Im a bored car designer..AMA

"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1) 03/14/2020 at 18:06 • Filed to: None

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^ An old project(Maserati sponsored) from design school. Unfortunately cant post stuff from my current job.

So yeah, Im a car designer at a large OEM. Bored(and now working from home the next few weeks). I cant really talk about my job, and would prefer to not reveal my employer, but would love to answer any questions you guys have about process, what goes on behind closed doors etc.

CB > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:16

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When working on a concept, do you personally go for a no-holds bar design, or a grounded in reality design?

What’s your personal favourite car on sale today?

phenotyp > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:20

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Cool. What school did you go to? I went to CCS.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:20

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Well, given that you’re clearly more talented than the entirety of the Tesla design team... I’m curious what you would have done with a “futuristic, but not nausea-inducing Future Truck”?

I’d subscribe to your newsletter and no I’m not joking.

Shoop > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:22

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Why is gm putting out so many shit designs? 

fintail > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:39

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Why the endless addiction to DLO fail, faux floating C-pillars, and C-pillar upkicks?  Copycats or sycophants?

Would also be interesting to hear about the psychology of headlight/grille design, but I think that’s been done before..

wafflesnfalafel > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:49

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W hat’s with the trendy styling queues like the “flying roof” or the “lets make everything oval” 1990s?  

xc90v8/I4 :( > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:50

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How many people are involved? Like does one person design most or are 8000 people designing details?

How much of it is restricted by production? (Golf 8....)

slipperysallylikespenguins > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 18:55

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What is your favorite American design from 1983?

Gripevo1 > CB 03/14/2020 at 18:56

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Generally speaking, we start off with rough sketches that tend to be more towards crazytown, then we get progressively closer to reality/package(the sometimes pre-defined hard points, powertrain and realistic stuff, like fitting people comfortably). Its really a constant battle between trying to keep the flavor of our original concept, while making something realistic/functional for intent.

Gripevo1 > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 03/14/2020 at 18:57

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Not a fan at all. But, I sort of admire their balls for making something so totally crazy. I am curious to see if they can make it happen. Also, the tesla truck memes are amazing.

Gripevo1 > phenotyp 03/14/2020 at 18:58

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Art Center and Academy of Art in SF. 

Gripevo1 > fintail 03/14/2020 at 19:04

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I think its due to designers having less and less influence on the overall package(which is partly because of government regs, pedestrian safety standards, and having to package larger drivetrains and safety equipment.). So what we are sometimes left with, is little details, like floating c-pillars. Sometimes its about adding visual interest to a new area, sometimes it is about being different for differents sake, and sometimes it looks cool. Designing cars in the modern age is a lesson in frustration...we all want to pen the next C ountach, E-type or 63 Vette, but its next to impossible to do something like that, and the crossovers aint gonna design themselves :p

phenotyp > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 19:12

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Right on. I haven’t designed cars except for fun in many years, I’ve been busy designing lots of other shit. I still miss it, though.

Gripevo1 > phenotyp 03/14/2020 at 19:30

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Awesome! CCS is a great school. Have loads of co-workers who went there. I went to their degree show last year. Some fantastic work there. 

Gripevo1 > xc90v8/I4 :( 03/14/2020 at 19:38

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Lots of people involved in the overall process. Generally speaking there is an main(after a design theme is finally picked after months/years of competition with other designers and direction from directors) exterior designer/and interior designer and color and materials designer. Some companies have separate teams for wheels/headlights and any accessories as well. Then theres loads of clay modellers, digital modellers. We work with engineers, marketing and product planning people. Not sure of an overall number, but in the design center I work in, there got to be around 1000. Its definitely a large collaborative process, but most of the good designs are from a cohesive vision of as few as one person.

Gripevo1 > slipperysallylikespenguins 03/14/2020 at 19:48

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I love a good G-body. Monte Carlo or Regal(too bad you didnt say 84, because then GN all the way). Special shout-out to the second gen Bronco.

Grindintosecond > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:11

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When all crossover SUV’s look like ass, and they all look like the same ass, why do manufacturers design a brand new vehicle that looks like the same boring ass again? Is there some sort of customer demanded ass trend the designers have to incorporate into the new assmobile ?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:12

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With the trend being toward EVs, does that allow a person to get a little more wild/crazy with the design, because of the lack of the usual drive train shape?

Gripevo1 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 03/14/2020 at 20:20

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Yes, although very few manufacturers have enough confidence to fully take advantage of the lack of traditional drivetrain packaging  constraints. Its not as simple as that of course, but it's something designers are really pushing for. 

fintail > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:23

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Thanks. Sounds right, especially being different for the sake of different. And it’s not like most of the CUV fanbase is too picky or knowledgeable about design- they want kind of a dumbed down rugged and edgy, and maybe designers cater to this almost sarcastically. I have to tell myself I am not the target demographic for this stuff, so I shouldn’t mind it :)

In 30 years, none of these bloated soft-roaders will be seen as any kind of classic, that’s for sure.

