Car Design Fetish

Everybody’s doing it.

Twitter.

The new social networking craze.

Well, there is actually a terrific amount of use one can achieve from using Twitter, from following up on news, making contacts with others, or the sharing of information.  Recently, we were blessed with the Game Industry Tweet list – a listing of professional members of the video game industry who utilize the blue bird service.

CDF, avid users ourselves of Twitter, decided to compile a list of automotive industry Tweeters (the plural for those who use Twitter… or Tweet, as it may).

Visit our new, temporary page for the slowly compiling list.  And, if you are a Twitter user or are an automotive professional or student utilizing Twitter, let us know!

And, while you’re at it, feel free to follow us on Twitter as well.

CDF – twitter.com/cardesignfetish

Dali – twitter.com/kewlrats

Are you looking for that spring project or some new furniture to spruce up that overused winter living room?  Turn that project car sitting in the garage into something useful.  Joel Hester has turned some junkyard forever sheet metal into some sweet industrial style tables.

Joel has made a whole collection including bed frames, desks and armoires.  It is great to see materials get reused in a new way and still show the natural surface.

Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever thought, “there just has to be an easier way to create a 3D model based on a sketch”?  As designers, we are always looking for a better user interface and an easier way to visualize our ideas.  Oftentimes, we utilize 3D software (such as Alias, MAYA, Catia, or 3DS Max) to create surfaces, rough models, and 3D sketches.

Well, several creative folks in Toronto have come up with a new bit of software that allows the user to sketch in 3D.  Or, rather, to sketch curves in 3D utilizing your favorite WMD (Wacom of Mass Design… now trademarked).  The ILoveSketch software, designed by Seok-Hyung Bae, Ravin Balakrishnan, and Karan Singh, allows real-time sketch creation of splines, which can then be exported into other software as fully-usable models.

The best part?  Symmetrical sketching makes it even easier to create full vehicles in a matter of seconds, allowing you to truly create that perfect perspective shot for your next sketch.  Watch the video for a quick overview.

ILoveSketch from Seok-Hyung Bae on Vimeo.

For many Industrial Designers, “Objectified” will be our “Watchmen”.  This is the movie that will show the world what ID is all about.  This is our movie to geek out over, to anticipate, and to buy every special edition DVD when it arrives.  This is our “Star Wars”.

OK.  All geeking-out aside, we really are excited about this film.  With such well-respected designers as Jonathan Ive, Marc Newson, and Chris Bangle taking part in the Gary Hustwit film, it will be a must-watch for us in the field.

So, the only obvious thing for the producers to do was to create an equally epic promotional poster.  The poster includes silhouettes of great product designs, providing a “Where’s Waldo” style game for thos who have a few minutes (or in my case, about an hour) to ga-ga over as we try to figure out which design is what.

Did you spot the Wii?  The iMac?  The infamous tea kettle?  Join in, and let us know how many you can guess right.  Because, frankly, the 11 I correctly answered just didn’t cut it.

Objectified recently premiered at the SXSW festival.

Image provided by ObjectifiedFilm.com

For those of us who are fans of great automotive design and great automotive designers, the name “Jason Castriota” comes to mind often.  The kid from Brooklyn has had an influential hand in several successful supercars, so when he recently left Pininfarina for Stile Bertone, many knew he was going to have his hand in more.

Well, Jason’s latest project (along with Marie Jeanne Berton) is known as “Project M”.  Just exactly what is Project M?  Jason and crew have devised a top-secret viral-ish marketing minisite for the project & vehicle, located over at Inside Project M.  Loaded with videos, photos of the design process, and a few hidden goodies here and there, it is a great way to stay in the know with the latest happenings of the designer.

Jason, save a seat for us when you drive “M” around town.

Photos courtesy of InsideProjectM

What do you get when you combine lithium-ion batteries with a high-performance electric motor and components straight from the racing circuit? Answer: The fastest production electric motorcycle in the world.

Those are the words straight from Mission, the electric bike company with a thing for hot designs.  And how oh-so-hot is their Mission One!  Claiming a top speed of 150 MPH, 100% torque WITHOUT shifting, and the inclusion of real-time data aquisition & included Wi-Fi to draw said data from the bike (as well as connect in other obvious ways) this two-wheeled sex machine does it all silently.  Charging in under 2 hours, the $70k bike is due in 2010.

And who designed this silent evil?  Why, none other than Yves Behar of frog design (and now fuseproject).

Follow the link for more photos of this sexy creation, or visit Mission’s own site to learn more.

All images courtesy Mission.

Read the rest of this entry »

While we often go through a dry spell this time of year in regards to automotive design news, the void is filled with random student-based work, kit cars, and pet projects.  We also begin to see lists.

Graphic design blog “You The Designer” recently created a list of its favorite vehicle images & designs, titled “32 Killer Car Designs”.  While we won’t find anything we really haven’t seen before on the list, you WILL find designs that are both good and bad (and some downright horrible).  However, the site views the vehicles from a perspective that we (auto designers and enthusiasts) normally do not.  While we tend to scrutinize form, function, aesthetic, the site looks at the cars for their immediate “WOW” factor and creativity.

Have a gander at the list here, and see if any of them are on your personal lists: 32 Killer Car Designs

RTT Hosts 10th Annual Visualization Conference in Munich

WHO: RTT USA, Inc. (RTT), a leader in realtime 3D visualization software and services for product design and marketing.

WHAT: Explore the latest developments and trends in the world of 3D real-time visualization at the 10th annual RTT Conference in Munich.

Journalists are invited to participate in this international dialogue with top designers, scientists and virtual reality experts.

This milestone event will focus on sharing visions and stimulating new ideas, covering a wide range of applications for visualization solutions in the fields of product development, design, marketing and sales. The event will also highlight the latest developments in high-end visualization.

World-class speakers from global companies such as Tokyo Design International, ICON Aircraft, Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW will talk about the design of modern product lifecycles using practical examples to focus on current trends and technologies in high-end visualization. Speakers include artist, futurist and concept designer Syd Mead, a pioneer in CGI who achieved worldwide acclaim for his designs in numerous films including Blade Runner, Aliens and Mission: Impossible III. Chris Bangle, BMW Group’s former head of design, will also present.

RTT will supply photos and arrange interviews with speakers and industry representatives during the event.

For registration, press accreditation and comprehensive information about the program and speakers at the RTT Conference 2009, please visit www.rttconference.com. Please submit your accreditation request by April 30, 2009.

WHEN: May 7 – 8, 2009

WHERE: Old Congress Hall

Theresienhöhe 15

80339 Munich, Germany