 |
| © image 1 All rights reserved |
I have grown up seeing almost 90% of male population around
simply being crazy about vehicles, cars and motorbikes especially. It’s
performance, speed, comfort and beauty! While performance and speed are taken
care by automobile engineers; comfort and beauty is where designers contribute.
In vehicle design, there is broadly two courses available
namely automotive design and transportation or mobility design. Many a times it
is one of the disciplines offered under Industrial design department. Let’s see
the difference between these two. In transportation design course a student
deals design of different type of transportation on land, water and air. It
could be for public or personal use, whereas automotive design course focuses
more on design of land vehicles.
Like product designers, automotive designers too are
constantly working to strike the balance between technology and art. Compared
to other consumer products vehicles/ cars are very complex. A team of designers
is at work in any automotive organisation. The teams are further divided into
exterior design, interior design and colour and trim design.
 |
| Image source : https://www.formtrends.com/design-story-porsche-mission-e-concept/ |
As the name suggests exterior designers work on the exterior
of the vehicle. They visualise the exterior look of the car on the basic
package designed by engineering team as per the design brief considering which
market the car is being designed for. Aerodynamic and visually pleasing
exterior form of the vehicle is crafted by this team.
The beauty of car is as much as from inside as it is from
the outside. Interior designers focus on the interior cabins of the vehicles; the
seats, doors, dash board etc. Very minute detail like door handle, storage
utility, speedometer graphics, air conditioning vents are designed by them. A
team of interaction designers work on the navigation system display, parking
assistance etc.
 |
| Image source : https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/design/ mercedes-benz-design/models/next-level-interior-design-for-the-future-e-class/ |
The leather and fabric used inside the cabin for seats and
doors are designed by colour and trim design team. The colours for exterior and
interior elements are developed by this team in coordination with paint experts
to go well with the design theme.
 |
| Image source : https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ ff_chevybolt-making_model.jpg |
All teams are working together in coordination with each
other and other teams like digital modeling, clay modelling, hard modeling,
engineering, marketing, sales etc. The whole process design that is from a
sketch on paper to the final tangible car is a lot of hard work!
It is dream of a designer to work on a concept car/vehicle.
Concept vehicle is a vehicle which is futuristic design showcased by makers in
auto shows to display their design language, technological advances. Future
production vehicles are based on such concept vehicles.
 |
| Image Source :http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/motor-shows/frankfurt-motor-show/
100920/best-concept-cars-of-the-2017-frankfurt-motor-show
|
I find myself fortunate for having opportunity to visit international
auto shows and car museums. I must admit that India
has a long way to go in terms of design, both ways; for designers to raise
their bar internationally and for consumers to appreciate vehicle's beauty
beyond just cost effectiveness and the mileage.
Useful links
https://www.formtrends.com/design-story-porsche-mission-e-concept/
Note:
The writer has no rights on the images used here except image 1 in this article.
Very nice, Rupali.
ReplyDeletePrecise information. In detail. Keep it up Rupali. :)
ReplyDelete