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Saturday 27 October 2012

Design and Styling


Design and Styling


BMWBLOG Interviews Michael de Bono, Designer of BMW Concept Active Tourer

BMW’s first front-wheel drive vehicle made its world debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. To learn more about the challenges in designing a FWD vehicle while maintaining BMW’s core values, we sat down for an interview with Michael de Bono, the BMW exterior designer responsible for Concept Active Tourer. The UK-born de Bono is [...]
Interview with Cathal Loughnane

Interview with Cathal Loughnane

The butcher’s boy at the cutting edge of car design His dad is a butcher, but the young Galwayman has found a meaty role as the head of the new Peugeot design lab Citroën has undergone a design revolution in the past decade, reviving the DS range while creating an avant-garde appeal to the French brand. [...]
CAR interviews Seat design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos

CAR interviews Seat design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos

At September’s Paris motor show, CAR interview Seat Head of Design Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, quizzing him on the new Leon, Toledo, future SEAT concepts, and his design inspirations.
When drawing is thinking by Patrick Le Quément, Renault Design creator

When drawing is thinking by Patrick Le Quément, Renault Design creator

Patrick le Quément is a world famous car Designer. As SVP Renault Corporate Design, his team’s products have included brillant and bold designs such as Twingo, Mégane and Mégane II Scénic; the Espace models of 1994 and 1998; Kangoo; Laguna models of 1994; Avantime and the Vel Satis of 2002. Patrick’s motto is Design = Quality; his [...]
BMWBLOG Interviews Chris Bangle

BMWBLOG Interviews Chris Bangle

BMWBLOG had the opportunity recently to interview Chris Bangle. As usual, a memo circulated inside the group soliciting questions for the interview, and we got an array of decent topics to put in front of Mr. Bangle. But to paraphrase a great quote, “the plan did not survive contact with the interviewee.”
Design boss plans Hyundai

Design boss plans Hyundai’s next big splash

Christopher Chapman’s goal: Refine bold styling Every two weeks, Christopher Chapman makes the rounds at Hyundai’s Irvine, Calif., design center to see what his team has in the “corner stack.” The “stack” is a pile of index card-sized sketches on the corner of every designer’s desk. For Chapman, Hyundai’s U.S. design boss, it’s a way [...]
Canadian students have designs on the future

Canadian students have designs on the future

In the not-too-distant past, if you wanted to see what was “way out there” in automotive design, you checked out the major manufacturers’ concept cars at motor shows – especially Detroit. Now they don’t seem to show anything until it’s just about production-ready, so the far-out stuff has pretty well vanished.
Designers’ Big Dreams Roll Into Manhattan

Designers’ Big Dreams Roll Into Manhattan

Dreams have always been the currency of auto shows, where the admission price buys unlimited fantasies of awe-inspiring cars that never get dirty, break down or gulp premium unleaded at $4.50 a gallon. But before the latest models and futuristic design studies could take form in sheet metal, somebody had to dream them up. In [...]
Toyota tells designers to make less-boring cars

Toyota tells designers to make less-boring cars

Automaker wants to shake up company culture to allow more creativity. Toyota City, Japan – After decades of emphasizing staid reliability, Toyota wants to start running with the cool kids. In a new approach announced Monday, the company, Japan’s biggest automaker, said it was overhauling its development system to give engineers more freedom to experiment [...]
Interview with Luciano Bove

Interview with Luciano Bove

How did you choose to be a designer? Since I was a child I showed a strong passion for the automobile and its design, I used to sketch cars a lot on my school notebooks until I learned about Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California. I spoke to my parents showing them that [...]
Five questions to Louis de Fabribeckers, Head of Design Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera

Five questions to Louis de Fabribeckers, Head of Design Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera

Six decades after Touring’s influential Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante, the Italian Carrozzeria has been spinning the flying saucer again. Classic Driver talked with Louis de Fabribeckers (Head of Design, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera) at this year’s Geneva Show.
Interview with Volvo Design Director Andreas Nilsson

