GM CO.
DESIGN
DYNAMICS
became the norm. Muscle cars of
the ‘60s at some point became
less surprising, too.
“To a lot of people, the cars
of the current time always seem
boring,” Hall says. “It’s the horror
of the now. Now is the place
where you live, and because
you have to live here, it’s less
interesting th an the future and
not as romantic as the past.”
Hall predicts that 10 years from
now, when we look back on the
design of today, we’ll agree that it
was pretty good. But he believes
it’s going to get even better.
“That’s the hook, right? That’s
how you differentiate yourself
from the other automakers,” Hall
HUFFINGTON
06.24.12
says. “It’s the most subjective
part of the car, and the most
interesting.”
In the end, it’s seductive
styling, the automakers hope, that
will keep people passionate about
their cars.
“You don’t want customers to
justify a car based on logic; you
want them to justify the purchase
based on emotion,” says J. Mays,
head of global design for Ford.
“It’s a bit like falling in love. You
don’t fall in love for practical
reasons. You fall in love for
emotional reasons. The practical
things have to be there — but
that’s just establishing trust, the
price of entry. Ultimately, you
need the emotional side to come
through, just as it does in
a relationship.”
The GM
Design
Dome —
home to the
company’s
85-yearold design
department.