【Introduction: As one of the "four centers" of the "Ford China 2.0" strategy, the new Ford China Design Center was officially opened in Shanghai. This is not only an important sign of Ford's acceleration of localization, but also the latest driving force for Ford China to continue its brand transformation. Ford took a step forward in the transformation of an automotive giant to understand the practice before the tide of change in the times. 】
Written| by Cai Jialun and editor | Hezi
On January 17, 2022, In Shanghai, China, Ford's most innovative design center in the world was officially opened; at the same time as the design center was officially opened, the new generation of Ford Mondeo was officially released. As one of the "four centers" in the "Ford China 2.0" strategy, the new Ford China Design Center, together with the Ford China Product Center, the Ford China New Energy Center and the Ford China Innovation Center, provides strong support for the Ford brand to continue to promote brand transformation in the world's largest automotive market.
The design center will "focus" on Chinese characteristics
At present, many car companies have set up design centers in China, so what are the differences between Ford's most innovative design centers in the world? First of all, the new Ford China Design Center, which was upgraded from Ford China Forward-looking Design Studio, has the ability to design the whole process from design trend research, interior and exterior styling design, color material design, digital interaction experience design to digital model and full-size sludge model production, and is currently the only full-featured vehicle design center in downtown Shanghai.
In addition, in addition to the design center, Ford China Dx Hub "Fuchuang Valley" also includes a number of cutting-edge innovation teams such as intelligent networking and digital experience team, frontier trend research team and electrification team, and collaborates with the product center in Nanjing to further improve the efficiency of cross-departmental collaborative innovation.
Leading design concepts, high standards of facilities, and efficient cross-departmental collaboration mean that Ford's design team can efficiently complete the complete process from sketch to full-size sludge model. At the same time, Ford China designers can also take full advantage of virtual reality and augmented reality technology to conduct more tests before developing clay models and improve digital modeling. After the production of the solid model is completed, the designer can conduct an immersive audit of the sludge model in the professional review hall, combined with the ultra-high-definition LED giant screen with 8K resolution and the latest virtual reality review equipment, and can make intuitive design changes on the sludge model at the first time, and then send the change data back through the 3D scanning device.
I have to say that the innovation speed of the new Ford China Design Center is already the top level in the industry.
Tenfold increase in employees in two years
It is worth mentioning that as an emerging world art and fashion center, Shanghai has attracted more and more automotive brand design centers to settle in, and is becoming an ideal place for more and more outstanding designers from all over the world. The reason why Ford chose to settle in Shanghai is also because of the thirst for local design elite talents.
In the past two years, the number of employees at Ford China Design Center has increased tenfold, and more than three-quarters of the creative design team members are young local designers under the age of 35. These young local designers are the perfect combination of fresh thinking, local knowledge and global vision, bringing unlimited vitality and possibilities for Ford to explore the field of design.
In the future, Ford will continue to recruit a large number of local design talents to add bricks and tiles to the localization of Ford Motors, and rely on designers' deep understanding of Chinese aesthetics and consumer needs to achieve the perfect integration of Chinese aesthetics and Ford's global design elements.
The new generation of Mondeo "handover"
It is worth mentioning that the new generation of Ford Mondeo, which adopts the design concept of "potential energy aesthetics", was developed by the Ford China design team based on the aesthetic preferences of Chinese consumers.
Looking at the front face of the vehicle first, the day-running lights that run across the front face have two angles on both sides of the body that resemble the folding treatment in traditional Chinese calligraphy, and the sense of strength that weighs like a shoulder further strengthens the lateral width of the new generation of Mondeo and the sporting posture that is ready to go. Ford's classic octagonal grille silhouette has been inherited and dramatically treated on the new generation of Mondeo, with more exaggerated proportions and more radical shapes, and all the design elements of the front of the car are radiated around it, which is full of momentum.
On the side of the car, the shoulder line and waist line are changed in a rich way, taking advantage of the light and shadow to show the dynamic beauty of the momentum; the shape under the door is tightened inward, and this concave surface is like the natural undulation of the muscles in the light. In addition, a classic tribute also appeared in the rear of the car, the unique taillights incorporated classic three-dimensional design elements, and outlined the surroundings with a sporty blackened inner cavity treatment, visually once again emphasizing the body size.
It can be said that the new generation of Ford Mondeo has both Chinese aesthetic elements and ford classic design, which is indeed worthy of praise.
Comments
From "One Ford" to "Ford China 2.0", on the surface, It is Ford that believes that the Chinese market is important to Ford, and is full of expectations for opportunities in the Chinese market. At a deeper level, what makes Ford determined to make changes in the Chinese market is China's leading advantage in smart cars. The opening of the new Ford China Design Center represents the attention and support of Ford headquarters to the Chinese market, and also pins on the ardent hope of accelerating Ford's transformation to the "new four modernizations" through Chinese innovation. Congratulations to Ford! The concept of "more Ford, more China" has a more progressive landing initiative, and has taken a step forward in the reform of an automobile giant before the tide of change of the times.
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