Design Innovation: Ford Looks To Customer Feedback On Future Styling

The third in a Ford four-part panel discussion series on ‘Design Innovation’ streamed live from the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) Conference in Austin, Texas, this week.

Among the panel contributors was Ford’s Exterior Design Manager, Kevin George.

Topics for the conference included ‘the challenges of customer-led innovation’, ‘incorporating customer feedback into design’ and ‘predicting the future’.

In explaining Ford’s approach to styling and to staying ‘ahead of the game’, Mr George said the carmaker used consumers’ feedback on styling to guide future design.

"We take the words that they use to describe the car - some said "dominating", some said "accommodating". Very different. So we said, 'why don't we blend them?'" Mr George said.

Customer feedback is sought by Ford before the design process begins, and then again once the initial designs have been signed off.