After the Japanese automotive logo introduced a new virtual identity last month, we’re talking to your design team about an electricity-focused future.
In July, Nissan unveiled its first new logo in 20 years, which sought to link the brand’s legacy to the “digital world”. The updated identity coincided with the announcement of the brand’s first all-electric crossover SUV, the Ariya. In the car, the redesigned flat logo is illuminated through 20 LEDs symbolizing a “new chapter” of Nissan’s evolution, the car manufacturer said.
Mike Lavigne, Nissan’s head of delight in strategy and design, told Design Week that identity is a component of the company’s long-term virtual expansion. He leads a London-based team in the “end-to-end” virtual delight for Nissan drivers, from cellular programs to equipment used in car dealerships. The purpose is to make virtual fun as “distinctive” as the cars themselves, he says.
The last commission was a virtual car, an online simulation that sought to present the Ariya and its characteristics to the world. The task began in October 2019, when Ariya’s concepts debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show, with a new design language for Nissan: “Enduring Japanese Futurism”. The motto sums up the “tension” between Nissan’s enduring Japanese culture and the brand’s future-oriented elements, Lavigne says. Nissan considers itself a “challenging” brand, targeting its 2011 electric car, the Nissan Leaf.
The Ariya’s “timeless” design includes the “skyline lines” on the car interface. The horizon lies in Japanese and Nissan culture and inspiration for the logo logo. Kumiko patterns (a type of Japanese wood block) were also presented in the car, accented through bright lighting and a coppery color palette. These elements are contrasted through technological innovation, such as a button that drivers can touch to get the vehicle to drive on the roads.
The two most demanding situations for the release of the branch were to publicize those features, as well as translate Nissan’s new design language. A useful facet of virtual release is that it conveys themes that are difficult to perceive in a way that simply reading about them does not, says Lavigne. On the website, you must drag buttons to activate the virtual car functions, which is similar to Lavigne’s concept of “learning through practice” and also mimics the horizon lines discovered in the car design. There are also visual animations on how the car can drive itself in dual carriageway lanes.
Virtual product launches are becoming more common. VanMoof Electric Motorcycles had a virtual launch before this year, while some car brands have virtual showrooms to showcase the models. These product launches are obviously even more applicable given the ongoing COVID restrictions. While the concept of a virtual release had begun last year, the crash meant it had a much more “specific” assignment for Nissan, Adds Lavigne.
Nissan painted with virtual firm Publicis Sapient in the virtual car. The project’s artistic director, Jude Gay of Publicis Sapient, told Design Week that it is a challenge to the release timeline. While the design paints in progress for virtual launch, the features of the actual car had not yet been completed. To solve this problem, the team created a “picture box design” built around pillars, such as Nissan’s new motto, as well as more summed concepts to repair a sense of “humanity” in driving.
This resulted in a more flexible and human-centered technique for presenting the Ariya, rather than focusing on the characteristics that was sold through ‘moments’. Gay explains that the focus was on how the car helps the day’s driving forces. Instead of simply presenting the technology, it highlights real-life scenarios. An example that gives: “The car knows that the driving force can rise at 6:30 and that you leave at 7, but it has no blood and the car heats up.”
Lavigne expects the virtual car to be the “new reference experience” for Nissan’s virtual launch. Design language, visuals, and principles are now implemented in all long-term projects. He says other people have interacted with the virtual car and Nissan has followed the moments that resonate to the fullest with consumers. The two most popular are the demonstration of the indoor living room and the “connected experience”. Explains that these are two features that consumers don’t have much data on today, suggesting that virtual releases are a smart way for consumers to become familiar with new concepts.
Where is a long-term virtual launch of auto retail? The virtual car will be more “sophisticated,” Lavigne says. Customers will be able to “build” an Ariya online and see the levels in terms of customization and pricing. In the long run, Lavigne needs to make this grocery purchase delight in Nissan’s popular. Although this accelerated during the pandemic, there was already a plan to make “buying food for a home” a priority for the automaker.
Lavigne says you can still incorporate the maximum classic elements of buying a car, such as contact with car dealers. “We will have a physical presence, but the appearance of that presence may differ,” he says. The challenge is that the percentage of consumers who buy groceries online is only increasing. “More broadly, the challenge is to take an incredibly tactile product and make it realistic and tangible online,” he says.
If done right, other people will be able to get in their new car and know how to paint the parts without reading the owner’s manual, wait Lavigne. Clearly, technology will play a key role in this regard. Recently, Nissan has an augmented reality app that allows other people to solve their car’s problems; for example, it explains what the icons on the board mean. It also cites audits as inspiration for IKEA’s RA application, IKEA Place, which allows other people to leave furniture styles in the house based on their length and context. One option for Nissan would be to show what a car style looks like on other people’s driveways, Lavigne suggests.
The “basic” expectation of a connected car is that cell phones adhere to the vehicle’s formula for paying attention to music. But Lavigne says the team is interested in “the total eco formula.” How do you connect a car to your phone, home and total life? Technology brings more “joy” and “confidence,” he says. One option is that the EV shows how “connected” the world can be. This may show a hike you can do for part of an hour near an exercise station while the car is recharging, for example.
The Ariya also has a “smart steering planner” that calculates when drivers deserve to rate their car, based on the remaining load and how their vehicle works (based on elements such as heating). Amazon Alexa will also be incorporated into your own car so you can heat your home from your car and vice versa.
Beyond connectivity, Nissan hopes that virtual expansion can lead to a replacement in the way electric cars are perceived. While the ecological facets of electric cars are clear, there are still doubts about practical problems such as operating and loading times and maintenance costs. Nissan will need to find a way to reduce this uncertainty if it hopes to meet its commitment to launch 8 natural electric vehicle models by 2023.
Lavigne says it’s a “design challenge.” “The only way to get others to switch to electric cars and reap the benefits to society is to design reports like the virtual car that makes electric cars tactile, exciting and easy to understand.”
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