BMW introduced a small group of journalists to Santa Monica to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Designworks’ presence in the USA, and the spotlight of the day was a roundtable with Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President of BMW Group Design, and Julia de Bono, CEO of Designworks. The dialog touched a variety of subjects, from the upcoming Neue Klasse merchandise to the stress to adapt to digital life contained in the automotive, and the way new instruments—particularly AI—are reshaping their workflows. There was additionally a brief Q&A which allowed media to ask different questions as nicely.
The Digital World Inside The Cabin
One of many first topics raised was the growing digitization of BMW interiors. With the upcoming iX3 and the broader Neue Klasse household transferring towards a cleaner, extra software-driven format, there was hypothesis that BMW would possibly finally remove bodily buttons altogether. Van Hooydonk shut that down early.
“The automotive shouldn’t be fully switchless,” he mentioned, explaining that BMW intentionally averted a totally screen-only cockpit. “We didn’t go fully radical. There are nonetheless switches within the heart console.” He described how BMW analyzed the controls prospects attain for most frequently and designed the inside round these recurring habits. A few of these controls stay bodily by necessity, whereas others seem as fastened digital parts that by no means transfer throughout the interface. De Bono added that that is per all of the industries Designworks serves, from aviation to farming gear. “For any human-centric design, one thing haptic—one thing that engages all senses—will at all times stay,” she mentioned, emphasizing that tactility shouldn’t be a nostalgic thought however an ergonomic one.
A Smartphone-Like Expertise?
The strain between digital familiarity and protected driving is one thing BMW has been wrestling with for years, particularly as shopper habits turns into more and more formed by smartphones. Van Hooydonk mentioned that the design group has spent a very long time inspecting whether or not a automotive’s interface ought to behave extra like a cellphone or keep its personal logic.
“Automotive corporations come from a mechanical world,” he defined. “Tech corporations come from contact and voice. 5 years in the past the query was: which logic ought to win?” The reply finally took form within the Panoramic Vision Display of the Neue Klasse. Somewhat than turning the dashboard into a large pill, BMW cut up the digital atmosphere into two zones—vital driving data instantly in entrance of the driving force, and customizable widgets positioned farther to the proper. “Within the iX3, prospects can configure apps like on a cell machine,” he mentioned, “however the driving atmosphere nonetheless works for you.” The objective was to acknowledge how individuals work together with expertise immediately with out surrendering the readability wanted in a transferring automobile.
The Way forward for Apple Automotive Play and Android Auto
That naturally led to a query about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, particularly as some automakers have just lately moved away from supporting them. Van Hooydonk was direct: BMW isn’t abandoning CarPlay. “We provide CarPlay,” he mentioned. “We wish prospects to make use of it if they need. Half our prospects have an iPhone.”
Nonetheless, he additionally made it clear that BMW desires its personal system to stay the higher alternative for understanding the automotive’s capabilities, significantly in the case of electrical automobiles. “Our UI will at all times be extra related to the automotive,” he defined. “An electrical BMW is aware of your cost state and your subsequent charging level, and it guides you seamlessly.” The message wasn’t about competitors with Apple a lot as the fact that the automotive should perceive issues a cellphone can not.
AI’s Function in Automotive Design
The subject that generated essentially the most dialogue, and essentially the most trustworthy introspection, was synthetic intelligence. BMW has already been experimenting with AI inside its design studios for greater than two years, although not within the consumer-facing method most individuals may think. Van Hooydonk made it clear that BMW isn’t counting on public generative instruments to form its merchandise.
“We don’t need ChatGPT to design our subsequent BMW,” he mentioned. “It might seize photos from the web and blend them collectively. We’re coaching our personal AI.” De Bono defined how Designworks educated its inner fashions on the sketch kinds of BMW designers, a course of that took near a yr earlier than the system may convincingly mirror the way in which particular person designers categorical themselves.
“It took 9 to 12 months for the AI to essentially categorical how our designers categorical themselves,” she mentioned. “Now I can take a look at sketches and say, ‘That’s Hane. That’s Artwork.’”
This shift is altering how designers collaborate. Individuals who could not historically sketch full automobiles, reminiscent of shade and supplies specialists, can now generate full idea proposals. Designers can bounce into animated 3D scenes a lot earlier within the course of, permitting them to guage proportions, motion, and presence in a extra immersive method. Van Hooydonk famous that this type of instrument, as soon as correctly built-in, may take a fraction of the time that older digital modeling workflows required. “It took us 15 years to combine early modeling instruments,” he mentioned. “AI will take three or 4.”
Shorter Growth Cycles for Automobiles?
When requested whether or not AI will in the end shorten automobile improvement cycles, van Hooydonk supplied a grounded reply. Whereas design itself can transfer quicker, the majority of a automobile’s timeline—and value—comes from engineering and industrialization. “We will design a automotive rapidly already,” he mentioned. “The costly half is after design.” What he does anticipate is that AI will velocity up most of the engineering duties that always gradual tasks down, reminiscent of checking stamping feasibility or figuring out how troublesome will probably be to fabricate a selected form.
“AI may analyze a form and let you know how troublesome it’s to fabricate,” he mentioned. “That’s the place we’ll see features.”
BMW Not Involved in Retro Design
The dialog additionally touched on whether or not BMW would possibly revisit concepts from previous idea automobiles. Van Hooydonk didn’t present a lot curiosity in retracing outdated design work. “I wish to look ahead,” he mentioned. “Why return?” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that the Neue Klasse deliberately comprises delicate references to BMW’s heritage, not as retro styling, however as a option to keep continuity throughout a serious shift in expertise and person expertise. “We’re introducing large adjustments with the core of our model,” he mentioned. “We wish present prospects to come back alongside.”
Designing for Particular person Markets, or World Audiences?
As a result of the occasion occurred in Los Angeles, the dialogue finally turned to U.S. market traits and the way they differ from Europe or Asia. De Bono described LA’s automotive tradition as unusually expressive, pointing to the massive variety of wrapped automobiles, daring colours, and closely customized automobiles on native roads. She famous that measurement additionally stays a powerful choice within the U.S., which aligns with what BMW sees in buyer habits.
“LA automotive tradition is vivid and genuine,” she mentioned. “You see excessive designs, daring colours, wraps in all places. Huge measurement is valued right here.” She additionally highlighted the relevance of semi-automated driving within the area’s heavy site visitors, saying, “Stage 2+ makes LA site visitors enjoyable. The extra we are able to hand over in site visitors conditions, the higher.”
Van Hooydonk added that BMW’s groups are exploring product classes the model hasn’t historically performed in, with some concepts already in improvement. “We discovered issues price creating,” he mentioned. “That’s all I can say for now.”
The roundtable didn’t finish with an enormous announcement, however with a clearer sense of how BMW’s designers are approaching the subsequent few years. The instruments are evolving, the workflows are altering, and the merchandise will mirror that, however the general angle remained measured. It was an trustworthy take a look at a group adjusting to new realities with out discarding the basics which have guided them thus far.
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