Gripevo1 > wafflesnfalafel 03/14/2020 at 20:29

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I think that its a mix of influence of trends that start at the school level and a particular aesthetic that one influential brand innovates with(like Audi's Bauhaus style of the early 2000's, which influenced the industry, or BMW's flame surfacing detailing under Chris Bangle) . Students tend to mimic each other and the current industry trends. The design side of the industry is very small , with most designers going to one of four schools(stateside... probably 8 or so worldwide), so most trends tend to start from a small group of influential people.

Gripevo1 > Grindintosecond 03/14/2020 at 20:31

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Yup thats it. We all are assmen(and women).

Urambo Tauro > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:31

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When an automaker waters down a great design to meet necessary regulations, do you find yourself feeling like they just ruined the whole thing?

slipperysallylikespenguins > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:36

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I was thinking 82 or 83 had to have been one of the worst years for design in the US.

Gripevo1 > Urambo Tauro 03/14/2020 at 20:38

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Hell to the yeah. Its by far the most frustrating part of the job. Still a great career, but there are plenty of management induced shit days...haha.

Urambo Tauro > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 20:47

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What kind of balance do you aim for between fancifulness and practicality?

Gripevo1 > slipperysallylikespenguins 03/14/2020 at 20:50

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Yeah, thats what I figured. Definitely a dark time for the industry.

Gripevo1 > Urambo Tauro 03/14/2020 at 21:00

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It really depends on the project. Great design (imo) is sometimes about getting as much interest into a practical vehicle as possible. Sometimes we have a little more purview to be creative (like a concept car, or a clean sheet design with a bespoke package) and sometimes its its just a mid cycle refresh..so not a huge ability to break the mold. 

way2blu does a rev update > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 21:26

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Welcome to Oppo! I’ve got a question left over from when I took a car design class at one of Art Center’s public programs:

Is the trend towards smaller-DLO designs primarily based on meeting stricter crash standards, or is it a styling exercise too? I drive a current-gen Camaro and am baffled as to why the windows aft of the B-pillar are so small. 

Other cars have needlessly-thick pillars too:

From the ACN class , I learned the importance of more wheels & less window space in the concept/sketching phase, but I’m not sure how that translates to a finalized production design. Curious to hear your opinion on this process and DLO design in general.

NYankee1927 > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 21:34

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Why do companies insist on design by committee? I don’t understand why we can’t have one designer for the exterior. I feel like it is painfully obvious when one person is responsible for the front and another one is for the rear. Also what is with the front hood line on the 992? It drives me nuts it can’t be a single straight line. 

superdave847 > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 21:59

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Why is BMW ruining the M3 / M4 with the hideous new designs???

Gripevo1 > way2blu does a rev update 03/14/2020 at 22:11

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Thanks man. Actually been posting off and on on oppo for a couple years. Also, cool you took ACN classes. I actually took their night classes many years ago before entering my degree program.

I think the trend toward smaller and smaller DLO’s is really just about trying to get that 1/3 proportion (from side view 1/3 greenhouse to 2/3 bodyside height). The unfortunate downside to that in reality is that, with modern safety requirements, like rollover and small overlap crash testing, pillars are thick and its hard to see out. The 5th/6th gen Camaro are particularly bad, due to a low H point(how far the drivers butt is off the ground) , small DLO and tall dash/IP.

The thick pillars are all usually about structural rigidity and safety. Particularly in hatchbacks like the Mazda3, that c-pillar area is one of the few places on the vehicle that can change without affecting the passen ger compartment and front offset crash testing.

Gripevo1 > NYankee1927 03/14/2020 at 22:32

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I have never heard of one person designing the front and one designing the rear, but committee definitely has influence in a studio. In reality, its influence from your co-workers, senior design management etc. A good designer is one who can take critique/influence and edit it to keep whats good and change what not. Its the hardest thing to learn and balance. There have been many designs that have undoubtedly been ruined by outside input, but its usually not that simple.

As for the 992, agree with you...a weird decision . Although it definitely has grown on me seeing them in person.

Gripevo1 > superdave847 03/14/2020 at 22:36

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I cant really comment on why a particular company does anything...as a rule, I try not to judge a design until I see it in person. That being said, the new grille is a mistake imo. 

NYankee1927 > Gripevo1 03/14/2020 at 22:55

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I do love the 992 in person. Still having a hard time with that one line. 

superdave847 > Gripevo1 03/15/2020 at 00:12

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Understood—I get why you have to be neutral. It’s just such a shame because the all the M3s up until this design looked so good. 

phenotyp > Gripevo1 03/15/2020 at 22:26

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I was there during some pretty bad times, ‘99 - 2003. The school underwent a major overhaul. Everyone who came through our senior show said it was the best they’d ever seen, but it was a worldwide recession and we were all kinda fucked.

Gripevo1 > phenotyp 03/15/2020 at 22:55

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I feel ya..I was originally supposed to graduate in ‘09, but ended up taking a few years to work(partly due to finances, partly due to the lack of jobs). Ended up getting a few great long term freelance gigs that really helped my portfolio..then went back to school when things got better. Glad I stuck with it, but definitely had times when I had second thoughts.