Interview with Volvo Design Director Andreas Nilsson

Cast your mind back to last year’s Shanghai Motor Show and you’ll surely remember Volvo’s arresting Concept Universe. Andreas Nilsson, Volvo’s young and enterprising Design Director – Strategic and Interaction, was the man behind it. Nilsson is a rare specimen in this industry – in thirteen years since leaving Coventry with a Bachelors degree in [...]
10 most important designs in Korean automotive history

10 most important designs in Korean automotive history

Four design center heads from Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Renault Samsung Motors and GM Korea and three automotive experts — Global AutoNews Editor in Chief Charley Chae, Daelim University College Professor Kim Pil-soo and Hanbat National University Professor Koo Sang — picked five most important models and Business Focus compiled the chart. — ED.
Interview with Christopher Weil – BMW 3 Series Exterior Designer

Interview with Christopher Weil – BMW 3 Series Exterior Designer

A young man passionate about art and architecture, Christopher Weil, is part of Adrian Van Hooydonk’s design team at BMW and responsible for the exterior design of the new F30 BMW 3 Series. At Detroit Auto Show, our own Shawn Molnar spent some time with Weil to learn more about the design language of the [...]
Interview with Jae Min, Chief Designer at Volkswagen Group Design Center California

Interview with Jae Min, Chief Designer at Volkswagen Group Design Center California

Transcendent. It’s an adjective one could use to singularly describe Jae S. Min, Chief Designer at Volkswagen Group of America, Design Center California (DCC). The complex is one of three Volkswagen Group design centers worldwide, and the only one outside of Germany. Right now he’s behind the wheel of a loaded Ibis White Q7 TDI [...]
Mays on design

Mays on design

A veteran designer talks about global design, national design and why he doesn’t follow trends. With an automotive design career that includes standout work for Audi (AVUS concept, ’91) and Volkswagen (Concept One ’94), with positions in Ingolstadt (two stints, with the second including participation in the development of the TT), Munich (with BMW), Simi [...]
Interview with Arseniy Kostromin

Interview with Arseniy Kostromin

Arseniy Kostromin was born in 1986 in Balashikha town near Moscow. In 2003 he left the school and entered “MAMI” (Moscow State Technical University), graduated in 2008. Since February, 2008 till November, 2010 he had been working in RDCE (Renault Design Central Europe) in Bucharest, where he also made his degree work Renault Alpine. In [...]
Interview with Peter Horbury, Volvo

Interview with Peter Horbury, Volvo

Peter Horbury (51) is quiet force of car design. Far from extrovert superstars, his 30+ year career covers over 50 cars and trucks created under Ford and Volvo brands. Horbury is best known for successful transition of classic Volvo box into contemporary styled premium brand during 90es.

How to learn Autodesk Alias


The best resources for learning Autodesk Alias 3D software: the official documentation, free online tutorials, educational DVDs, books and online training.
In this new Articles section, our goal is to keep information organized and up-to-date, adding new content and keeping links updated, so make sure to bookmark this page for future reference.
If you are aware of an interesting resource that can be added here, please feel free to let us know by posting a comment or by contacting us.
Related article: Autodesk Alias

Autodesk Alias online tutorials

In the last years Autodesk has publicly released many official videos and documents. Most of them are aimed at showing the features of the new versions, but there are also a number of purely instructional videos.
sponsored links:
Almost all the official material was hosted at the old Alias Design website. Recently Autodesk has integrated the website into its new “Mosaic” portal and unfortunately it seems that most tutorials have been deleted. For this reason we’ll post links to the original videos on YouTube or we’ll group some episode series on single pages.

