FORD EVOS

Dynamic SUV  |  Comfort  |  Performance 

The project was born to provide a vehicle to the Chinese public looking for a more dynamic SUV body type. Ford Evos is the perfect combination of space and comfort with sportiness, performance and fluidity. 

Thus reaching a range of audiences from independent younger people to the more familiar public.

It is a versatile and technological car, ideal for the city environment, comfortable and full of features for traveling for long periods.


DESIGN PROCESS

MAIN GOALS 

After user experience research, we could specify that the Chinese market was looking for the following:

  • Authenticity
  • Comfort
  • Design with purpose


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Design Strategy

I was responsible for investigating and researching future trends involving colours for exterior & interior, new materials implementation, consumer behavior, target audience, human interaction, and smart city interactions for regional and global regions. Besides that, I was engaged in comparing the vehicle's main competitors, helping to position the project in the Chinese market, creating the progression steps of the series walk, and finding the best solutions considering design, innovation, feasibility & cost.

future trends  |  new materials & tech implementation  |  target audience  |  competitors 


  • User Experience

Responsible for implementing user experience methodologies closer to the Colours & Materials and Product Design departments.

One of the topics I could contribute to involving colour & materials with UX design in the Ford Mondeo project was the pack of 'greetings' created to connect the car with the user, which includes front grille motion, combined with the vehicle's illumination response and interior moods that respond to the user commands.


  • Materials & Finishes Development

I supported material and finishes developments with global tier 1 & 2 suppliers, creating feasible strategies within cost, time constraints, and design goals for the project, besides managing the workflow development with stakeholders such as engineering.


  • Graphic Development

I could contribute to graphics creation and development, including embossing and perforation patterns on seats, textures on sound bars and central console, new grains development, and front grille shape patterns for the three main series, Titanium Light environment, Titanium Dark Environment, and ST-Line.


SPECIAL EDITION

STYLISH     |     UNIQUE     |     MODERN 



ST LINE 

DARING     |     ENERGETIC     |     DYNAMIC 



MAIN CHALLENGES

  • Sustainability VS Cost

One of the main challenges when implementing sustainable materials inside a car is their cost compared to virgin raw materials. Over the years, they are becoming more attractive due to demand from companies and for generating added value to the product. The solutions that I was able to contribute to this project involving it were:

Solution 01   |   We restrict the use of natural leather, opting for an ecological alternative, a type of vinyl with a more neutral carbon footprint.

Solution 02   |   Implement a plush fabric with part recyclable content and part virgin, but that can be completely recycled at the end of the life cycle.


  • Colour Usage

According to user research done during the vehicle clinic, the Chinese market was looking for more insertion and variety of interior colours, expressing their tastes through the vehicle. However, many colour interactions generate a lot of complexity, increasing the production and final costs for the consumer in the end.

The main question was... Is the user willing to pay for it?

YES and NO... The colours would need to be highly assertive to the personal taste of most users to be willing to pay for a much higher value.

I was able to contribute to these solutions:

Solution 01   |   Add an environment with a light color, hugely in demand, in the series with more mix, which would be the Premium series, which would justify a higher price.

Solution 02   |   Implement special series with colours that would remain on the market for a shorter period. These interactions could be made in the Mid-series, which has a more youthful appeal and is linked to global trends.

Solution 03   |   Offer few colour interactions and invest in lighting and illumination with a diverse range of colours in which the users would set up the environment's mood as their preference.


  • User x Product Connection

A vehicle goes far beyond transport. It represents its users' characteristics, desired status, and where they fit into society. It represents mobility and independence, responsible for good moments, experiences and memories. Your car is your home extension.

Based on this, it was important for this project to bring stimuli that would connect this user with the car.

Through user research, we determined that comfort and responsive surfaces with technological appeal were essential for the target audience.

Solution   |   The final solution was the greetings package that includes front grille motion at unlocking, interior moods setup with specific themes like Sporty mode and Nature mode that influence colour illumination and the car's performance.