Designworks is the BMW Group’s innovation studio and a world inventive consultancy that works throughout each design and expertise. They name themselves “Architects of Future” and concentrate on mobility, product and digital life design in addition to strategic design consulting. And at present BMW is celebrating 50 years of the model by trying again at a few of their best hits.
The previously impartial inventive studio was taken over by the BMW Group in 1995 and has acted as a driving drive behind a number of the model’s most revolutionary merchandise. However outdoors of BMW Design works additionally has quite a few giant variety of shoppers from a variety of industries, resembling IT and client electronics, aviation expertise, the medical and environmental sectors, and the life-style and sports activities industries.
The studio was based in 1972 in Malibu, California by Chuck Pelly and employs greater than 130 individuals. It stays a singular mannequin within the automotive trade. The idea is a straightforward one: collaboration with shoppers from completely different industries permits an outside-in perspective and revolutionary design options for the BMW Group. And the outcomes converse for themselves as you’ll be able to see under.













Official launch: BMW Designworks Celebrates 50 Years of Floor-Breaking Design
Designworks, the innovation studio of the BMW Group, is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. The consulting company for design and innovation was instrumental within the design improvement of the BMW X mannequin vary, performed a driving function within the design idea for the BMW i electrical model and is behind lots of the BMW Group’s visionary autos, such because the GINA Mild Visionary Mannequin.
With areas in Los Angeles, Munich and Shanghai and shoppers from varied industries, the studios present vital impulses on international, design-relevant phenomena to the corporate headquarters. Designworks was based in 1972 by US industrial designer Chuck Pelly in a storage in Malibu, California. It has been an entirely owned subsidiary of the BMW Group since 1995. The 130 creatives that make up the Designworks group see themselves as “Architects of future”.
The BMW Group’s recipe for fulfillment: the impartial revenue middle completes about half of its practically 300 initiatives a yr for the BMW Group, whereas the opposite half consists of collaborations with chosen exterior digital and mobility shoppers. This mannequin offers the BMW Group an outside-in perspective that’s distinctive within the trade. No different vehicle producer has a design studio that’s in any manner comparable.
Effectively positioned for the longer term: “Wonderful likelihood of being profitable”.
The most important problem within the coming years would be the transformation of the BMW Group and the complete automotive trade in the direction of electrification, digitalization and sustainability. Designworks might be alongside this transformation and gasoline it with sturdy, inventive and revolutionary concepts. Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, is optimistic in regards to the future: “This variation impacts the complete trade. We’ll want all our creativity and superior considering to search out one of the best options. The set-up we’ve with Designworks offers us a good chance of being profitable.”
From design shaping to new enterprise potential.
Designworks is concerned in lots of the BMW Group’s inner duties – from form design and technique improvement to figuring out new enterprise potential. Holger Hampf, Head of Designworks, says: “We work on options for complicated ecosystems on the intersection of design, mobility and expertise. Our job is to current the surprising strategy to an answer. Now we have to problem the BMW Group in a optimistic manner, develop concepts and, in one of the best case, reply questions that haven’t even been requested but.”
Working for all kinds of industries, Designworks has been concerned within the design ideas of seating furnishings, plane, underground rail, bicycles, boats, sporting items, air taxis (eVTOLs), agricultural and forestry equipment, a hyperloop and extra. The data and creativity switch additionally works in the wrong way: Gaining data from various initiatives with the mother or father firm, Designworks is ready to open up new design horizons for its exterior companions. The understanding of premium mobility, model differentiation below one company umbrella and the data of challenges within the innovation course of in giant corporations are sturdy arguments for exterior shoppers to work with the BMW Group subsidiary.
Antennas to the world.
Designworks is seen by the BMW Group as a helpful hyperlink to individuals, their needs and expectations far past the automotive context. As an vital innovation driver, the BMW Group entails its inventive “assume tank” in lots of difficult future initiatives.
To ensure, the groups by no means run out of revolutionary concepts, Designworks nourishes a tradition of inventive friction. By accepting friction as a part of the inventive course of, the groups consciously invite inventive stress that should be explored, examined and in the end resolved. This course of yields extra refined inventive output than one with a extra harmonious starting. The designers are satisfied: In a posh world, higher and extra significant options for the longer term emerge from opposing views and optimistic tensions within the inventive course of.
Superior Design: Solutions to beforehand unasked questions.
Within the BMW Group’s Superior Design, it’s the activity of the innovation subsidiary to lift and discover questions on the way forward for mobility that haven’t been requested. In doing so, the groups are to develop revolutionary approaches to subjects and issues that the BMW Group will not be but actively addressing. The intention is to be provocative – and to assume mobility off the overwhelmed path. “Designworks is ready to do that as a result of it always has its “eyes and ears” on the heartbeat of the instances at three areas, as Adrian van Hooydonk places it. “Superior Design offers us the inventive vitality we must be actually aggressive.”