancing tech and tactility
Car Design News takes a deep dive into what’s to come for the interior screen and how designers are integrating technology into the cockpit
First Sight: Hyundai’s 2025 Seoul Quartet
The Korean powerhouse brand Hyundai chose the Seoul Mobility Show in early April to unveil not one, but four new cars, mostly playing very different tunes, but still united by the pixel
Shao Jingfeng: “This is our chance, our time”
Shao Jingfeng, chief design officer at SAIC, on trusting your strategy and recruiting the next generation of design talent
Activism, OEMs and Car Design
From the 1968 student riots to protests over the Iraq war, ‘activism’ has always been with us, but more recently it’s become a standout cultural phenomenon. Why is this and how does it affect OEMs and car design?
The enduring art of sketching in car design
As part of Car Design News’ April focus on sketching, we speak to a range of voices in the automotive industry to learn how sketching is viewed in the modern day and what the future holds for this art form
Watch now: Perceived quality in car design: creativity, consistency and craftsmanship
Perceived quality experts collaborate across teams to transform innovative ideas into flawless execution, creating cars that captivate buyers and foster long-term brand loyalty. Join us to dive deeper into the best practices, strategies and nuances of perceived quality
Survey: Car Design News & Ultrafabrics Colour, Materials & Finish Trend Survey 2025
What’s hot and what’s not? Take the opportunity to share your take on the trends shaping tomorrow’s automotive aesthetics
CDN launches new CMF survey
What’s hot and what’s not? Take the opportunity to share your take on the trends shaping tomorrow’s automotive aesthetics
Watch on demand: Panel discussion - The future of German automotive design
Watch on demand our virtual live panel discussion ”The future of German automotive design: a new era in innovation and sustainability” broadcast from Munich, where we explored the challenges of balancing heritage with the demands of modern mobility, the impact of sustainability on design ethos, and the increasing role of collaboration with suppliers to drive innovation.
Register now: Be safe, be seen: the future of automotive lighting
Join us for an exclusive livestream exploring the evolving role of automotive lighting in a world of increasing complexity. Lighting isn’t just about safety anymore—it’s all about branding and user experience. In this session, we’ll explore cool new technologies, how lighting laws are changing things, and how lighting helps shape a car’s identity. Think illuminated logos, dynamic light patterns, and how lighting can make a car feel more emotional and functional at the same time.
Register now: Master of none: how to create agile muti-skilled design teams
Join us for an exclusive livestream exploring the evolving dynamics of automotive design teams. As design roles shift, it’s all about creativity, flexibility, and standing out. This session is all about building versatile teams, encouraging innovation, and attracting top talent. We’ll chat about what makes a great design leader, how to take smart risks, and ways to give teams the freedom to thrive in a competitive world.
Watch now: How to prepare for the AI-future in Automotive Design
Watch our CDN webinar with Autodesk, where Autodesk Product Manager for AI in Automotive and Conceptual Design spoke about how to prepare for the AI-future in Automotive Design
A is for…a comprehensive glossary of automotive design terms
Car Design News presents a glossary of car design terms
Latest material trends by CNT Factory
CMF experts CNT Factory pick out some groundbreaking projects and materials, including work from BMW and Freitag
The mysterious role of perceived quality in car design
The science of perceived quality ensures a product materialises as intended
Watch now: Enabling creative innovation in the design studio
Watch our CDN webinar with Autodesk, where Product Managers Phil Botley and Brandon Tasker will be discusing the Agile Design Studio
How does marketing influence car design?
Car Design News investigates how departments beyond the studio influence the final design of a vehicle. This time, it is not engineering, but marketing and product planning under the microscope
Meet the writer: US correspondent Karl Smith
Get to know the Car Design News team. This week, it is our US correspondent, Karl Smith, who shares his early introduction to cars and what it’s like as a car design writer
Meet the writer: Deputy Editor, Freddie Holmes
Get to know the Car Design News team. This week, it is our deputy editor, Freddie Holmes, who shares his early introduction to cars and what it’s like as a car design writer
Tyre design: the perfect balance of form and function
Car Design News investigates the principles of tyre design and what room for innovation remains
Farewell to Geneva
Jason Barlow looks back at the Geneva Motor Show
Milan Design Week: A CMF sampler
Furniture, fashion, cars, make for a veritable feast of materials. Car Design News sampled the offerings at Milan Design Week 2024
Generations: looking back at the Dodge Charger
A look back of the history of the Dodge Charger reveals the good, the bad, and the plain awful
Book review: Wheels & Watches
“Cars and watches have marked the evolution of technology and to a certain extent, that of design, fashion and society” – Flavio Manzoni
Underpromising and overdelivering in the age of the software-defined vehicle
In an era in which brands like Audi, Volkswagen as well as start-ups such as Fisker, are asking customers to put their faith in an entirely new technology, maybe OEMs are better off underpromising and overdelivering, writes Drew Smith
Inside the studio: General Motors, Advanced Design UK
Car Design News paid a visit to General Motors Advanced Design UK in Leamington. While the work itself is shrouded in secrecy, CDN discovered a studio relishing its role as creative friend to the mothership in Michigan
In praise of pushbuttons (and other physical controls)
Buttons are making a slight return thanks to revised guidance from Euro NCAP. Drew Smith considers what we lost in the move to screens, and what we might gain from the new rules
Opinion: The UX pain of EV rental
By adding EVs to rental fleets without perfecting the end-to-end experience, brands which claim to be customer-focused have squandered an opportunity to build customer acceptance, writes Drew Smith
Colour trends to expect in car design
Car Design News investigates how Colour of the Year forecasts are playing out in the automotive space
How proportions influence a car’s perceived value
Using the Toyota Mirai as a case study, Jelle Tjebbes argues that the package often has a far greater impact on the perception of value than exterior styling
‘In the race to be “cool”, quality and coherence are being left behind’
CES 2024 demonstrated that established OEMs like Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes are asking the wrong questions when it comes to user experience
Interview: Michael Simcoe, senior VP design, General Motors
In an exclusive interview with Car Design News, General Motors senior VP of design Michael Simcoe talks about the role of design within the company, the Warren campus extension, and the complexities of electrification
Review: Artcenter Invitational 2023
The annual Artcenter Invitational returns with a renewed focus on the school and the students, and the cars