The Inspirations Collection.
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Welcome to designbivouac’s inspiration collection.
Exploring design and innovation.
Over 30 years of collaboration, designbivouac has uncovered lasting insights. Inspirations is a curated collection of inspirational objects and ideas shaping a continuous journey of creative exploration.
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Building Empathy
For those who could swear that their car had to have been built late on a Friday afternoon or bought a pure lemon, try building an 8070 over a weekend.
For those who could swear that their car had to have been built late on a Friday afternoon or bought a pure lemon, try building an 8070 over a weekend. The latest supercar from Lego Group's Technic division includes a free-floating differential, a visible 8-cylinder engine with working pistons tied into the transmission, double wishbone suspension components, and various power goodies.
Putting one of these together without having many spare pieces lying around once the job is done is an excellent accomplishment. It's also a great empathy-building exercise to help us realize, even if on a much smaller scale, some of what a day is like for those putting together the things that move us daily. A special thanks goes out to you, the builders of the world.
Quality Time in Seacrest County
Lately, my nephews and I have had the opportunity to spend quality time in Seacrest County, the fictional land featured in Need For Speed Hot Pursuit.
A while back, my nephews and I had the opportunity to spend quality time in Seacrest County, the fictional land featured in Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. Designers of this racing game didn’t obsess over telemetry and torque curves generated on the world's most famous race tracks. Instead, they opted for a beautifully rendered, massive open world and a childhood favorite formula: Good Guys vs. Bad Guys.
It starts with the diverse scenic vistas of Seacrest County. There are driving challenges for everyone, including coastal roads, wide-open desert highways, and snowcapped alpine routes. The maps and driving mechanics are excellent. The game's creators included many of the world's most exciting vehicles. The BMW Z4 sdrive 3.5is (whew, long name) and the Lamborghini Reventon are favorites at designbivouac.
The game delivers on a few well-honed gaming principles:
1. Support immersion- Convincing visual details in the landscape and vehicle modeling are convincing and invite drivers into the world of Seacrest County.
2. Cause and Effect Loops- Dramatic and sufficiently detailed damage simulation reinforces just enough cause and effect consequences to keep things interesting.
3. Collectibility- An impressive range of vehicles, each with its overview provided by an ecosystem of manufacturers, keeps one engaged and moving forward in the game, as does the addition of technological enhancements.
While there are many driving games out there offering more realism, few can match the sheer joy of busting bad guys or racing at high speeds across the deserts of Seacrest County. Thanks to those who spent quality time creating Seacrest County and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. Thankfully, the game has been remastered for the PS5.
Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept
Cadillac's Urban Luxury Concept, which debuted this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is just the kind of product that will continue to fuel General Motor's emergence from bankruptcy.
Cadillac's Urban Luxury Concept is the vehicle that could help continue General Motors's transition to a battery-electric vehicle fleet with zero emissions. The original concept, which debuted a few years back at the Los Angeles auto show, was not a BEV but still offered an impressive estimated fuel economy rating of 56 mpg city/65 mpg highway.
The size and styling of the Urban Luxury Concept could be resurrected and applied to the company’s new Ultimum electric platform. With room for four and several innovative features in store beyond the scissor-style doors, this could be a cutting-edge "Art and Science" vehicle.
Painting a Richer Brand Image
Focus on function is a critical factor in bringing compelling products to market. But when products deliver on both functional and emotional levels, doors open to more powerful experiences.
Focus on function is a critical factor in bringing compelling products to market. But when products deliver on both functional and emotional levels, doors open to more powerful experiences. Take the "Expression of Joy" theme for the launch of the 2009 BMW Z4. The company is tapping into its rich history of merging art and vehicle design. Moving beyond the “Art Cars” of the past, clever engineering allows drivers to use a Z4 to paint broad strokes as they drive on a warehouse-sized canvas, all while demonstrating the vehicle’s performance. With the new Z4 iPhone app, users can virtually paint their rich picture of the offering.
