Unruly design. Skoda is. Bashny.Net

Automotive journalist Vitaly Kabyshev recently visited your own design center Skoda. Below is his story and photo.

11 photos + text.

Mlada Boleslav - the city-factory. Center of the Czech automotive industry. Headquartered Empire Skoda. Her heart and head, if you want. I do not ernichat. Skoda for years of cooperation with the VAG has moved forward strongly. Hi-tech. Folksvagenovsky filling. Plants in four time zones. Own design center ... It was when I visited the other day.

Photo 1. The newest concept car VisionD, presented this spring in Geneva, alluding to the fact, in what direction will develop the design of new models of Skoda





At the entrance to the design center we were met by Joseph Wild boar - a new chief designer of Skoda. The first thing you hear from the lips of his minions - the chamber to pass, telephones - too. They are afraid of leaks.
- Tree sticks! And how to take the "process"? How to record the interview? We do not come to the secret base.
- Nothing nothing! After the show office, we give up everything. In the studio, you can take pictures.

Office - this is an old renovated three-storey house among the administrative buildings of the plant. It adjoins a fenced playground deaf high fence and a large hangar, where, in fact, is the studio. In the closed site designers arrange "impressions" in the open air - are seen as "playing" surface under natural light, "conjure" over the shades of lacquer. Immediately show the "secret" development focus groups and conduct polls ...

Photo 2.



Hangar Studio - the holy of holies. Here and going on the main action. This is the place where born, nurtured and materialize the idea. What is there just is not. Pencil sketches, colorful computer sketches, printed on a plotter. A wide variety of models of interiors and exteriors ... pens, pencils, clay, spatulas. Plates, computers. Multicolored "probes" lacquered. In general, merry. All for work. Is that not enough cubes and toys.

Photo 3. From 1 February 2008, Skoda new designer - Jozef Kaban. He joined Volkswagen in the late nineties. With the support of the group, he received his Master of Arts with a degree in automotive design. He participated in the creation of appearance Bugatti Veyron, and then moved to Audi, where he was responsible for the appearance of production cars and concepts



In the corner stands a "half-hearted" Octavia plasticine on a scale of one to one. Lepi - do not want. And here is the "draft" concept layout VisionD, his Skoda showed during the Geneva Motor Show.
- Do not look so rough that he made - said Kaban. This concept is a first approximation. This layout is even unbalanced! .. In Geneva, was presented a completely different VisionD - metal and plastic.

- The work of the designer is very innovative. His task is not just to draw interior and exterior - his work is multi-tasking. And it is to be linked in a single lot of conflicting things. Designers working in conjunction with others. They take into account the requirements of builders, ergonomists, aerodynamics engineers. In general, all "iron" should be put into the concept.

Photo 4.



- The perception of the brand - one of the key issues - continues to Joseph. At the Geneva Motor Show with a new logo and VisionD we introduced a new corporate identity of the company. A cleaner, more understandable, more open. And we think we've found the very vein identity, which the company will follow in the near future.

Now life Skoda important point. Folksvagenovsky technology - that's great, but today the market is saturated, picky buyers. And according to this, they need more than just four wheels, need emotional component. A strong emotional component, which would encourage the buyer to return again and again to the brand.

Photo 5.



- We believe that our success is that the team that works on appearance, multinational, continues Jozef Kaban. We have more than 20 nationalities. This is done in order to get the most versatile surroundings. Skoda expects to improve sales results in Russia, India and China. And for us it is very important to find the designers of these geographic areas. But we still want our "sound" was unique.

Photo 6. Paints, lacquers and decoration materials is engaged in the whole department, he was in close contact with the quality control department, working on standards Volkswagen



It is important to make it clear that Skoda - a Skoda. What is at least European design. But it is even better to have an association of motorists and geography. What = Czech Skoda. We always try to understand all of our potential users. This helps us to precisely exchange, professional exchange. We offer an opportunity to work with us to people from all geographical regions. And it is important to develop a global product vision.

