Is BMW different from other auto makers in the way it manages car design?
We brief the entire design team on every new project. All projects are open to everyone. Some are told to submit sketches. Some have projects going, but they’re free to submit too if they have time. We want to keep all design projects open to all designers. We don’t want to have a “3 Series studio” like some car companies, where all they do is a certain model, where three junior people sit but only the studio chief designs. You can imagine which setup is more motivating. Our approach gets people to do their best. They stretch themselves because there’s so much more to gain. We ask designers for a complete car—not just a headlamp. The winner takes all. BMW doesn’t use consumer clinics to vet new designs. What’s the logic there? Consumers always will give an opinion based on what they know—they can say what they like or don’t like today. What we’re really asking ourselves today is what cars should be like in 2010. BMW embraces risk. It knows that risk comes with the territory. It’s too s