The "Expression of Joy" theme and event associated with the 2009 Z4 launch elegantly complement the Freude am Fahren or Sheer Driving Pleasure themes related to BMW. This provides the company with a broader canvas upon which to cast the value of its offering, avoiding tiresome comparisons of performance statistics alone. There are no mundane comparisons of 0-60 mph times here. Cornering capabilities are artfully conveyed in a colorful new way, to be sure.
The BMW Z4 and Audi A4 iPhone applications that accompanied each vehicle's launch differ dramatically due to the creativity of the Z4 “Expression of Joy” launch theme. Both allow users to visualize the vehicles. However, the Audi app explores the "performance angle" in a somewhat predictable way, allowing users to tilt the iPhone to navigate a virtual A4 through a slalom course. Ironically, the task is a bit difficult to master and not necessarily an impression one wants to leave aspiring A4 drivers with.
By contrast, the BMW Z4 iPhone app allows users to instantly experience the joy of being at the controls of a "300 horsepower paintbrush". The joy and free-form nature seen through the warehouse artist driving event translates well through the small device screen. Unencumbered by driving the virtual Z4 on a blank canvas is delightful. The Z4 app represents an excellent instance of design thinking and a unique way to experience and promote a product. The app content and the iPhone’s technical capabilities maximize the emotional impact of the interaction. Rather than forcing users to master the application, it empowers and frees them to be creative. Users can even download their creations. Now, that's an impression worth leaving.
Rather than BMW’s “expression of Joy” launch theme, Audi's tagline for the A4 launch was "The category changing A4. Progress is beautiful." The A4 is a beautiful vehicle. But when you see a company like BMW balancing artful expression and design so well, not to mention creating a football field-sized canvas for expression, BMW categorically changes how they dialog with potential customers. Progress is beautiful indeed.
An Open Letter to GM Execs
Dear GM Execs,
Might I suggest, rather than taking a corporate jet to the next congressional hearing in Washington, that you tuck a well-thought-out plan for how to take advantage of this unique time of opportunity within the automobile industry into the glove box of one of the following vehicles and caravan to Washington D.C.
Dear GM Execs,
Might I suggest, rather than taking a corporate jet to the next congressional hearing in Washington, that you tuck a well-thought-out plan for how to take advantage of this unique time of opportunity within the automobile industry into the glove box of Chevy Volt and drive to Washington D.C. This is a golden moment to show some pride in the craft that takes place within some divisions in your company.
It's also a chance to sever your far too long-standing dependency on truck platforms and inefficient V8 technologies. Hold on to your best and brightest, and if they are not already working on suitable projects, get them going on those programs. Indeed, producing and launching a new fleet of vehicles like the Volt promises new jobs for many with new skills.
Such an arrival in Washington will send a message: "We are working towards innovation." This approach can only help your funding request. Once you've made your case, why not take a commercial airline flight back to Detroit, preferably by coach, and get back to work? Leave the Volt behind in D.C. and allow those in Congress to drive it to experience what your company is working on. What better way to stand behind your plan for moving forward than to stand behind your R&D efforts? Not all initiatives will be perfect yet, and that is okay. Undoubtedly, most in Congress would be relieved to see any sincere efforts toward innovation taking place at this point.
If the Volt is not ready for prototyping the experience in the real world, then that's a shame. It's like going to Washington without vision and asking for funding anyway.
Best of luck
A Touch of Class
For a unique, one-night-only event, BMW will host a "Night of the White Gloves" at its museum that will allow visitors to touch the exhibits on display.
For a unique, one-night-only event, BMW hosted a "Night of the White Gloves" at its museum, allowing visitors to touch the exhibits. The event was held in collaboration with the Bavarian Association of the Blind. Those attending were permitted to touch the 120 exhibits while wearing white gloves provided by their hosts. Visitors also felt the insides of the cabins, engines, and luggage compartments—a touch of class, to be sure.
