Tristram Keech, Principal – Industrial Design and Matt Candy, Senior Consultant – Technical Design, popped along to the Geneva Motor Show this month and have returned full of thoughts and photos. Far too many for one blog post, so this has now become a series of two. And this is the second.
Mobility or Technology?
The car is all about personal mobility and the way this is achieved is not important. Discuss.
Mobility
There has been an increased concentration on user need, particularly in the urban environment at this years show. If the user experience is intuitive, seamless and optimised then the way that mobility is provided may be much less important or even irrelevent
Image credit: PDD
Technology
The traditional Industry concentration has been on the engineering under the bonnet. After decades of iterative refinement of a few core platforms this technology has now become diverse, interconnected and rapidly changing.
Image credit: PDD
A huge effort will be required to communicate, inform and educate the user about these new technologies. But, does this effort ultimately help the user experience?
Wistfull retro
Exploiting the romance of the good old days is still fertile ground for niche sales. By recreating the minivan and the 3 wheel morgan car, manufacturers are aiming to sell the sentimental attachment to the increasingly mythical freedom of travelling down uncongested, toll free roads, without a care in the world.
Image credit: PDD
Image credit: PDD
Don’t forget your current customer
For all the new technology on show this year, the entrenched attitudes of the mainstream buyer are going to take along time to change. This means they will need to continue to supply quality mainstream goods to keep the revenues coming in. The new BMW 6 series makes sure not to neglect today’s revenue while we are uncertain of the product to attract future sales.
Image credit: PDD
If you’ve missed part 1, here is a quick link to it: Part 1: Thoughts and photos from the Geneva Motor Show 2012