As for human qualities, I communicate with all heads without any formalism.I can prove to be at in phone correspondence with Chris Chapman (the head of the American design center Hyundai, long time worked in BMW — the edition note) — there it is a question not of outlines of headlights and not of the subwindow line, and of results of the last basketball matches...
The designer of Hyundai told about future cars
Kasey Chun — not so much the designer, how many the design questions manager. It — some kind of intermediary between "aces" like world famous Peter Schreier (who, having more than adequately proved in Kia, now is responsible and for Hyundai) and ordinary designers who embody on paper, in figure and in plasticine the general installations of the management. It turns out that one person ordered, another drew — and it is necessary to be responsible for everything Chuna: it presented new generation of the Genesis model in the Russian capital. And he had to make comments not always on pleasant reviews of design of a novelty...
— When new Genesis for the first time showed to the public, many considered design of the car too universal, deprived of identity. What can you tell in response to these reproaches?
— It seems to me, it is natural reaction to transformation of our design in more mature and strict. Some time ago the brand had no design philosophy, uniform design idea — therefore we were focused on creation of bright images which would let to the whole world know: Hyundai have professional designers!
Now the majority already got used to thought that the brand has design language, the stylistics... Therefore now there is no need loudly to declare themselves. And we smoothly pass to more mature and strict forms. I think, many will make out over time identity of Genesis — especially when there will be the following models united with it by the general stylistics.
Kasey Chun: "You know, what designers of Nissan stopped once works on new generation of one of the models after an exit of our new Sonata? Stopped, sent to a basket everything drawn before and started work with a clean slate! Who after that calls design of Hyundai boring and inexpressive? " A photo from a site racionauto.blogspot.ru
— And still — whether there is here no defined risk? We understand, what you will have a theoretical justification of each detail, but unless reaction of public isn't more important factor? What sense in theories if the car call boring?
— Very often it happens that not so those people who are its target audience loudly criticize the car — therefore it is impossible to be guided by certain sketchy opinions. It is necessary to analyze set of statements as a whole, and the corresponding experts of Hyundai are engaged in it. Besides, whether so a little we buy "boring" subjects? Phones, household appliances, furniture — too it is often possible to call them boring. Here take iPhone: rectangle with smoothed things over and one round button — boredom mortal!
I will tell so. Our purpose — to excite the person, to awaken in him certain emotions. It can be compared to music: unless emotional reaction is caused only by fate, only works with an aggressive rhythm?
— And what do you think of the statement, what many details of the car look similar to the same details of other cars? These are conscious "quotes" or the embodiment of the general for all world automotive industry of tendencies in design is simple?
— At our scale, our outputs silly to copy someone, silly to take foreign ideas as a basis. Therefore about any "quotes" and the speech can't be. Besides, about which details there is a speech? Front grille? But look at cars which designers of Hyundai created within the last 10 years: this lattice at first appeared on concept cars (and in those days we simply had no place to copy it) and over time reached serial models. I think, all these conversations, besides, represent a certain natural reaction to transition from more provocative decisions to quieter and strict...
— The Hyundai company has few models which would achieve success worldwide. Whether it means, what designers yet didn't manage to find universal solutions which would positively be perceived by buyers of the different countries and different continents?
— At the center there is a marketing, and we only follow the approach developed by the management of the company. After all Hyundai also doesn't set a task to create model which would become the best-seller on a global scale. We create the decisions for the key markets (including design decisions) — and it justifies itself. Unless Solaris badly is on sale in Russia? Other example — India: in the region where our plant settles down, many sincerely perceive brand as, house.
Kasey Chun: "People much that can tell if to lock them in the room with car in private. But this reaction isn't always indicative. I personally estimate quality of design in a different way: having by the way seen the car, whether the person will return to it a look, whether will want to consider closer?"
— And what, in your opinion, it is more important for success of the car — successful appearance of the car or successful interior design?
— There is a certain paradox. When the person already got the car and actively it operates, his esthetic impression depends first of all on an interior. But on the decision on purchase a greater impact has as far as the person was impressed by appearance of the car. We will tell so: the ideal exterior increases probability of purchase of this car, and an ideal interior — probability of that the person remains is true this model or this brand upon purchase of the following car.
— How you see evolution of automobile design in the next years ten?
— As for appearance, I think, all will strive for bigger laconicism. As for interiors, they will "be for certain better ground" under target audience of model. For certain will be more and more noticeable distinctions between interiors of a compact hatchback and a prestigious sedan, a crossover and the sporty coupe. However, laconicism will be appreciated more and more and here.
The philosophy of bonus brands which distance itself both from budgetary, and from more expensive magnificent is personally close to me. At production of magnificent brands the design is of great value than functionality, at the budgetary — on the contrary. It is pleasant to me when the value of these two major elements is counterbalanced. As in iPhone.
— When the speech comes about design in application to the Kia and Hyundai brands, Peter Schreier is remembered at once. What can you tell about it as about the professional and how about the person?
— I communicate with it much: during visits of mister Shrayer to Korea I greet him at a ladder of the plane and I say goodbye at the same ladder, that is I am near it constantly. It is necessary to tell that Shrayer's key works are inspiration sources practically for all designers of my age therefore it was twice interesting to me to get acquainted with this person.
By the way, pay attention: for last years one tendencies "exhausted", appeared new — for example, now the design philosophy makes a start from natural lines and forms while years fifteen designers sought to withdraw ideas literally from air, to work from a blank sheet, without any concrete "inspiration sources". But these changes don't disturb success of mister Shrayer — he creates both then and now memorable and popular cars among buyers.