Chris Bangle is one of the most controversial and polarizing automotive designers of our time. Already a successful designer, at the young age of 35 he accepted the top design job at BMW, where he implemented disruptive change for seventeen years as the longest ever chief designer at the company. It is amazing how Chris took an established design language of an already successful company and convinced them to essentially do something completely different. In that time not only did BMW grow tremendously, but their new design language influenced their competitors and the entire industry, establishing them as a design leader.
Whether you love or hate the changes he influenced, or care about vehicles at all, it is easy to appreciate the insights Mr. Bangle reveals in this short video, including how he mixed design disciplines and encouraged the less conventional automotive designers to have a voice in the future of the company. I love his take at keeping marketing at a distance and how good designers can learn something by studying bad designs. He also talks about what cars he personally owns, and asks for a free car at the end...I was hoping he would be sending me the free car... a white M1 please...
via InFrame
I really liked this piece... well done. As one who doesn't, at this point, have much insight into the full design and development process in automotive, I was intrigued by the notion of keeping the marketing guys at a distance.
How can designers and marketers work apart? Isn't collaboration between the two a key ingredient in developing a car that meets and exceeds consumers' needs?
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How can designers and marketers work apart? Isn't collaboration between the two a key ingredient in developing a car that meets and exceeds consumers' needs?