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Automobile design is a niche area within the automotive industry. It is largely concerned with the design of automobiles including cars, trucks, public transportation, boats, vans, motorcycles and alternative sources of mobility. Automotive designers are responsible for the aesthetic appeal of vehicles and for developing concepts in the form of sketches and drawings leading to accurate full-size drawings and models. They are a part of multi-disciplinary team that defines the interior and exterior forms, materials, textures and colors applied in the shaping of an automobile.

Primarily, automotive designers take care of everything that gives us pleasure when we look at an automobile: style, function, quality, safety etc. Design is more than just aesthetics. It is about innovation. A good design is a well thought-out combination and balance of form, fit and function. Ten years ago, companies competed on price. Then it was quality. Today it is design, thus placing a premium on automobile designers.

Scope:

Globally, the automotive industry employs one in ten people. According to a report by Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016, the automotive industry is expected to require an additional 25 million workforce by 2016 in manufacturing and downstream/ upstream activities. Based on the current employment pattern, it is estimated that automotive industry would require at least seven million trained managers in all disciplines.

In India, automobile designing is still in its infancy and cannot draw on local talent or experience. Consequently the demand for qualified designers is enormous. This creates a situation of more demand, but less supply.

Word of advice:

The world is entering a creating-economy phase and design as an activity can never ever be commoditized as opposed to other types of economies. For example, the knowledge economy as we know it is already being commoditized by emerging world powers. Also it is said that future CEOs will be from the design community as they have a vision and the ability to presage the future as well as think multi-dimensionally. In India as well, the relevance of being a designer as a career option is therefore a great story.

Where to study?

Having made your choice for a career in Automotive Designing, the next question is where should you study? Should you continue in India or study abroad? India is fast catching up with quality courses in automotives. But then, Indian institutes are relatively new in the field and lack the expertise and experience. For those of you who can afford it (and those who can’t can always apply for scholarships) and want a head start, UK qualifications provide some benefits. First of all, it is well recognized by most employers’ world over. Secondly, the independence, creativity and self reliance that you get from your study abroad are highly valued by potential recruiters. UK institutes follow the highest quality standards and thus can guarantee to make you a better professional. You also cannot ignore the prestigious tag of a degree from abroad that may give you an unimaginable starting salary!

Some Engineering Universities in UK offering courses in the field of Automotive are:

University of Bath

University of Sheffield

University of Southampton

Coventry University

Brunel University, West London

University of Loughborough

University of Leeds

Envisioning the Open Road: Automotive Designers Creating the Cars of Today & Tomorrow

By Damian McKnight
Designschools.com Contributing Writer

It can be argued that no design career is sexier than that of the Automotive Designer. Today’s designers embody the styles and culture of today while contouring the style of tomorrow. They utilize product design principles and emerging technology to create commercial, yet innovative, designs for new automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. Often working in tandom with a large team of engineers, designers work to ensure that their concepts are appealing to consumers, can actually lead to functioning automobiles, and are environmentally friendly and affordable. Not to mention…..sexy.

History

In the United States, automotive design reached a critical juncture in 1924 when the American national automobile market began reaching saturation. To maintain sales, General Motors pioneer Alfred P. Sloan Jr. suggested annual model-year design changes in the hope that car owners would want to buy a new replacement each year. His strategy succeeded and was later adapted by rest of the industry.

The most celebrated American auto designer is probably Harley Earl,who brought the tailfin and other aeronautical design references to auto design in the 1950s. Earl is joined among legendary auto designers by Gordon Buehrig, responsible for the Auburn 851 and iconic Cord 810 and 812. Another notable designer who had a markedly different style was Chrysler group’s designer Virgil Exner, an early pioneer of Cab forward (a.k.a.Forward look) design in mid-1950s. Exner is also credited with introducing the pointed tail fins in the 1956 Plymouth Belvedere later adapted by all other Detroit studios.

The Work

The tasks of a car design team are usually split into three main aspects: exterior design, interior design, and color and trim design. Graphic design is also an important aspect of automotive design; this is generally shared amongst the design team as the lead designer sees fit. Design focuses not only on the isolated outer shape of automobile parts, but concentrates on the combination of form and function, starting from the vehicle package. Here is a breakdown of the design elements:

Exterior Design: The stylist responsible for the design of the exterior of the vehicle is the one who develops the proportions, shape, and surfaces of the vehicle. Exterior design is first done by a series of digital or manual drawings, and clay (industrial plasticine) models are developed from those drawings. 3 and 5 CNC Milling Machines are utilized in creating the clay model of the final design.Even in modern times with 3d software and virtual models on powerwalls, the clay model is still the most important tool in evaluating the design of a car and therefore used throughout the industry. The data from these models are then used to create a further mockups of the final design.
Interior Design: The stylist responsible for the interior design of the vehicle develops the proportions, shape, placement, and surfaces for the instrument panel, seats, door trim panels, headliner, pillar trims, etc. With the interior, the emphasis is on ergonomics and the ultimate comfort of the passengers. The design process with the interior design of the car is the same as with exterior design (sketch, digital model and clay model).The aesthetic value of the interior will need to correspond to ergonomic functionality and utility features as well. In particular, vehicular electronic components and parts will give more challenges to automotive designers who are required to update designs based on the latest information and knowledge associated with emerging vehicular gadgetry, particularly dashtop mobile devices, like GPS navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, mobile TV, MP3 players, video playback and smartphone interfaces.
Color and Trim Design: The color and trim (or color and materials) designer is responsible for the research, design, and development of all interior and exterior colors and materials used on a vehicle. These include paints, plastics, fabric designs, leather, grains, carpet, headliner, wood trim, and so on. Designers work closely with the exterior and interior designers and draw inspiration from other design disciplines such as: industrial design, fashion, home furnishing, architecture and sometimes product design.
Graphic Design: The design team also develop graphics for items such as: badges, decals, dials, switches, kick or tread strips, liveries. Concept sketching
Clay modeling
Class A surfaces
Scale model creation
Prototype development
Computer-aided design
Computer modeling
Powertrain engineering
Manufacturing process design

The Development Process

Includes the following steps:

Education

Automotive design is practiced by designers who have art backgrounds and degrees in industrial design or transportation design. Careers related to Auto Design include product design, automotive engineering, and electrical engineering. Successful designers need to be creative and should have strong math, drawing, and science skills. They must also have strong skills in computer-aided draftingand communication.

Since Automotive Design is a very competitive field, a high level of academic achievement is beneficial when looking for an entry-level job. Courses such as industrial design, electrical engineering, mathematics, environmental science and computer-aided drafting are often required for designers looking to break into the industry. An automotive engineering degree program can provide simulation training and hands-on experience in the field. An internship or work study program is often a necessary component of many automotive engineering colleges, and this can provide immediate job placement after graduation.

The following schools of higher education are recommended:

Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
The Art Institutes
College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
Humber College Toronto, Canada
Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI
Pratt Institute New York, NY
Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, GA
University of Cincinnati – School of Design Cincinnati, OH

Outlook

Despite the stagnant growth of the automotive manufacturing industry, careers in automotive design is still projected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014. There is still a high demand for skilled engineers who specialize in technology and computer-aided processes and a focus on an increasing fuel-efficient economy offer valuable opportunities for a successful automotive engineering career.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that starting offers averaged $48,585 for those with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. However, salaries for car designers varies greatly depending on experience, employer and location.

Article also available at http://www.designschools.com/careers-jobs/automotive-designer.html

The automobile industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, specific attention is paid to the design of an automobile and the art of designing automobiles has a lot of science involved to it. Designers need to even look at the ergonomics when they are designing the appearance of a car. The people working on the design of a car are called automotive engineers. Normally, these people hold degrees in industrial design or transportation design.

Developing the visual appearance and the overall aesthetics of the car is the major job criterion. It is further divided into exterior styling, interior styling and color and trim design. The design of the vehicle needs to be in harmony with all its functions and accessories. Exterior styling refers to the exterior shape, surfaces, proportions and the external design of the car. Virtual models are first created before the actual prototypes. The main purpose of interior styling is to provide maximum convenience and comfort to the passenger. The shape, proportion and surfaces are also important here. The instrumental panel, seats, doors, windows, dash board etc are fall under the broad category of interior styling. The color and trim design team is primarily responsible for researching, designing and developing all the colors and materials which will be used in the interior and exterior design of the vehicle. Often, these designs follow a particular theme or concept. With the advent of computers and technology, computer-aided design is used by graphic designers to design 3D models of cars.

Historically, automotive design was not as significant as it is today. In 1924, a turning point occurred when General Motors decided to make annual model changes and urged the customers to develop a need to replace their car each year. Alfred P. Sloan Jr., the head of General Motors, referred to the strategy as dynamic obsolescence whereas critics slammed it as being planned obsolescence. Ford did not adopt this strategy and hence by 1931 General Motors outsold Ford. After that period the design of the car has acquired utmost importance in the eyes of a customer and car manufacturers constantly update models, even if the underlying function and design of the car remain the same.

Along with the physics of the car and a need to be aerodynamically stable, car manufacturers also need to focus their attention on the psychology of the customer. When a powerful car is mentioned, the image of a sleek design with a low and wide base comes to the mind since many of the sports cars manufactured follow that general theme. However, we have internalized these notions and we tend to generalize along these lines. It is difficult for manufactures to go beyond these stereotypes and beyond the psychology of the mass audience to innovate greatly. Car manufactures are constantly looking for major innovation to cater to market differentiation. Concept cars are often produced as prototypes to judge the reaction of people. Many car manufacturers believe that a concept that lacks context is simply confusing so there is great interest in developing stories around concept cars to create popularity.