Personal impression of Car designer Chris Bangle and his design - Essay Example

Personal Impression of Car Designer "Chris Bangle" and his Design Introduction Chris Bangle, a renowned American car designer, is well known for his work in industrial design industry, especially as the chief designer of the BMW group. In his controversial career at BMW, he undeniably established himself like the most important and influential car designer in his generation. BMW simultaneously passed Mercedes Benz and took the global leader title in sale of premium cars. He stood firmly for his designs and defended them against any criticisms. He retired from BMW after introducing GINA, a car of stunning concept, in 2009 (Bangle 4). In 2010, he brought his unique insight and extensive knowledge of design as he featured in annual design festivals in Victoria. Chris Bangle has inspired many people in the world of automotive design including children (Braes 12). However, Bangle states that art is the only secret to great cars. He says that automobiles refer to the embodiment of art, sculpture and entertainment that coincidentally provide transportation. In order for automobile design to be successful, the designer has to make very decisive designs. Bangle is the founding father of BMWs, which are very popular up to-date. He believes that automobile design is the only pinnacle of design, while others are only substrate forms. Today, the automobile has become a product with very high significant impact and emotional properties in the society. After houses, they are the second biggest purchased major properties in Bangle’s view. Developments in Automobile industry Automobile design has evolved from the frontier between science, art, and market, to progressively becoming an aesthetic reference (Bangle 5). Aspects like aesthetic appeal, brand expression and impression, and emotional response are greatly influenced by the appearance of the product and therefore it has become an area of great concern among automotive manufacturers and designers today. Factors that are related to aesthetic and identity like interior and exterior styling that increase a car’s attractiveness are the number one criteria in purchasing across the world. Bangle was very keen on this and that is what has made his car models very popular and classic until today. Activities in automobile design involve shaping the car until all its aspects are visible. This is in styling the shape of the outer body and interior’s graceful appointments, together with arrangement of the engine compartment components. Bangle (17) says that before technical features are evaluated, the direct perception of the vehicle plays a much bigger role in determining whether the vehicle will be accepted or rejected. According to Bangle, automobile design involves taking into account many elements like car function, market, distribution, production, promotion, safety, price reduction and environmental concerns. The Effects of Bangle’s Design Movement to the Industrial Design Industry Regardless of many sentiments from many critics, Bangle has significantly affected the industrial design industry (Braes 21). His one and half decade of service in automobile designs for Munich manufacturers was marked in his 2009 retirement. To understand the contributions that he has had in automobiles industry, it is important to take a look at BMW’s styling before and after his service. Since the 1960s stunning CS couples, BMW design was so conservative that getting more progress was rare. Conservativeness was like the polite way of saying and staying dull. However, the presence of Bangle really transformed the styling of BMW. It is not a wonder that within a short while, it overtook great cars like Mercedes Benz in demand and price in the market. The BMW’s driving dynamics and power trains were the envy of many manufacturers (Georgano 56). Its styling made their rivals spend sleepless nights, hence striving to improve their designs. Consequently, there was marked improvement in the industrial design industry. Rival companies improved their styling design to ensure that their models were as attractive as possible, in order to out do BMW. With increase in Bangle’s influence, their styling cues, which shouted BMW, began appearing in many vehicles from Asia. If the sincerest way of flattery is imitation, then it can be confidently stated that the Koreans admired Bangle Butt. This was shown by their Hyundai Grandeur (Georgano 57). Another effect of Bangle’s movement in the industrial design industry was the enhancement of brand desirability due to emergence and blossom of BMW styling. Taking heat from the Bangle Butt and flame surfacing heat for styling, car designs have extensively been put in context. When a manufacturer takes a look at their product’s portfolio, it is most likely that they may decide to take chances concerning such designs at the brand’s margin with safety being at the core of the design. Brands must be appealing to as much audience as possible, for example the 5er and 3er for BMW (Braes 23). Bangle's idea in the industrial design industry has always been the introduction of direction in the product’s niche and preparation of their adaptation way in more mainstream products. BMW was able to effectively manage its niche products, as it sold more and more appealing 5s and 3s. The work of Bangle at BMW was more than any pen could do to paper exercise. He built a design staff which embraces beauty and passion that then clothes the dynamics of industrial design industry. Principles of Chris Bangle Bangle (18) outlines the three principles that he upheld to boost his career in the automobile industry. These principles have also been adopted by other automobile manufacturers as they strive for success in their companies. The three principles are communication, protection of the creative team from unproductive commentary from other companies and safeguarding the artistic process. Protecting the creative team is a principle that has been used by many manufacturers. This is because, many related industries may wanted to know what Bangle’s designers were up to but their interest were rarely communicated in a constructive way to the designers. In his first principle of creative resource protection, he asserts that managing psychological vulnerability of the artist is very important. They must be protected from comments of people who do not understand the artistic process or themselves. Safeguarding the artistic process called for Bangle together with his managers to construct a barrier around the development model. This ensured market pressures do not harm or interrupt their actual work. This is important because it guarantees that the design of a company is never compromised. That is the design that made Bangle’s customers and artists intensely loyal. The third principle that Bangle used, and which has really affected his movement in he industrial design industry is inventive communication. Bangle says that a company that depends on commerce and art in finding a common ground must employ managers with unusual persuasion powers. That makes them good mediators, which is the intersecting factor in management between art and commerce. Bangle’s designs have also influenced manufacturers to be interested in art that portrays the drivers’ passion of quality (Haajanen and Ludvigsen 42). They have learnt that they not only have to make utilitarian automobiles, but their car designs should go for quality that will impress the driver. Bangle insists on honesty of design. He believes that misleading customers by use of poor quality materials may leave the customers wondering how else they could be snookering them. Therefore, he used expensive, hard-to-mold, actual wood veneers. He also taught other design industry manufacturers the importance of creating design awareness among its employees. Bangle’s Caution to Industrial Designers According to Bangle (27), the 1992 decline in the BMW sales reduced because the design team lacked vision and focus, thus leaving the department of design on the verge of stagnation. On the other hand, communication with the engineers was strained. Designers viewed perfection like a spiritual quest that could only be achieved in stages. Constant alterations on the best approach also slowed down the cycle of development, and at the same time, it derailed the design. He therefore cautions the industrial design industries against such barriers in order to achieve their success. Many manufacturers in the design industry are now avoiding alterations of their best approaches, besides constantly and effectively communicating with their engineers to keep them updated. They are also encouraging team work among their designers in order to achieve their desired goals. Conclusion The design group, business mangers and engineers work like three interconnected gears. If they are separated, to leave each spinning on its own, nothing will happen. If they turn in a similar way, they will freeze up. They need interconnection, but turn in different directions if they have to work successfully. This is the advice that Bangle gives to industrial designers. His work greatly influenced the industrial design industry by helping rival companies in the industry of design to develop high quality vehicles that effectively compete with his models in the market. This is only by observing his key principles of innovative communication, safeguarding the artistic process and protecting the creative team. Work Cited Bangle, Chris. The Ultimate Creativity Machine: Turning Art into Profit. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2001. Braes, Hans-Hermann. Automobile Design und Technik: Formgebung, Funktionalitat, Technik. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag. 2007, p. 248. Georgano, Nick. The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. pp. 667, 2002. Haajanen, Lennart and Ludvigsen Karl. Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles. McFarland & Co. p. 109, 2002. Read More