Why do we need design methods?

Design methods help us grasp the art of designing, amplify the quality of our work, boost efficiency, and broaden our skill set. Still sounds a bit too scholarly? Let's bring it down a notch.

In essence, mastering a design method isn't a miraculous feat, but a product of hard graft. Armed with a method, our confidence shoots up. There's a direct line between a method's guidance and our conviction in its effectiveness.

However, as accurately highlighted by Philip Cash in one of his recent works, the thorn in the flesh is the inherent nature of design methods. They're largely heuristic - they may lift the odds of crafting stunning and truly inventive designs, but they never promise certainty.

Design method never promise certainty

Given this, it's easy to see why your average car designer, under the gun with deadlines and deliverables, may give a cold shoulder to any method.

Why fuss if the result is uncertain? While Design Science argues that methods enable us to track and claim success in specific contexts, reality often paints a different picture.

In truth, a designer becomes a method itself, firing up ideas with basic design tools, mental prowess, experience, and a flicker of personal creativity. In the car design world, we associate design success with personalities, not methods.

In the car design, success associated with personalities, not methods

And fame is no crime! Think of a method as a tool. We remember the tales of King Arthur, not his sword, Excalibur, and Alexander the Great, not his horse, Bucephalus. Both devices obviously helped heroes to have continuous success. This brings us to the conclusion that we need consistency in design success.

Radical innovation often walks hand in hand with design success.

Let's take a recent case of Polestar 4.

https://www.polestar.com/

"Polestar's New Electric SUV Ditches Rear Window for a Real-Time Camera. Without a rear window, there's no rear-view mirror. Instead, Polestar opts for a high-def screen that streams live footage from a roof-mounted camera. Polestar aims to offer a wider field of view than a regular mirror."

But let's skip the marketing mumbo jumbo. A wide-angle camera display in the rear mirror isn't a fresh concept. Maserati rolled it out with the MC20. The real game-changer is the absence of a rear window in a typical passenger car.

Who dreamt up this radical innovation for passenger cars - Thomas Ingenlath, Maximilian Missoni, or someone else - I don't know. 

It was a bold move by the design team, with sturdy leadership, to address the design quandary of merging aerodynamics with a broad rear view in electric cars. 

What I know is that the design team is understandably apprehensive about customer acceptance of this radical step. From the classic reverse Dunning-Kruger effect to the genuine anxiety of betting on something innovative and edgy, the fear of being wrong in this unpredictable world persists.

In the universe of car design, the question isn't "Can we?" but "Should we?"

Should we replace second-row passenger side windows with screens? How about turning windows into screens with autonomous driving?

Intended Future has the answer to that exact question with the help of Data-Informed Design (DID). I've explored the theory of DID in earlier articles. Today I'd like to introduce a design tool we've developed to raise the stakes for design success like never before.

Intended Future has the answer

The Customer Acceptance Index (CAI) navigates the vast labyrinth of design variations and helps design teams turn hurdles into innovation opportunities.

The CAI harnesses data related to customer sensory experiences to guide design choices. It acts as a compass in the expansive world of creativity, steering designers toward successful, user-focused solutions.

Our Customer Acceptance Index is a strategic planning tool for automotive Design VPs. It enables brands to boost word-of-mouth and product sales in key markets while reducing design and marketing risk, using a scientific approach to vehicle concept development and validation.

Customer's journey with CAI

Designing a car is not just about its aesthetics; it's a harmonious blend of functionality, innovation, sustainability, and appeal. The paradox of choice in this context implies that while we have endless possibilities for car designs, we also face the challenge of choosing a design that fits within real-world constraints and aligns with our brand vision.

Intended Future can help leaders make informed decisions, supporting them in pursuing radical innovation. The Customer Acceptance Index can help to find and establish new trends.