1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: This episode of tech Stuff is sponsored by Nissan. Welcome 2 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: to tech Stuff a production from iHeartRadio. Hey there, and 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: an executive producer with iHeartRadio and How the tech are 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: you Now. I don't often spend much time on this 6 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: show talking about the actual design process when it comes 7 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: to tech. I might talk about discoveries and innovations, or 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: ways that people figured out how to take an innovation 9 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: and then make a product based on it. I've also 10 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: talked about how developments like three D printing aka additive 11 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: manufacturing have revolutionized tech by streamlining the process from going 12 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: from the concept to the physical. Mena festation of that concept, 13 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: But what goes into actually designing a product? So in 14 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: this episode, using our sponsor Nissan as the model, I 15 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: thought I would talk about the design process for a vehicle. 16 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: And just like your typical vehicle, there are a lot 17 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: of moving parts. Designers and engineers have to take into account, 18 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: everything from the technical specifications of the engine to the 19 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: ergonomics of the cabin. In some cases it might mean 20 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: tweaking an older design, and others it could literally be 21 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: a case of going back to the drawing board now, y'all. 22 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: I believe in being transparent with my episodes. When I 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: was approached with the opportunity to work with Nissan to 24 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: talk about the art and science of design, I got excited. 25 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: See the auto industry in general, a Nissan in particular, 26 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: have known that design is absolutely critical. You have to 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: create a design that resonates with people. And because we're 28 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: talking about a vehicle that carries real life human beings, 29 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: you need it to be safe. You need to be secure, 30 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: and you need it to be compelling. The experience of 31 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: using the technology needs to be a positive one. A 32 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: lot of us spend a whole lot of time in 33 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: our vehicles, and if that time is uncomfortable or unsatisfying, well, 34 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: that can translate into poor sales. When you consider how 35 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: much money goes into the development and then the manufacturing 36 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: of a vehicle, you start to see how large a 37 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: challenge it is to design something that checks all the boxes. Plus, 38 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie. Brie Larsen is a spokesperson for Nissan. 39 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: She hosts a lot of videos that give an overview 40 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: of the company's design philosophy and processes, and I hoped 41 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: I could land her for an episode of tech Stuff, 42 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: but it turns out she's busy with something called the Marvels. 43 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: So my plans to have her on the show while 44 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: I talk about how great she was, and Scott Pilgrim 45 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: kind of went nowhere. That being said, Bri, You're welcome 46 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: on the show anytime. So let's talk about design in Nissan. 47 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: So over the years we can see trends come and 48 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: go with the auto industry. Some of those trends might 49 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: seem kind of puzzling when viewed by today's driver. So, 50 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: for example, in the nineteen seventies and the nineteen eighties, 51 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: the years of my childhood, there was a tendency for 52 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: vehicles to have really boxy designs with lots of sharp 53 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: angles and flat surfaces. Finding a curve incorporated into a 54 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: vehicle in those days was rare unless you were looking 55 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: at luxury vehicles. It's not like cars from older generations 56 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: were all boxy. If you go further back, classic cars 57 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: had beautiful curves worked into them, So you might be 58 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: tempted to think that there was some practical reason for 59 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: the seventies and eighties vehicles to go with these sharp 60 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: angles and straight lines like maybe it was easier to 61 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: manufacture vehicles that way or something, but really a big 62 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: reason for the change was simply that in America, tastes 63 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: were changing. The boxy cars were bigger, with more interior space. 64 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: There wasn't so much concern about not taking up too 65 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: much room, and gas was cheap in the early seventies, 66 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: so there was less of a consumer push for vehicles 67 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: to have aerodynamic designs and to really emphasize things like 68 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: fuel economy. So we got an era of big, powerful, 69 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: boxy cars because that's what people wanted. However, toward the 70 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: second half of that span of time, the boxy cars 71 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: got a lot smaller because the world went through an 72 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: oil crisis. The story behind that is a complicated one. 73 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: But while the cars were smaller, they were still kind 74 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: of boxy, and it wasn't until the mid nineteen eighties 75 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: that companies began to introduce curved lines in car bodies 76 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: again for American drivers, and the change proved to be popular. 