“I AM IRON MAN”.

You probably know those words from some lyric somewhere… **ahem Black Sabbath ahem**.   Well guess what, kiddo?  There is apparently a movie by the same name that was just dropped into theatres!  Go figure!  Now, we haven’t posted much (or at all, really) about movies here on CDf but we thought we’d make an exception (and perhaps start a new semi-regular feature on the site) with the release of the considerably designer-centric action film.

First and foremost, billionaire Tony Stark (protagonist) has at his disposal all manners of doohickeys and thingamajigs to create whatever he pleases.  And create he does, from weapons concepts, to hot rods, to super suits.

Read on for more.

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When creating a new product there is always a fight over pleasing everybody or creating something new and exciting. Consumers always want the fancy chocolate but end up buying the same old vanilla. Here is a good tip from Behance Magazine on how to keep in check when designing new products.

There is a horrid fact in the world of innovation: The vast majority of new products fail, and most new ad campaigns don’t achieve their objectives. The brilliant minds that fuel breakthroughs are also at a disadvantage when it comes to getting ideas adopted by the masses. The root of the problem is the visionary’s tendency to focus on fellow visionaries. Visionaries are most familiar with the needs of visionaries, and thus struggle (or lack the desire) to connect with the masses.

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It’s not the “Design Our Shirt Contest”… It’s the “Design Our Shirt” contest. (Stupid Wordpress!)

Time is winding down for your submissions!  We already have several ideas that people have sent in!  To have a shot at YOUR design becoming our official shirt, leave an idea in the comments of this post or send it to us via email at cardesignfetish at gmail dot com.

Note: We spell our email address that way to keep out the spam monster.

This weekend I went to a Harley Davidson Spring Kick-off party at Great Lakes H-D in Bay City Michigan. There was a big turn out with well over 100 bikes soaking up the sun and laying patches on the pavement. A lot of the new products looked like the old ones but with fresh paint jobs. Harley’s are very traditional for the most part except for the V-Rod. Amidst the sea of black and orange one bike really caught my eye and it is new for ‘08. Read more

For a long time things were simple. Car or truck. Then the corporate acronyms kicked in. SUV, CUV, SAV, MAV, LAV just to name a few. If you don’t know what they all mean, don’t worry about they are all pretty much the same thing. Now there is a new one coming which will probably catch on due to the gas issues we are all facing.

A Lifestyle Truck is a unibody construction similar to a passenger car but with a utility bed capable of carrying more than a car but only half of a traditional pick up. This is nothing new. The El Camino did it back in the fifties and even the Model T had a pick up like version. Since fuel prices were never an issue consumers wanted the big in your face trucks on the roads today. Now that those consumers can’t afford a $100 fill up there ego’s are coming in check.

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We sure fetish some hot sketches, so here are some new ones of the V-Dub Scirocco. It is bad enough that we are not getting it here in the states, they don’t have to tease us with more images of it. There are some rumors running around that the new North American manufacturing plant may have room to build the Scirocco. So there is a chance…..

These are some great old school sketches. No digital color here, just good old markers and pastels. When is the last time you used those?

Enjoy the sketches after the jump… Read more

Ford and CCS (College for Creative Studies) recently wrapped up the Big Oval’s sponsorship of a Junior class with the goal of a redesigned Model T for tomorrow’s buyers.  In total, 11 students participated in the assignment, and each had as unique a concept as the next.

Photo courtesy ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP

The top selection was Dong Tran’s vision of an electric T running on a removable battery pack.  The concept allows for the pack to be utilized outside of the vehicle, and was powered by solar panels on the hood.  Also included in the concept was a novel utilization of the displaced energy generated by the suspension, allowing it to be saved for later use.  Sitting higher off of the ground, the re-envisioned T might be “the little Sport Ute that could,” offering a unique second row that folded away for optimal utilization of storage areas.

Read on for more images and concepts.

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Is this the Buick Invicta? Spotted last night in beautiful Michigan, the silhouette certainly has that Nu-Buick flavor, and it may be the same car we saw several months back. Back then we thought it was a Caddy, but couldn’t be sure. One telling feature may be the wheels (follow the link) on the low-profile tires.

Help us determine what it is, and win a no-prize!

Second photo after the break . Read more

It is always fun to see the ideas students bring to the world of design. Their unpolluted minds give a fresh perspective on what the youth of today wants in their driveway.

This years show consisted of almost 100 students (sophmores thru seniors) showing automotive, product, toy, and interior design. This translates into a lot to take in for one day.

The school year is over in a week or two and many already have internships lined up at companies like Honda, Toyota, Johnson Controls, Fisher Price and many product consultancies. This proves that it was a good show and the students have a lot of talent. Most of the pics in the gallery are from the junior class which shows they will be the ones to watch for next year when they are looking for full time positions.

Check out the gallery of the show and stay tuned as we visit the College of Creative Studies Show next week in Detroit.

Fuel sucks right now, cramping everyone’s driving habits and cutting into my beer money. So hey, lets downsize. Trouble is that there is not many options when it comes to a well designed, stylish fuel sipper. The new Mini Cooper Clubman takes all the great things about Mini and makes them better….err bigger in some directions.

Check out the best small car….. Read more