THERE ARE common virtues we all
seek in a car. Safety. Comfort. Reliability. Pride. Cars subtly express these traits, and because we all prize at
least all of these traits, so at least almost all cars will have some visual
similarities. But what happens when we start
wanting more from the car? What happens when the car starts wanting more from
us?
Iconic change is a powerful
statement. It represents innovation and revolution against stagnation. It says that in at least one significant way that this product is better. So how do we recognize
change when we see it? And how do we design it in? It is an important question. Fortunately, the rise of
electric cars gives some clues as to how and how not to do this.
Electric cars are in their
infancy, which means imperfect technology inferior in many respects to their
brilliantly matured petrol driven counterparts. Part
of the attraction is newness, and newness can only be recognized as such when made distinct. The BMW i3 and i8 offer something
completely different. Profoundly different. Under the skin different. How can
you tell? Because it looks different. How can you remember? Because these
changes are easy to articulate. Black bonnet. Blue stripe. Glass hatch. All
easy to see, easy to say features.
In design, symbolism is
substantiation, and each of these features would be superficial were they not
representative of a defining characteristic of the car. The black bonnet
lessens the visual weight of the car, reflecting the cars actual lower weight.
The blue stripe represents electricity. The glass hatch mimics touch screen
interfaces, suggestion a change in how you operate the car.
Yet the change articulated by the
i3 and i8 goes beyond electricity. Having battery power is the consequence in
the drive for greater sustainability. Question: how do I know this car is
sustainable. Answer: the eucalyptus wood in the interior requires no varnish
and no chemical treatment. It is completely natural. The leather has been dyed
using olive leaves. The dashboard is visibly recycled material reconstituted.
Compare this to how we might read
a 5-series. The 5-series has barely a feature that we haven’t seen
before, yet it is sublime. All character and differentiation oozes from
the sculpture, the long, languid yet poised shoulder line and the full surfaces
around the wheels. It looks extremely expensive. It is perhaps the most perfect
design on the road, and the most evolved saloon styling in the world. But hide the picture and describe
the car definitively: it is hard to do. No feature that belongs to the 5 does
not belong to another car, the attractiveness of the product base solely on sculpture and resolution. But the 5 doesn’t have to be easy to
describe as it doesn’t spearhead a change in concept.
The difference between the
5-series and the i3 is that their attractiveness is achieved in two different
ways, one through form, the other through feature. Homogeneity in car design
means that while brands are still distinct, the features are universal. Now take a look at the rear
buttresses of the i8. With one feature we understand lightness, aerodynamic
sensibility and newness. All together they define iconic change. This is no whim of the designer, this is an
acute understanding of how to stand out without being shouted down. Being
different is easy. Being different and being better is exceptionally hard.
No comments:
Post a Comment