Autodesk Alias – Free tutorials/guides

  • Autodesk Alias Design: from the beginning – is a series of 9 video episodes where Chris Hall explain the basics of the Alias interface, navigation and commands. It is very useful for total beginners. Unfortunately the series didn’t get past the Lesson 1 stage.
  • Autodesk Alias – Online Documentation and Help – Autodesk makes available the official guides and documentation on their website – which covers up to the 2012 version – and on the community-drivenWikiHelp which also includes support for the latest Alias 2013 version.
    Among these, we suggest the following sections:
    • Learning Alias
    • Learning Technical Surfacing - a set of video presented by Roberto Tomarchio, covering tha basic tools for surface modeling in Autodesk Alias Surface and Autodesk Alias Automotive (v.2010 and later).
      Here we have collected the various videos from Autodesk YouTube Channel into a single page.
  • Autodesk Alias PDF manualsUntil version 2011 Autodesk used to provide links to downloadable Alias PDF guides and books. Since they were hosted at the now offline Alias Design, not all the documents are still available. At the moment you can download the free guides:
    • Getting Started with Alias 2011 – a 41-pages book that introduces the basic concepts (link)
    • ICEM Transition Guide 2011 – a 53-pages guide that focuses on the key tools and techniques required to build Class A surfaces, mainly targeting ICEM Surf users (link)
    • Rhino Transition Guide 2011 – a 35-pages manual for users moving from Rhino 3D (link)
    • All the pdf manuals for the Alias 2009 version (link)

  • Modeling Essentials with StudioToolsModeling Essentials with StudioTools – Industrial Design Techniques with Henry GoeckeBack in 2007-2008, the Gnomon Workshop released a DVD that covered the basics of Alias and the main modeling techniques, targeted to new users.The lessons are taught by Henry Goecke, who at the time was lead digital sculptor at GM Advanced Design Center, and now is an instructor of 3D design at MSU (Michigan State University).The DVD is now out of production and it is not included in the Gnomon Workshop’s current subscription plan, so it might be a good idea to consider buying a copy while there are still some available.
  • Learning Autodesk Alias Design 2012This is apparently the only up-to-date guide on the Alias software. It is written by Prof. Sham Tickoo from Purdue University Calumet and published by CADCIM Technologies. We don’t have enough information to review it, but it’s certainly worth a look.
  • Learning Design with Alias StudioToolsReleased back in 2006 as the Official Alias Training Guide, it is a 300-page book with a bonus DVD containing some videos. While it refers to a rather old version (StudioTools v.9) , it could be of some help for total beginners, anyway the used copies are sold at very high prices.

Autodesk Alias – Online paid training

Coming Soon

Autodesk Alias – Intermediate/advanced tutorials

10 tips for aspiring car designers by Patrick Lecharpy and Luciano Bove



10 tips for aspiring car designers by Patrick Lecharpy and Luciano Bove
Ten exclusive tips for design students and aspiring industrial and transportation designers, by Renault VP Design R&D and Nissan Synergies Patrick Lecharpy and Renault Design Manager R&D design studio Luciano Bove

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Luciano Bove and Patrick LecharpyDuring the presentation of the Twizy design story held on last May 10th at Milan-based SPD, and during our following interview, Patrick Lecharpy and Luciano Bove gave some interesting insights and suggestions targeted to design students and aspiring car designers.
We have collected them and we are now presenting them here as a useful resource for anyone who is interested in pursuing a design career.
UPDATE: Virtual Car has published an Italian translation of the article.
(PL: Patrick Lecharpy; LB: Luciano Bove)

1 – The design industry of today

Renault Twizy - Clay modelPL: Today’s design world is much more complex: students need to be internationally open. Even if the history of design is traditionally centered on Europe and United States, the future will have no boundaries.
This is an extremely important aspect, as you will be involved in international design environments. Competition will be open worldwide and not just among three or four design schools in Europe or in the States.
Things are evolving very quickly: in emerging countries like India, today it is possible to find competences that could not be found just five years ago.
Luciano Bove on the Twizy at-SPD MilanLB: I had the chance to attend the Art Center College of Design in 1984, and I came back and started working in Italy in 1989. Three years later I began teaching car design.
Back then, the first European design schools were just opening, conscious of the importance of providing a transportation design specific education, in competition with the long established schools in the United States and in Japan.
Today we have a lot of new design schools and in emerging countries like China there are also a few State universities offering transportation design courses: they are doing extremely well in a very short period of time.
When I started teaching in Italy, we launched the first transportation design department in Turin, and it took us almost eight years to reach a very high quality. Today design schools in China have managed to achieve a remarkable results in just three years.
Today competition is much, much higher.

