Dear Jean and list members,
I feel that it would be worthwhile to consider the history of the car industry
in the context of your research. Car producers have employed designers to
visualise future products and lifestyles over a long period and since the days
of Harley Earl they have used design as a tool to shape public expectations as
well as develop actual products. Philips are really amateurs by comparison.
My own perception is that, in the early days, car producers led people's taste
and aspirations. One example is the way that some early science fiction was
modelled on car industry concepts - Gerry Anderson's "Supercar" was an almost
direct take-off of a ford concept design, it was even called a car although it
flew. More recently the car industry has given up the lead and is more likely
to be following Hollywood than setting it's own pace.
Apart from the golden age of the American dream car I would be tempted to look
at the more recent history of Renault, who seem to have been in on the birth of
several of the great diversity of new classes of car on the market today and
seem to be more willing than most to propose new forms and contexts for the
car. It would be interesting to see whether these represent real changes in
patterns of consumption or car use, or just tinkering with the tail fins to
attract attention.
regards
Chris
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Chris Rust
Reader in Design
Art and Design Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University UK
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