Educators
When the studio creates a windshield, backlite or fixed vent for a vehicle, there are certain parameters that are to be met, and their value assessed. Specific positions on a car will enable your creativity, others may inhibit it. For example a windshield requires glass, no latitude in material choice, but a fixed vent opens you up to polycarbonates (pc) if your budget can handle it.
As you conceptualize, ask yourself ‘Where does this vehicle fit into the product line up? Who is the target audience?” These questions are answered, globally at program charter, a particular up-front point in the program where management decides what this vehicle wants to be, but the designer needs to constantly ask him or herself, “am I pushing the envelope?, does it make sense to?” Function - aesthetics – cost - durability.
When I was at General Motors, we experimented with a ‘creased’ windshield in the Chevrolet SSR. The styling intent was to replicate the look of a 1940’s pickup.
Car Design schools: Undergraduate & Master programs.
This generous contribution to the entire automotive community from Luciano Bove is of great relevance and wish to share it with our studentns and educators.
In his pages he writes:
Dear friends,
I am receiving too many questions about Master programs in Car Design schools with a particular attention to the real opportunity to become car designers once you got your Master degree.
The interest shown for glass design and engineering from our readers has led ADCI to ask Lyn Zbinden to share his knowledge and experience with our professional design, design students and tutors.
We thank him for accepting our invitation and here is his first contribution. We plan to publish his short lessons at regular intervals. Please feel free to ask questions and make comments through these pages.
Designing for Style©
by Lyn Zbinden
Some designs make for good style. Some make for good engineering.
Around 1970, a rivalry was brewing between the famous design-houses of Pininfarina and Bertone. The coachbuilders were trying to outdo each other with flamboyant and beautiful automobiles.
Luciano Bove is born in Nocera Inferiore Italy in 1963, at the age of 19 he moves to California to start his adventure to become a car designer with the objective to be accepted by Art Center in Pasadena. In 1989 he got the Bachelor in Human Science in the field of Transportation Design at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, California.
Luciano Bove in November 89' starts to work at the FIAT Design Center where he remains for 12 years making an incredible instructive experience, one of the most important projects at Fiat are: the Fiat Seicento design & management 1995/98 & Fiat Stilo management 1998/99; in January 2000 he moves to Renault Design Center becoming Senior Design Manager at Renault Technocentre in Guyancourt, France where he still works today as R&D Design Manager.