DownsideUpDesign

Working in Germany I was thrown in the deep end of perceived quality research, taking more macro shots of headlamps, instrument panels and door cards than I care to remember. Yet I’m happy to come right out and say it: perceived quality fascinates me.

Gear shifter from the new Audi A8 (click to enlarge with caution, you might wet yourself...)

The way the tricks we use – from the amazingly detailed design of touch zones in a car interior to a superbly detailed tail lamp enclosure – coalesce to convince consumers that a product that feels good must be good, no matter the integrity of the engineering underneath the skin is a delightful thing. Take a look at the gear shift above and you might get an inkling of what I’m talking about.

Perceived quality’s a psychological game played by designers and engineers that reaps massive rewards for the companies that do it right. Just ask VW, who started on a head-long rush to improve the improve feel-good factor of everyday cars with a couple of otherwise unremarkable vehicles in ’96-’97. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the last decade I’ve noticed an increasing number of brands willing to cash in on their previously unimpeachable images in the chase for bigger margins.

Sloppy strategies and even sloppier products have dealt manifold blows to companies like Mercedes-Benz (1st gen. A-Class, R-Class and Maybach), Porsche (Cayenne) and BMW (X6, X5 & 6Ms and 5 Series GT). For now, these brands can manage it. Decades of superb, focussed products have established strong brand perceptions that will take a few cheap hits (although I’d argue that Mercedes is really starting to try the patience of even the mainstream car nut with products like the new E-Class).

There are other brands, however, that can’t afford to play so loose and free with their brand capital and Aston Martin is a prime example. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s amazing how many Cabrios you see being driven around with their roofs up on perfectly sunny days. I know if I was lucking enough to own one the roof would be down as long as the sun was out and the sky was blue (and the car had seats suitable for cooking on and a thermonuclear heater for the German winter).

Now Mini has come along and the natty designers are positively goading us to live our motoring lives alfresco by virtue of the Mini Always Open Timer. This little device records the number of hours you spend driving with the roof down and is the concept behind the new Mini viral you see above.

I can see the web 2.0 application now, showing how you managed to have the most open hours of any Mini Cabrio driver. The nice thing about this whole concept, especially if Mini does take it social, is the it builds a very strong sense of a personal relationship with the car and could further strengthen the sense of community amongst Mini owners.

Interestingly enough, BMW cabrio owners have access to a similar but alltogether more passive system: the in-car entertainment system will look up the local weather conditions and suggest whether it’s a good day to have the roof down. Not that I couldn’t have looked out the window or anything…