STIR lecture: blending a resurgent British motoring icon with a yacht that costs £420,000 at the pump to fuel

Graduation ceremonies busied the College but on Wednesday night, Design London calmly opened its doors to the fourth STIR lecture.

A large, mixed group of Imperial and RCA students attended a double lecture by Gert Volker Hildebrand, the mastermind behind the new MINI and Martin Francis, an architectural, shipbuilding and sculpting heavyweight who has worked with Fosters, RFR, mega-yacht constructors and…the Rolling Stones.  BBC News’ Technology Correspondent, Rory Cellan Jones, introduced the speakers and began the question and answer session at the end of the event.

Differences exist between a car for a mass market and the highly customised world of super-yachts.  Yet, both speakers shared common views, approaches and beliefs about the power of effective innovation through design.

“When I built and designed my first yacht I faced a number of problems for the first time,” said Martin.  “Because I didn’t know the traditional way of doing things, I was free to apply design and engineering approaches afresh.  Some of the innovations from that project have been central to my business since.  I started with my own yacht project and now work on 157 metre world cruisers.”

Gert said his lecture would cover the “scientific, business and innovation approaches within product design and development.”  His slick presentation roamed from psychology to aesthetics and from anthropology to economics via symbolism, whilst surveying the past and future of the MINI.

Both identified the importance of design integrated with engineering in their products.  In fact 80% of Mini customers choose the vehicle because of its design.  However in the automobile industry, consistency and technical regulations are significant constraints. “I like constraints, which is a good thing as 95% of a modern car is prescribed by previous models, like the original, iconographic MINI, and by safety or other regulations,” said Gert, explaining that manufacturers seek aesthetic consistency for new vehicles, protecting the image and value of previous models to ensure brand loyalty.

Martin’s more progressive work often brings him into conflict with material and technological barriers.  “One of the things I’ve been talking to Nick [Design London’s director] about is how we can work together,” he said.  “I’m looking for ideas related to how we simply fabricate complex, digitally designed models.”

 A main focus of Design London is to improve interdisciplinary working.  Nick Leon, the project’s director explains this goal and the STIR lectures as aiming to:
“Stir together the disciplines of technology, business and creative design, blending the imaginations of each to stimulate entirely new perspectives on the crucial challenges facing us today.”

Gert talked about an example of these relationships at BMW - product design and business, or marketing - using the Chicken and Egg analogy.  He feels designers must fight for the freedom to express their vision.  Whilst those in charge of the brand, struggle to establish a meaningful, consistent and enduring symbol that draws on the heritage of the product.  A tension, which he felt, Design London could help to relieve: “I’m optimistic about this because [Design London] is getting people talking about the relationship between disciplines.  This, in time will lead to understanding and, of course, in the future, I’m sure we’ll reach a point where all this understanding is put into practice.”

Both Martin and Gert agreed there is a growing need, and passion, for interdisciplinary work in the more developed economies of the world.

Nick closed the event by thanking Rory and the guest speakers.  He observed that: “Our high profile speakers focus on the challenges of interdisciplinary working through radically different lenses, offering not only fresh insights but generating greater dialogue between the disciplines.”

There will be more information about the next STIR lecture on the Design London website soon.

ENDS

Related links

• RCA 
• Design London 
• Faculty of Engineering 
• BMW 
• Francis Design