Lifestyle, Field, Past... Sources of Ideas Highlighted by Hyundai Motor's Design Chief

Vice President Sangyeop Lee Delivers Keynote Speech on 'Customer-Centered Design'

"When designing with a customer-centric approach, we consider multiple axes together. We aim to achieve technological advancement by gathering insights from customers' lifestyles, the actual usage sites by users, and our DNA code."

Lee Sang-yeop, Vice President in charge of Hyundai Genesis Global Design, said this on the 23rd at the 2024 Korea Future Mobility Expo Conference held at Daegu EXCO. Delivering the keynote speech on the theme of ‘Customer-Centric Design,’ Vice President Lee stated, "Developing, advancing, and sharing technologies that encompass all customers, including the elderly, disabled, and children, is Hyundai Motor Group’s vision of ‘Progress for Humanity,’ and our design starts here."

Lee Sang-yeop, Vice President of Hyundai Genesis Global Design, is delivering the keynote speech at the Korea Future Mobility Expo held at Daegu EXCO on the 23rd.
[Photo by Korea Automobile Journalists Association]

First, he said, "Consumers' lifestyles have evolved through the COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "When designing sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in the 1980s and 1990s, the focus was on outdoor activities, but now the trend has shifted to urban SUVs that can be used both in the city and outdoors."

He cited Hyundai’s new Santa Fe as a car reflecting this design change. It is said to reflect the widely known car camping culture such as ‘chabak (car + lodging).’ He explained, "With a ‘boxy (square-shaped)’ feel, the tailgate was significantly enlarged to increase cargo space by 20%," adding, "The size of the door opening was extended by 250 mm compared to before, making it easier to load more luggage and tents when opened."

Regarding design that starts from the field, he introduced a case where design center employees experienced working at moving centers and delivery centers last summer to design the commercial vehicle Porter. Vice President Lee said, "Porter, a true purpose-built vehicle (PBV) for small business owners, is a future-type vehicle used in various businesses," and added, "To understand customers who spend 8 to 18 hours a day inside the vehicle, we ate together, learned, and worked alongside them."

He continued, "As a result, we were able to discover customer needs that could never have been thought of in the office," adding, "This is design that starts on-site and works together with users."

Pony Coupe Concept Restoration Model Released Last Year
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

He also mentioned that the legacy built in the early days of the company is an important pillar in the design process. He cited the Pony Coupe concept as an example. The Pony was launched in 1975 as Korea’s first independent model, but the derivative model Pony Coupe did not lead to actual mass production. Vice President Lee explained, "The spirit of Pony continues with the dedicated electric vehicle Ioniq 5, and the dream of mass-producing the Pony Coupe continues with the sports car ‘N Vision 74,’" adding, "Because we had the past, we can draw the picture of the future."

He also added that while the design process is customer-oriented, it does not assume that customers know everything. He quoted past remarks from famous entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford, founder of Ford, who said, ‘If I had asked people what they needed, they would have said faster horses, not cheaper cars,’ and Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO, who said, ‘Most people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.’

Vice President Lee said, "What is important when making products is to find the hidden stories and latent needs that customers are not aware of, and I consider these ‘latent needs’ a crucial part."

Lee Sang-yeop, Vice President in charge of Hyundai Genesis Global Design, is delivering the keynote speech at the Korea Future Mobility Expo held at Daegu EXCO on the 23rd.
[Photo by Korea Automobile Journalists Association]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.