12/ 27/ 12

Aut om ot i ve desi gn | About D esi gn | D esi gn C ounci l

We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more X Home > About design > Types of design > Transport Design > Automotive design

An introduction to automotive design

Automotive design is a complicated discipline. Although primarily concerned with the appearance of a vehicle, it is governed by various factors including security, safety and engineering - all of which have their own set of specialists. This means that as well as designing to very high standards, automotive designers must have excellent teamworking and communication skills, say Chris Clements and Dr Samantha Porter. Automotive design encompasses almost every aspect of a vehicles design that is readily visible to the customer from the seats and steering wheel through to the door trims and the dashboard. There are many different makes of vehicle and design is used to bring a degree of distinctiveness to the aesthetics of a model, to make it stand out from the competition and meet consumer expectations.

What influences automotive design?

Various considerations influence the design of a car. These include: Branding - this takes into account a consumers taste and lifestyle aspirations and ensures the product is distinct enough to be desirable Usability - a car must be comfortable and easy to use Security - this includes theft prevention and pedestrian safety Sustainability - this concerns issues like durability, recyclability and emissions Engineering - everything from engineering packaging, materials, methods of manufacture to constraints of production methods and surface refinement

Team working
The automotive design and production process is a multidisciplinary one. The entire team can consist of more than 500 people making effective communication crucial. The process must be highly disciplined with regular gateways (check-points) and targets set to measure how efficiently the different disciplines are working together. An efficient set-up can substantially reduce development time and costs. Communication tools used by the teams throughout the process include CAD, verbal skills, negotiation skills, telecommunications, video-conferencing and travel. The visualisation skills possessed by the designers in various media are unique within the overall team and are powerful and compelling communication tools.

The automotive design process

Typical stages of the automotive design process include:
w w w . desi gncounci . or g. uk/ about - desi l gn/ t ypes- of - desi gn/ t r anspor t - desi gn/ aut om ot i ve- desi gn/ 1/ 3

12/ 27/ 12

Aut om ot i ve desi gn | About D esi gn | D esi gn C ounci l

Establishment of vehicle specification The multi-disciplinary team establish parameters and decision points, ensuring the project runs to schedule Discussion of first concept sketches Designs are presented on theme boards and mood boards Informal selection of concept sketches The design team pick out their favourite sketches Management review of concept sketches CAD models are produced for marketing research purposes 2D market research Concepts are shown to members of the public for their comments Presentation of reworked concepts Reworked concepts are presented again, taking into account market research feedback Approval for detailed engineering Full-size clay models are produced. These are often made using CAD data and hand-finished 3D market research Full-size exterior and interior concept models are shown to members of the public. One concept is selected, informed by public opinion Final approval of 3D model The management team gives final approval to one model which is then fully resolved as a threedimensional clay model Final feasibility development of chosen concept The full-size clay model is scanned and a new 3D digital model produced. Other engineering disciplines are then responsible for the feasibility of the final design in terms of operation and manufacture Final approval of the design

A particular characteristic of the way that automotive design operates is the complete integration of the design team in the business process. The design team is involved from the inception of the product right through to its launch and is an essential part of the automotive manufacturing business The design team will have specific influence on the following areas of the automotive manufacturing process: Marketing the design team holds the key to the power of the brand and can help visualise it Finance the design team determines how to share the money between aesthetics, engineering, ergonomics, marketing and the other disciplines involved Engineering the design and engineering teams have to work alongside one another to achieve a balance between form and function Automotive design is important because it: Influences - the look of a vehicle has the power to define, modify, or change a brand in the eyes of the customer Communicates - the appearance of the vehicle is the first thing that the customer sees and on that basis they make the decision to investigate further or to walk away Changes - a design can be evolutionary, trendsetting, revolutionary, shocking or a mixture of these things Deceives - a vehicles appearance can communicate a massive step forward that isnt matched by its
w w w . desi gncounci . or g. uk/ about - desi l gn/ t ypes- of - desi gn/ t r anspor t - desi gn/ aut om ot i ve- desi gn/ 2/ 3

12/ 27/ 12

Aut om ot i ve desi gn | About D esi gn | D esi gn C ounci l

technical content Automotive design is directly relevant to automotive manufacturers and related industries, but the nature of the discipline may also be of interest to business decision makers in other areas of design. Next
Like 0 Tw eet 0 0 9 Share

Design Council Legal notice: By using this website you agree to be bound by our Conditions of use. The Design Council is not responsible for content on external websites linked to from this site.

w w w . desi gncounci . or g. uk/ about - desi l gn/ t ypes- of - desi gn/ t r anspor t - desi gn/ aut om ot i ve- desi gn/

3/ 3