2 – Open mindness

Renault Twizy Concept - Design SketchPL: Sometimes it’s difficult for young creatives to realize they don’t work alone: the basis of creativity lies in the designer’s personality, however while in the past this could have been enough, it is not enough today.
In the professional world it usually takes 4 to 5 years to young designers in order to be operational within a team. During this period they are requested to interact with different competencies and mindsets.
It is important to find the right balance between having a strong personality and a charismatic attitude – which are necessary to build a creative mind – while being open minded towards diversity and not being too egocentric.
LB: In order to get a job in the car design industry you’ll need to be able to integrate in a team a lot faster than it used to be back in my times.
Renault Twizy Concept - Design SketchToday students cannot focus solely on sketching and rendering ability – which are still essential skills; they have to become manager of themselves in order to be able to manage projects and be autonomous.
If you want to survive in this competitive field, you need to be open to everything during all your career, not just during the time spent at school and internships.

3 – Teamwork

PL: Don’t forget: automotive design is teamwork. It’s difficult for us designer – especially when we are young – to accept we are not at the center of the universe.
Being proud of yourself and having your own ideas are necessary aspects, but a vehicle is so complex that it will never be only your own success.

4 – Time management

LB: Having good drawing and modeling skills is essential, but the most important thing – as a student and as a future designer or design manager – is being able to respect deadlines.
Renault Twizy presentation at SPD - Luciano BoveWhen you are in design school, you are not much concerned about time. You want to be the best, so it is important to show the teacher or the client a very good sketch or a perfect model.
But when you are in the real world and you are facing a deadline, it’s quite different.
And often the most talented and artistic designers are the ones who have the most difficulties.
However, this difficulty can be reversed and time can become your best friend when seen in a constructive way: it can motivate you and can help you to find the best solutions given the constraints and the tools you have at your disposal.
PL: [In order to succeed] you need to make a proper analysis first, and then ideas will come quickly. After that, you have to carefully choose one clear idea and go for it. Don’t spend too much time tuning the idea or trying to deliver perfect quality.

5 – Selling ideas and presenting projects

PL: The cleverness of a new concept is obviously the most important aspect of a design project, but often young designers underestimate the importance of selling their work – whether to a teacher or to a final customer.
Renault Twizy - Design Review
A new product will not produce emotions spontaneously: you’ll have to make people react emotionally and this is a very important aspect of a designer’s job.
For example, during business meetings you will face very busy top managers and it is crucial to catch their attention by creating an “advertising” on screen, better if with a short story behind, with some music and a scenario: if you manage to do it, then you “have won half the battle”.
When presenting a project to a teacher or to an interviewer, focus on one or two messages, and no more. Don’t get “everywhere”: be focused, choose and be efficient.

6 – Making design decisions

Renault Twizy - Color and TrimPL: When you create a new product or concept you need to think about what it is for and what it is not for, what you want to achieve and what you don’t want to achieve.
Making these choices will allow you to create something that gives answers to specific questions.
Don’t try to solve all problemsmake choices, even if this can be difficult for designers. If you are able to make the right choices you will create a successful product, otherwise you are very likely to end with an average result.

7 – Hand modeling

Renault Twizy - Clay modelLB: Today with digital CAD models we can arrive up to 90% of the product. When you have milled a model and you put your hands on it, you will always find out areas that need changes; and when you apply a layer of paint on it, sometimes you’ll realize that reflections are not as you had imagined.
In those cases you’ll have to sculpt and work with clay: it is still a very special, artistic aspect of a designer’s talent that computers simply can’t do.

8 – Honest design

PL: Don’t over-promise by design, be honest with your customers. Don’t design a car that looks fast if it isn’t.

9. Being Curious

PL: We don’t have to overestimate our role of designers: we have the ability of visualizing ideas by sketching and prototyping, while engineers, market researchers, managers have different yet very important skills.
When you start you usually have little knowledge of these fields, and that’s something you can develop with time.
As a designer you’ll need to be curious and look at everything: engineering basics, international trends, fashion, graphic design, customer satisfaction. This will allow you to understand enough to put the elements together and to concretize the ideas.

10 – Training creativity

PL: Creativity is not spontaneous. Like every other skill, creativity needs to be trained during the whole life.
We thank Patrick and Luciano for their time and for the these precious tips!