Young design team points new direction for GM in China

General Motors' design team in China has leveraged cutting-edge facilities and technologies, with a significant input from local young talent, aiming to foster customer-centered thinking and deliver technology-empowered solutions for future mobility.

The GM China Advanced Design Center, established in 2012, upgraded its facilities and expanded its team in 2021, helping GM transform toward an all-electric brand.

It has launched a series of technological innovations for design processes, from sketching and clay modeling to the final project review, by using interactive visualization tools, such as mixed reality and virtual reality.

This includes the use of mixed reality in a universal seating buck, a vehicle configurator and glasses-free 3D review application.

The tools have helped to enhance work efficiency and synergy among GM's global design teams.

As one of the four of GM's advanced design centers worldwide, the Shanghai-based studio serves as a leading tastemaker for the company's future products, according to Michael Simcoe, senior vice-president of GM Global Design, who delivered a speech via a video last week on a media event.

"China's booming electric vehicle market, coupled with consumers' strong desire for new technologies, has afforded GM's designers a unique opportunity to revolutionize personal mobility," Simcoe said.

The Shanghai studio introduced some in-process projects last week, each of which aims to predict, demonstrate and tap into design trends and synthesize market-facing insights that may inspire GM's portfolio over the next five to 10 years, according to Stuart Norris, design vice-president of GM China and GM International.

Each project draws insights from the Chinese market, inspiring design innovation and meeting GM's global needs, Norris said.

One of the projects carried out by the studio is Proxima, which means next in Portuguese.

Proxima and its name embody the studio's commitment to designing for the next generation in China, said Mia Min, head of the project.

It is the first major accomplishment since the Shanghai studio's transformation toward EV design in 2021, while it just demonstrates design trends and will not be mass produced.

Designed on a new electric vehicle architecture, Proxima reimagines flagship sedan proportions, enhances interior space and offers a homey in-cabin experience, tailoring for China's technology-centered market, Min said.

Also, the project involves young designers, who have played crucial roles in GM advanced design projects, helping the brand establish an emotional connection with China's future EV buyers.

According to Norris, the Shanghai studio's workforce is predominantly comprised of the post-1990 generation, with an average age of just 33, which offers a valuable internal viewpoint for interpreting the emerging EV consumer group in China.