EVENTS

16May2012

AutoDesignConference
TheAutodesignconferenceinZagreb, Croatia,shinesaspotlightontheautomotive industry.SpeakersincludeBritishdesigner andaerodynamicsexpertPeterStevens principalofItalianstylinghouseSynthesis Design,CarloGianoandfounderofUK automotiveconsultancyDrive,Chris Longmore.AutoalsohostedtheBest DesignedCar2011award,electedby39 internationalexpertsinthetransportdesign community.Stylussummarisesthekey takeaways.

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Auto Design Conference

The Auto design conference in Zagreb, Croatia, shines a spotlight on the automotive industry. Speakers include British designer and aerodynamics expert Peter Stevens; principal of Italian styling house Synthesis Design, Carlo Giano; and founder of UK automotive consultancy Drive, Chris Longmore. Auto also hosted the Best Designed Car 2011 award, elected by 39 international experts in the transport design community. Stylus summarises the key takeaways.

Peter Stevens: Put Away Preconceptions

PeterStevens,mostreveredfordesigningtheBritishMcLarenF1supercar,urgeddesignerstopackawaytheircultural preconceptionswhenseekinginspirationfromothercultures.
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Stevenssaysthepressuretoprogressautomotivedesignhasresultedinthedemiseofthebeautifulcar.The currenttrendistodesignsomethingbrutal,almostmilitarylike,hesays.Itshardtoseewherethedesign progressionisgoingtobe.Itsnowmoreimportanttomakeanimpactthanuseclassicproportions. Hehighlightedtheimportanceofaerodynamics,evenwhendesigningslowcars.Whenaerodynamicdragis reduced,youlowertheenergyneededtopoweracarincreasingfuelefficiency. AsavisitingtutorattheRoyalCollegeofArt,London,Stevensisconstantlychallengedbystudentworkthat pushestheboundariesoftransportdesign.Heisalsoinfluencedbythewaysinwhichfashiondesignersinterpret newcultureswhendesigninggarments.

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PeterStevens

McLarenF1

The current trend is to design something brutal, almost military-like. Its hard to see where the design progression is going to be. Its now more important to make an impact than use classic proportions. Peter Stevens

Carlo Giano: Talk Less, Do More

Cardesignhassloweddowndrasticallyinrecentyears.DesignssuchastheItalianMaseratiBarchettaofthe1990s tookaslittleasfivemonthstocreatetoday,cardesignstakeseveralyears. CarloGiano,whohasdesignedpublictransportforItalianbrandFiatandracingcarsincludingthe1988carbonfibre LanciaECVII,arguesthatthisslowdowncouldbedamaging.Iwishcreativitywouldcomebackinagoodandbetter way,hesays.AttherecentautoshowsIwasscaredofthelowlevelofcreativity.Therearefewcarsthatmakeyouask yourself:Wheredidthiscomefrom?Whatwasthedesignprocess?Weneedtodomoreandtalklessaboutdesign.

CarloGiano

MaseratiBarchetta

Future Thrills
ApaneldiscussionbetweenspeakersPeterStevens,ChrisLongmoreandAlessioMinchellaanItalianautomotive designerandprofessoratinternationaldesignschoolIstitutoEuropeodiDesign(IED)exploredthesportscars positioninsocietytoday.
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Thepanelagreethatspeedisnolongerthedefiningaspectofasportscar.Theworldsfastestproductioncar FrenchmanufacturerBugattisVeyronSuperSport,capableof431kmphshowsthattheultimatespeedis achievable.Perhapsweneedanewdefinition. PeterStevensarguesweneedtosearchfornewchallenges,suggestingthatthefuturemightbeacompetitionfor themostefficientcar.Heimaginedavehiclethatwoulddisplayitscurrentfueleconomyonalargeexternal displayforotherdriverstoseeandcompeteagainst. Theinternetisdesensitisingpeopletotheaestheticofsportscars,saysMinchella.Thenewgenerationgrowing

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upwiththeinternetaresoinfluencedbytheimagestheysee.Wereobsessedbytheamazingeveryday,sothe effortneededtosurprisesomeoneissomuchgreater.Stevensadds:Previously,sportscarswereinaccessible. Now,duetotheinternet,wegetnumbandyouseethemeverywhere.Maybethatsthereasonsportscarsarent sosuperanymore.

