Xiaomi enlists Bangle as ‘strategic design consultant’
Veteran designer Chris Bangle has been brought in as a consultant for Xiaomi’s venture into the automotive space
Chris Bangle Associates Srl, has announced that its managing director, Chris Bangle, has been retained by Xiaomi as a ‘Strategic Design Consultant’ for the Chinese electronic giant’s inaugural entry into the automotive sector.
The news, shared this week by Bangle’s consultancy, is a more formal announcement of the move, already announced in China and on X, formerly Twitter, at the very end of 2023. According to the press release, “The American designer will support the creative and managerial team of the Chinese company for their future automotive projects.”
Bangle had visited Xiaomi’s design centers in Beijing and Shanghai back in November of 2023 to review the work on the then-forthcoming SU7 sedan, and to establish the parameters of their future collaboration.
Tianyuan Li, head of design at Xiaomi EV, noted: “As a company targeting the global market, Xiaomi’s consumer electronics products have been well received worldwide. Xiaomi SU7 is the first gift we offered to the automotive industry. In its R&D process, design has been a crucial part as we believe that good design can make products more alive. Our future collaboration with Chris Bangle will bring Xiaomi EV design a better vision, empowering each other, and together we will help Xiaomi EV to lead the new era of intelligent mobile space.”
Li’s statement seems to indicate that Bangle’s contribution will not be limited to the automotive space, but also assisting Xiaomi in strategically placing the SU7 in the larger ecosystem of the company’s connected electronic devices. Xiaomi already has a huge worldwide footprint here, especially with mobile phones, so a new automotive venture seems like a logical extension of the brand, but also one that could open enormous possibilities across multiple product spaces.
For his part, Bangle stated, “I found the Xiaomi automotive design team to be extremely talented and professional. Given the speed and depth with which this tech company has committed itself to serious cars, they have achieved a remarkable product. I’m proud to be able to help them create for Xiaomi – a company known for design excellence in product design until now – a new emotional aesthetic with their cars, one that I’m sure will lead the entire company to a new level of engaging design.”