Imagining the future and cultivating new talent. This is what drives the SAIC Design International Challenge, the competition organised by the Chinese giant and now in its thirteenth edition. Shao Jingfeng, Chief Design Officer of SAIC Motor R&D Innovation Headquarters, highlighted how almost half the young creatives now working for the company began their journey through this contest. “Our ultimate ambition? To elevate Chinese design into a global benchmark for the next hundred years of our company’s history”, Shao says. Over 200 projects were submitted to this year’s challenge, created by designers from over 60 universities around the world.

Gu Xirao, Luxun Academy of Fine Arts – First place

The first prize went to Gu Xirao from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. This rising talent won over the jury with a project that translated the theme “Diversity and Symbiosis”, and the spirit of the Roewe brand, into a compelling narrative. Gu Xirao presented two concept vehicles: the Wen Tian, designed for astronauts on space missions, and the Tan Lu, designed for those who spend much of their daily lives on the road. The interior of the Wen Tian is based on the idea of a second home in orbit, with sweeping glass surfaces for stargazing, and interior finishes inspired by galactic patterns: the aim was to transform the astronauts’ workplace into a comfortable space while preserving a visual connection to the Earth.

Xin Fengming, Jiling University – Second place

Chen Hao, Shanghai Jao Tong University – Second place tied

The Tan Lu project, by contrast, takes the opposite approach, merging aerospace imagery into urban mobility. The vehicle features textures reminiscent of the lunar surface and an infotainment system that allows passengers to follow space operations live. Its aim is to make technology more accessible and engaging, transforming the daily commute into an experience symbolically linked to the concept of exploration.

European winners

Hanil Kim, Coventry University – First place

Joseph Metni, RCA – Second place

Will Howells, Coventry University – Third place

Second prize went to Xin Fengming of Jilin University and Chen Hao of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the honour being presented by Zhang Liang and Yu Jingmin Board Members of SAIC Passenger Vehicle. Their project – focusing respectively on the coexistence of autonomous vehicles and pedestrians, and on new modular spaces for shared mobility – explored the role young designers play in addressing issues of sustainability, safety and social transformation.

CeCentre photo, Shao Jingfeng, Chief Design Officer of SAIC Motor R&D Innovation Headquarters; on the right, Jozef Kaban, Vice President of SAIC Design; Carl Gotham, Design Director SAIC Advanced Design London, left.

Chinese design colleges teachers group

A small car with immense potential, the K-Car is typically Japanese with really compact overall dimensions (3400x1480x2000 mm). Could it also be an effective answer to the mobility needs of European urban areas in the near future?
The students of the Transportation Design course at the IED in Turin have been trying to answer this question in their theses in collaboration with Suzuki, which focused this year’s brief on the concept of a European K-Car for 2035.
“This project provided students with an important opportunity to work their way round the constraints presented by a predetermined package, an increasingly rare situation in the thesis phase where there is often a tendency to leave students maximum freedom of expression at the expense of their problem-solving skills. Finding the right balance between creativity and limitations is in fact an extremely useful training experience, especially when they have a job in mind”, explained Michele Albera, course coordinator who, together with lecturer Fulvio Fantolino, guided the students in how they defined and developed their proposals.

‘To Do’ by Irene Bonino, Matteo Capezzuoli, Gianmarco Engelbrecht, Gabriele Fioretto, Giulio Romano

This design responds to the desires of Generation Alpha (i.e. people born in 2012 and thereafter) characterised by sleek, flowing shapes that merge seamlessly into a large customisable rear sphere, much like selecting skins in popular video games. Thanks to the four electric motors on the wheels, the living space can be laid out to accommodate all the interior elements, these too inspired by the world of gaming, such as the seats that can be rotated towards the virtual screen and the steering wheel that transforms into a joystick.

‘Ma’ by Lorenzo Benzoni, Marco Picchi, Riccardo Tulino, Gloria Vida

A two-seater spider that looks back nostalgically to the golden age of the motor car, when the fascination of engines was undisputed and passion guided the end user’s approach.This iconic, minimalist design can be customised using the countless options that the customer can add over the course of time, rather than when the purchase is made, to fit in with evolving tastes and needs.

‘Maru’ by Jungtaek Cho, Yu-Li Tsai, Szymon Piotr Zakielarz

Agile and compact, this multi-purpose vehicle is ideal for urban mobility (of people and goods), but also for short trips and journeys in the countryside. The dynamic and transformable layout, inside and out, is built around three key concepts: reciprocity, stimulating the connection between people and their surroundings; adaptability, thanks to the multiple charging options and accessories for every type of journey; and the absence of constraints, guaranteed by its crossover nature.

‘Suzu_K’ by Matteo Bego, Mattia Chiodo, Gabriele Lattanzi, Damiano Micciché

This design is inspired by the arcade gaming stations of the 1990s, not only in terms of its shape, but also to evoke the playful and immersive experience they introduced. To add character and originality to the car’s sculpted and rigorous aesthetic, the team incorporated clear references to Pac-Man, one of the most iconic video games of all time.

‘Toki’ by Roberto Baio, Luca Carlino, Andrea De Marinis, Fabrizio Negro, Gabriele Rossetto

Compact shapes, optimised proportions and friendly styling are the ingredients of this concept that revolves around finding the right balance between work and play. The cute expression – given by the circular front headlights – characterises the front, while the interior is defined by how the space is organised. The attention to the customization possibilities presupposes three available setups.

(Full article in A&D no. 269)

The yacht design world is rapidly evolving, and the contamination with other design areas, now increasingly common, increases experimentation and stimulates research. With this in mind, IED in Turin launched the Master’s programme in Yacht Design at the beginning of 2022 with the coordination of Federica Bertolini, Design Director of Azimut Benetti Group, and designer Michele Albera, whom we met at the conclusion of the first year of the course.

“It was a very interesting experience that allowed our students to deal with two customers. On the one hand, Rossinavi, one of the most innovative brands in today’s nautical industry, and on the other, Poltrona Frau, a symbol of craftsmanship and Made in Italy tradition”, he says. “The development of the end-of-course theses involved students in a comprehensive and realistic work that took into consideration all key aspects in the conception and design of a “one-off” yacht, taking as a reference a famous character as the fictional boat owner”.

Twelve young people were involved from educational backgrounds in Architecture, Interior Design and Graphic Design who worked on three projects divided into teams of four followed by the coordinators and faculty involved, together with: Federico Rossi, Rossinavi COO at Rossinavi and Marco Gaspari, Head of Sales, Contract & Marine Business Unit of Poltrona Frau.

“Hermione” inspired by the actress Emma Watson

A fascinating and original proposal, attentive to Rossinavi’s styles, but oriented toward their future evolution. Here every detail was designed ad hoc, from the surfaces to the technical elements and interiors, for which the students designed a veritable furniture collection. Interesting attention paid to the role of light and lighting design that complements the concept.

“Inception” inspired by the actor Leonardo di Caprio

The broadside with the eye-shaped glazing is certainly the highlight of this project, an unexpected and spectacular aesthetic solution, particularly in the nighttime solution with the luminous frame emphasising the element in the dark. The spa and sauna with distinctive furnishings, the feng shui-inspired elements, and the introduction of gardens, unusual on boats, make this a sophisticated and original proposal.

“Halley” inspired by the racing driver Sebastian Vettel

More traditional in its management of space, both externally and internally, this proposal is a tribute to sportiness. It places emphasis on a style strongly influenced by automotive design, with a sharp, taut bow that gives rise to aggressive, streamlined lines that generate the architecture and characterise its proportions.

(Full article in A&D n. 259)