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ChisLongmoresuggestswecanincreaseadriversemotionalconnectionwithsportscarsthroughbetteruser experiencedesign.Thiscouldrangefromcreatingsurpriseanddelightindesigndetailstochangingtheway electriccarssoundtomakethemmoreexciting.

PeterStevens,DanielTomicicandAlessioMinchella

ChisLongmore

The new generation growing up with the internet are so influenced by the images they see. Were obsessed by the amazing everyday, so the effort needed to surprise someone is so much greater. Alessio Minchella

Best Designed Car 2011

TheinauguralBestDesignedCarawardcelebratedgoodautomotivedesign,focusingonproductioncarsandconcept carspresentedin2011.Thewinnerswerechosenby39expertsinthetransportdesigncommunity,includingPatrickLe Qument,formerchiefdesignerofFrenchmanufacturerRenaultandGermanindustrialdesignerLuigiColani. FrenchautomakerPeugeotsHX1MPV,whichdebutedatthe2011FrankfurtAutoShow,wontheconceptcarprize.It exploresafutureFrenchluxuryvehiclefeaturingawhiteleatherandoakinterior.Thepanelpraisedhowitinvestigatesa newdesignlanguageforPeugeot,withanaestheticthatflowsfromthelow,sleek,exteriorintothelightfilledinterior. AfterawkwardyearsofPeugeotdesign,thiswelldoneexperimentisatreat,saysDanielSimon,LosAngelesbased conceptvehicledesignerforfilmsincludingTronLegacy,PrometheusandCaptainAmerica.Naivelyseductiveeighties stance,clearlinesandtheuniqueFrench[attentionto]detail.Inspiredmemostin2011.

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PeugeotHD1Concept

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Thelatestiterationofthe911sportscar,firstlaunchedin1963byGermanmanufacturerPorsche,wontheproduction caraward.Thejurycommendedtheevolutionofthe911sclassicdesign,introducingnewproportionsthatmakethecar appearmodernandpurposefulwhilemaintainingitsrecognisablesilhouette.Possiblythehardestjobincardesign fulfilledthedesignclassicthatisthe911madetolookvery2010saswellasvery911andverydesirable,saysSam Livingstone,directorofUKbasedautomotiveconsultancyCarDesignResearch.

Porsche911

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ThejuryalsohighlightedtheproductionDS5hatchbackbyFrenchmanufacturerCitronforitsconceptcarlooksthat dontreferencethebrandshistoricdesigns.Withthisquirkyandbusydesign,Citronliberatesitselffroma)the competition,b)itscurrentlineup,c)itsgloriousbutdifficulttoremakepast,saysKarlHaug,founderofNorway's automotivelifestylemagazineCarlsCars. TheDS5isnotamasterpieceofsimplicityitismorelikeawildconceptthathasmadeitintoproduction,headds. Likeitornot,itcreatestheattentionthebrandneedsinoldandnewinternationalmarkets.

CitronDS5

The DS5 is not a masterpiece of simplicity; it is more like a wild concept that has made it into production. Like it or not, it creates the attention the brand needs in old and new international markets. Karl Haug

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StylusSummary
Thepressuretoprogressauto designhascausedthedemiseofthe beautifulcar,saysBritishdesigner andaerodynamicsexpertPeter Stevens.

Cardesignerscandrawlessonsfrom otherdisciplinessuchasfashion designfortheirwork. Gooddesignisaboutimproveduser experiencebutalsoemotional connectionsandthetwoare interlinked.

Thesupercarisbeginningtofallout offavourintodaysenvironmentally conscioussociety.Weneedto searchfornewautomotive challenges,includingextreme efficiency. FrenchautomakerPeugeotsHX1 MPVwonthebestdesignedconcept caraward2011.Thepanelpraised howitinvestigatesanewdesign languageforthebrand.

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