Honda creative lead unveils new interior design philosophy

The interior design team at Honda US are taking on a new design philosophy that will shape future models. Dubbed “simplicity and something”, the idea is to take a human-centric approach while injecting a personality and character to ensure each car is unique.

“Simplicity in design requires not only a strong philosophy, but a discipline toward the user experience,” explains Johnathan Norman, creative lead for Honda interior design in the US. “We’ve heard from designers working for other brands who say they were inspired by the simple, human-centred design of old Hondas. Well, so are we!”

In the short film above, Norman looks back over old Honda models, including the 1981 Civic 5-door Wagon and the 1984 Civic Wagon. He highlights aspects of the old vehicle designs that are carried over to the company’s newer vehicles, such as slim A-pillars to enlarge the driver’s view of the road ahead.

Norman also outlines his team’s approach to reduction. In an era of giant touchscreens and button-less dashboards. Historically, Honda’s infotainments systems have encountered criticism for being overly complicated and lethargic. The new design language retains haptic dials and switches in the hope of simplifying the user journey. He emphasises the need for a functional interior with rotational dials for volume and climate control functions, for example, as well as “large and easy-to-recognise icons” on the infotainment system.

Simplification is clearly a key theme at Honda. The company recently unveiled its new HR-V, which includes a cleaner exterior with less angles and a modest interior.