People, not shapes, underpin great design.
The automotive design world lost one of its Old Masters in March.
Italy’s Marcello Gandini, the skilled stylist who gave us Lamborghinis such as the Miura and Countach and exquisitely styled sports cars from Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo, has left behind an unmatched design legacy.
His work reminds us that great styling can not only ‘make’ or ‘break’ a car, it can create history.
But, in the automotive world, there is more to ‘design’ than what gives a car its ‘look’.
Along with mechanical design (the maths, physics and chemistry we apply when creating new-car components and assemblies), there is a critical design process Premcar follows, one that isn’t spoken about often: Human-centred Design.
Human-centred Design
Human Centred Design is an approach to product development and problem solving that puts the target user at the centre of the process.
Good design always addresses user needs and user problems that are worth solving.
And determining what is worth solving for any user requires tuning into their lives, their cultural patterns, and what these mean to them.
To do that you need empathy.
And to establish this you need some understanding of who these customers are.
All of Premcar’s engineers are trained in Human-centred design. This is critical because it ensures our creations solve the needs of the user.
Developing an enhancement program for a new-car model series, for example, involves a lot of customer study.
We investigate what existing users typically to fit to their vehicles.
We look at what dealers are ordering for these vehicles when they’re sold new. We look at what’s popular in the aftermarket.
We also use the target customer’s products in the same ways they use them so we can understand what they like and don’t like about them. For example, we spend many hours driving on long adventures and testing trips in places like Big Desert, Mount Disappointment and various other remote centres.
We do all of this overseas, as well. It reveals so many valuable details. For example, 4WD enthusiast buyers in some markets don’t like taller wheel and tyre packages on their vehicles; they prefer smaller overall diameter wheel and tyre packages.
And sports car buyers in some countries don’t prioritise engine output; they emphasise styling over everything.
What might work in Thailand and China won’t always work in the USA and the Middle East. And the only way to know this is through Human-centred Design.
Customer personas, user profiles and cultural knowledge all underpin good design.
This way buyers get the new cars they want, automakers create customer communities and everyone’s happy.
It’s about people. Gandini knew this. And he made history.
Bernie Quinn – Engineering Director, Premcar Pty Ltd
About Premcar:
Premcar Pty Ltd is a leading Australian vehicle engineering business that specialises in the automotive, defence and aerospace industries. For more than 25 years, global car-makers have made Premcar their go-to partner for the complete design, engineering and manufacture of niche-model new cars, full-scale new-vehicle development programs, and electric vehicle (EV) conversions and manufacturing. Premcar’s body of work is extensive. It is the name behind more than 200,000 new cars and 55,000 new-vehicle engines. The company has delivered technical advancements and sales success for major car brands from Europe, the USA, Japan, China and Australia. Visit premcar.au.
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