Bruce Nussbaum on BusinessWeek recently highlighted the fact that TED (Technology Education Design) have started to put some of their previously unseen content on-line. It's worth repeating here that you should go and check it out - there are 97 video talks from some of the world's great thinkers, designers and business leaders. Of particular interest to me was Bill McDonough's presentation on the cities he is designing in China. The stand out from what I've watched so far though is Chris Bangle's heartfelt presentation on vehicle design entitled 'Great cars are art' which includes a touching story about the solidarity shown between the design and engineering teams on the original X5 programme back in the late 90s.
BMW design chief Chris Bangle in full swing at a recent talk
Having come to vehicle design from architecture - a subject with a rich history of theoretical discourse, one of my hang ups is the lack of theory that accompanies auto design. The subject needs thinkers - arguably more than it needs pen-wielders right now [I say that with the greatest respect to all my colleagues at the RCA who can 'draw me under the table'...] - and for all his faults and critics, Chris Bangle (who is chief of design for the BMW group) is the closest thing that the auto industry has to a thinker at this point in time. Having seen him speak once before, I'd implore you to go and see him if he's speaking near you - even if you're not interested in cars he'll keep you entertained.
Joseph Simpson is a researcher at The Movement Design Bureau, and is studying for an MPhil on the Vehicle Design course at The Royal College of Art in London.
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