Picture 7. Only the layout scale of 1: 1 makes it possible to understand how the car will look like in real life. Based layout - wood. Next comes the polyurethane "coat" over which suffered a thick layer of clay sculpture. Plasticine "milled" either by hand or special machine, according to a predetermined numerical models developed on the computer. Adjustment and finishing finishing usually made by hand. The final stage - the details and a special coating on the surface of the film, which simulates paint and glass



For us to be successful enough in the Czech market. We make our global project. Therefore, it is important to find common language with all nationalities. We want them to understand, want to become closer to them. You do not want to create products that will be a complete surprise to everyone in the negative sense of the word. Why would we?

And as part of our team reigns absolutely fantastic atmosphere, because people do not focus on their "gardens" and their national or personal preferences, and reduce your vision and work together. Which takes global proportions. We are much more tolerant and much more open to new things, than, say, mono-command.

Photo 8. The interior of the Skoda upper part dark - this rule. Upper black surface - a kind of shield, it is shading. There is nothing superfluous. Everything is done to ensure that the glasses do not reflect or blikovat. The front panel we always comfortable for visual and tactile perception. She seemed to surround the passenger



The backbone of the design team consists of Czech, Slovak and German designers. And that, in general, it is logical, since the Czech Republic and Slovakia were previously one country. After the merger with Volkswagen came to us by German designers, and now we are opening the doors to workers from the regions, which have the potential to sell our cars.

The methods that we use in the design, use all automakers. So we are not original. Thumbnails can be performed manually, pencils, markers, and using technologies of computer simulation ... Of course in the end everything comes to a digital model. We have over each of the projects working in parallel on several design groups. Each of the working groups as part of its proposed her concept. Thus, we synthesize several variations of the vision of the project. As you work, the less successful concepts and projects are eliminated, and freed designers to join other groups and continue to work, bringing their ideas and vision to other projects. So crystallized and polished our design. It's simple.

Photo 9. Another important part of the interior - it's the door. It is important that passengers feel comfortable. For Skoda typical that the doors are large pockets, compartments with practical place to put a bottle.



To achieve success in the design field, the concern should be run for at least five years, preferably ten. Previously, designers leave no sense. And if the designer does not work during this period - from five to ten years, then he most likely will go to work for another company. But most of all, after losing the first project people quit. The interior and exterior are prepared simultaneously. From the statement of the problem to develop before the final approval of the project, which eventually goes to series, it takes about three years.

Picture 10. Cargo space is also given a lot of attention. Together with linkers are trying to play as much as possible the volume of cargo. And while we do it is not like other car companies. We are not fighting for every corner and nook, which can not really be used. We try to maximize the total space used is. We do as much as possible the amount of simple geometry, and bring it to the shape of the box. Linkers are on top. And we do not need to hide behind alibis liters.



It seems the staff Cabana is not so easy to work with. Still affected by the weak roots of the brand. It's not Audi and not BMW. Right now, the company forges the concept, which will depend on success in the future. Czechoslovakia belonging to the socialist camp in the country's automotive industry is not the best way affected. The history of the brand is far from trivial, from Skoda were interesting developments and sporting past. But the decline of socialism Skoda compete with Western competitors were simply unable to. The trend for the global changes outlined in the early nineties with the disintegration of Czechoslovakia and the transition under the wing of Volkswagen's Skoda.

Picture 11.



- We look forward to a variety of markets, - says Joseph. To do this, you must meet two important conditions. The first to be recognized. The second, to be congenial to the greatest number of potential buyers. So that a person - is a serious matter. Skoda is moving forward and is ready with new powers to act in the international arena. By 2018 the company aims to increase sales at least twice!

Well, we wish success. For my part, I note Skoda almost all its competitors in terms of functionality and quality of performance puts the blades. Yeti and Roomster have unprecedented powers of transformation salon. Superb takes the amount of space provided. By the way, remember the fifth double-door hatchback version on patented Skoda! A similar idea is only at BMW GT. However, we must pay tribute to the design of the latest models is very controversial. Revolutionary face Roomster prevented its commercial success. And the car is beautiful, conceptual and practical. Bright appearance Yeti turns heads - it is either too like or do not like too. What does this mean? The nature. And once it is, it means the designers have tried not in vain.
Vitaly Kabyshev
Photo: Vitaly Kabyshev and Skoda

Finish!

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