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Future Auto Designers Stretch Boundaries
March 17, 2017
31 Slides
Students kick off class at College for Creative Studies booth at North American International Auto Show.
At NAIAS, Minsung Kim points out interesting design element to fellow student Eileen Hwang.
Instructor Brian Stoeckel starts class at NAIAS.
Stoeckel explains differences in leather types to students.
Eugene Suh discusses his two design concepts during midterm review. Each uses non-automotive design language from Montblanc and Bang & Olufsen.
Detail of Suh's Montblanc concept at midterm.
Stoeckel makes point to Donguk Kang and Karl Wood during midterm review.
Suddenly everybody gets the idea.
Paul Snyder, CCS Chair of Transportation Design, and instructor Stoeckel discuss Donguk Kang's Rolls-Royce project.
Snyder looks through Kang's preliminary sketches.
Jenn Lim's concept aims to provide mobility to disabled people.
In Lim's concept, vehicle seats transform into motorized wheelchairs.
Jordan Rubinstein-Towler discusses his early sketches for a Bugatti city car and a Class 8 Truck cab that uses design cues from Audi and "Tiny House" interiors.
Karl Wood trying to decide between doing a Tesla pickup truck or Infiniti small car for his final project.
Kenneth Choi's initial sketches near beginning of semester.
Department Chair Snyder contemplates student design.
Stoeckel critiques Min Kee Sull's Volvo and BMW concepts at midterm.
Sull makes his case to instructor.
Detail of Sull's project at midterm.
Donghun Joung explains his Rolls-Royce concepts.
Detail of Joung's midterm concept.
A fullsize Volvo SUV that turns into mobile office is Eileen Hwang's idea.
Detail of Hwang's Volvo truck at midterm.
Jaekyeun Hwang listens intently to Stoeckel's advice. One of his ideas is infant seat positioned strategically between parents.
Aston Martin sport wagon one of Jay Park's concepts.
Jisang Kim experimenting with design language inspired by luxury yachts.
Detail of Jisang Kim's design at midterm.
Lexus pickup truck one of Michael Nam's ideas.
Minsung Kim experimenting with concepts for fullsize Genesis SUV and Cadillac pickup truck.
Yuri Kim explains her BMW and Alfa Romeo minivan concepts. She will pick one for her final project.
Stoeckel gives Kim a few pointers.
Stoeckel gives Kim a few pointers.
WardsAuto’s latest student design project is our eighth collaboration with the prestigious College for Creative Studies, which has graduated many top auto designers. The assignment is the basis of a semester-long class at CCS. Students compete for recognition and special scholarships. The competition is done in conjunction with the 2017 WardsAuto Interiors Conference, which takes place May 9 at Detroit’s Cobo Center. (See related story: WardsAuto Interiors Conference, which takes place May 9 at Detroit’s Cobo Center.
The student design competition is sponsored by interior suppliers IAC and Lear and it may be the most ambitious yet. With Bentley, Lamborghini and other ultra-luxury brands bringing new types of utility vehicles to market and Mercedes-Benz rolling out a pickup truck, we are challenging students to find even more unexploited white space and create interior designs for new vehicles that believably translate the design language of the brands into something that looks appropriate for a utility vehicle.
There is an award for best overall design and Lear and IAC also give special awards for the most innovative design feature and most eco-friendly interior concept.
After kicking off the class in January with a visit to the North American International Auto show for inspiration, students now are hard at work dreaming up interior concepts for Tesla and Lexus pickup trucks, a fullsize Volvo SUV, an Alfa Romeo minivan and other provocative ideas.
Instructor Brian Stoeckel, a designer at General Motors, asked each student to sketch out three concepts and then choose one for a final project.
The design brief, developed by WardsAuto, challenges students to understand a brand’s interior design vocabulary and then transform it into something that is different but still recognizable. We also want students to learn about the importance of fine materials and craftsmanship in all design.
Previous WardsAuto/CCS design projects include interiors for a self-driving sports car, a future family sedan, a fullsize 2025 pickup truck and a self-driving CUV.
As in previous years, a panel of top automaker designers will judge the final projects.
Winners of the grand award and special awards from IAC and Lear will be revealed at the WardsAuto Interiors Conference May 9. Stay tuned for updates on the students’ progress.
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