Translating car design into furniture and other consumer goods is all the rage this month. For Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile), Mazda highlighted its Kodo Design language reincarnated as a sofa and bicycle. Ford got even more diverse, unleashing the styling of the all-new GT supercar on a varied selection of designs, from pieces of furniture, to a foosball table, to a sailboat, to a guitar.
Ford opened up 2015 by absolutely blowing away North American International Auto Show visitors with its all-new GT, a 600+ hp aero-optimized tour de force of automotive engineering. Though we haven't even reached the halfway point of the year, it's safe to say that the GT will stand as one of the defining car designs of 2015.
Not content to let the GT tantalize only sports car lovers, Ford decided to treat Design Week attendees with a look at how its most cutting edge design could influence various other products. While the car's body seems like the obvious styling jumping off point, it was the interior design that informed Ford's non-automotive works. Specifically, Ford designed the GT cabin and the Design Week show pieces with three guiding principles in mind: innovation, function-forward "clarity of intent," and connection with the user through more compact, intuitive forms.
In addition to the aforementioned sailboat, foosball table, guitar and furniture, designers from Ford's global studios prepared several other creations, including a wall clock, a wireless speaker and lights. Head to the photo gallery to see each design and learn a bit more about how the collection ties into Ford's three-point design philosophy.
Beyond models of consumer goods, Ford also showed a much larger Design Week presentation in the form of its "FAVILLA, Every Light a Voice" exhibit erected in the heart of Milan. Prepared with architect Attilio Stocchi, in collaboration with Federlegno Arredo Eventi, the multi-part installation unfolded inside two large boxes. The first explored the science of light with a reflective show, and the second took a look at how Ford design shapes both form and function.
"A successful design requires more than pleasing aesthetics – it needs to connect with consumers, speak to their aspirations and pleasantly surprise them," said Moray Callum, Ford’s vice president of design. "This installation takes visitors through an unexpected discovery process that perfectly reflects Ford’s philosophy that design is an emotional journey orchestrated around the customer."
If that all sounds like abstract, pseudo-artsy corporate BS to you (it does to us), you can just ignore it and enjoy the impressive light display in the video below. It's worth a watch, even if you don't feel like contemplating how it all ties into the Blue Oval's product and marketing strategy.
Source: Ford