Jürgen Steinle of BMW Design expanded on the hallmarks of the brand's design heritage, while Ralf Vierlein, head of the Historic Vehicle Collection at BMW Classic, spoke about what makes a BMW a classic. BMW also displayed the GINA Concept Car for the first time at the event. "The Night of the White Gloves" will occur on November 21st at the BMW Museum in Munich.
BMW GINA Visionary Concept Vehicle
GINA (which stands for Geometry and Function in Infinite Adaptation) may be a bit of an acronym stretch, but then again, stretching is appropriate for a concept vehicle with a flexible skin.
GINA (which stands for Geometry and Function in Infinite Adaptation) may be a bit of an acronym stretch, but then again, stretching is appropriate for a concept vehicle with a flexible skin. Take a closer look at how the GINA Visionary Concept Vehicle is set to reshape automobile design thinking.
Getting Smarter
With the Smart Fortwo becoming available in the United States, perhaps more sustainable attitudes towards transport will shift into higher gear.
With the Smart Fortwo becoming available in the United States, perhaps more sustainable attitudes toward transport will shift into higher gear. Who knows, maybe we will see a new generation of innovative modes of moving designs like BMW's C1 coming into the marketplace. It won't be easy to overcome significant challenges, as evidenced by the comparison image of the Smart Fortwo vs. Hummer H2 size. However, with new advances in active and passive safety coming to the market each year, perhaps we can find smarter alternative modes of movement before gasoline hits the $5.00 mark.
Back to the Future
Not sure just what is going on over at Cadillac headquarters these days, but let's hope they keep it up!
It is uncertain what is happening at Cadillac headquarters, but let's hope they keep it up! Ed Welburn and his design team continue to successfully explore the edged aesthetic reminiscent of some of Syd Mead's vehicle designs, which inspired many to think about what the future of vehicle design might hold. The CTS Coupe concept is another successful design exercise in that regard. Thanks to the folks at Cadillac for bringing back that feeling of future thinking once again. Now, if only we could start seeing more vehicles like this on the road, ideally with a hybrid power plant.
Lamborghini Reventon
Inspired by military aviation and the stealth aesthetic, the Lamborghini Reventon is admirable for its purity of statement.
Inspired by military aviation and the stealth aesthetic, the Lamborghini Reventon is admirable for its purity of statement. It is also not a bad performer, as evidenced by its recent run against an Italian Air Force Tornado.
Images: caricos.com
BMW X5: Before and After
Some people may have difficulty spotting the differences between the older model X5 and the all-new 2007 redesign. However, enhancements and changes are significant.
Some may have difficulty spotting the differences between the older model X5 and the all-new 2007 redesign. However, enhancements and changes are significant. This morphing promotional video shows that signature character elements remain while achieving significant design revision.
The 2007 BMW X5: Arguably the best design of the series. With its introduction, the problematic rear design was resolve and a new, sleeker dynamism appeared up front. Wheels on the 4.8i are remarkable.
Michelin Tweel
Coming to a vehicle near you. Not clear when, but Michelin is working on an airless wheel called the "Tweel"
They are coming to a vehicle near you. It's unclear when, but Michelin is working on an airless wheel called the "Tweel". Beyond not having to worry about air pressure, advantages include unique contact patch capabilities. Tweels also have obvious applications for lighter personal vehicles.
For more information, visit Michelin's press release page.
BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" Campaign
BDDP & Fils, Paris won the 2004 Epica award for their BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" print campaign.
BDDP & Fils, Paris, won the 2004 Epica award for its BMW X3 "Mix Your Playgrounds" print campaign. Congratulations to the agency for capturing the X3's unique combination of modern elegance and technical capabilities.
The talented artist who created these works is Jean-Marie Vives.
A Moving Piece of Motion Matching
The 2004 X3 launch advertisement is an excellent example of how to use video motion matching to tell a story.
The 2004 X3 launch advertisement is an excellent example of how to use video motion matching to tell a story. The commercial conveys the strength of the X3's new x-drive technology, which brings four-season capability and new levels of versatility and performance to the Sports Activity Vehicle market.