77 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: So one major part of design is common sense. You 78 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: need to design something that appeals to people. Now, maybe 79 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: you're following a trend, something that you already know people want, 80 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: because well, that's what they're buying already, or maybe you're 81 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: taking a risk and you're creating a design that is 82 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 1: outside the norm with the hope that your work will 83 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: become the new trend. In the tech world, we've seen 84 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: a few of these moments where a company introduces a 85 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: product that doesn't fit a mold, but then defines a 86 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: new mold. It is hard to do, but when it works, 87 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: buckle up. Of course, the design of a vehicle goes 88 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: beyond esthetics. There are practical considerations as well, whether it 89 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: is reducing drag to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting the size 90 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: because you plan to put a larger engine under the 91 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: hood and you can't do it if it's too small, 92 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: or you have this crazy idea to incorporate some of 93 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: the features of an suv into a sedan, something Nissan 94 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: has actually done in the past. Those decisions will guide 95 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: a lot of future decisions. It's a marriage of practicality 96 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: and art that goes into industrial design, then a balance that, 97 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: when it is done right, produces a vehicle that performs 98 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: in a delightful way while looking amazing. As it does 99 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: so with some models, just the appearance of the vehicle 100 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: gives you an impression of what it must be like 101 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: to drive it, or to paraphrase my buddy Carl, it's 102 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,119 Speaker 1: going fast, we'll stay in still still what is run deep? 103 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: But how the heck does this process all start? Well, 104 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: typically a vehicle starts in a way that might not 105 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: seem that exciting. It starts as a business plan. So 106 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: if you were to look at a vehicle at the 107 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: very earliest stages of development, you wouldn't see a vehicle 108 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: at all. You wouldn't see a picture, you wouldn't see 109 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: a sketch. What you would see would likely be a 110 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: spreadsheet with a whole bunch of numbers on it. But 111 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: those numbers represent a goal and the journey to that goal. 112 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: That's where all the cool stuff happens. One early consideration 113 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: designers must make is how the driver is going to 114 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: use this vehicle. What is the purpose of the vehicle itself, 115 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: apart from just taking someone from point A to point B. 116 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: Is it meant to be a commuter car? Where someone's 117 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: going to be taking this vehicle every single day to 118 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: and from work and shopping and entertainment and all sorts 119 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: of things. Is it something that's designed for off road adventures? 120 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: A vehicle that needs a lot of cargo space. These 121 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: are questions that will guide teams of designers. They land 122 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: a little bit more on the practical side of considerations, 123 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: and they guide designers so that they can follow the 124 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: best path, one that doesn't compromise on the vehicle's purpose. 125 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: But that's a pretty broad set of guidelines. Beyond that, 126 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: designers look at all sorts of objects to get inspiration 127 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: for a vehicle's design. For example, when designing the twenty 128 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: twenty three Nissan Z a sports car, Nissan's team looked 129 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: at the curves of a samuraized sword as part of 130 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: their inspiration. They saw how light would play across the 131 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: blade and use that to guide them when designing part 132 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: of the vehicle's body. And knowing that this was a 133 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: starting point, and then looking at the finished product of 134 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,079 Speaker 1: a twenty twenty three Nissan Z, you can actually see 135 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: where that fits in with the car's design. If you 136 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: look at an image of the Nissan Z, you're looking 137 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: at it from the side, and you focus on the 138 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: silver roof element that's on the side of the vehicle, 139 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: the one that extends from the A pillar on the 140 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: side and then goes all the way down past the 141 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: back window. You see the katana blade there, that's what 142 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: it was modeled after. But the designers also incorporated an 143 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: interesting element that occurs in nature and has a surprising 144 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: tendency to pop up again and again, and they put 145 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: that into the Nissan Z and that was the golden ratio. 146 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: But what the heck does that mean? Well, let's say 147 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: you've got two objects. You have object A and you 148 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: have object B. A is larger than B, and we 149 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: can express the difference in size as a ratio. Now, 150 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: we could do that if things were really simple, in 151 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: a very easy way. So if A were twice the 152 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: size of B, we would say A is to B, 153 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: but it is not to B. Wait, what's the question? 154 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: Before I go on a hamlet tangent, let me get 155 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: back to the golden ratio. So the ratio is not 156 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: two times. Rather, the ratio is one point six ' 157 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: one eight zero, three, three, nine, and then a bunch 158 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: of numbers extending into infinity forever endeavor. But what is 159 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: special about this particular ratio. Well, if you take object 160 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: A and you compare it to object B, and you say, 161 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: object A is this ratio times as large as object B? 162 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: That's one thing. If you add A and B together 163 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: to create a larger object. Something really interesting happens because 164 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: you get a new object. Let's say object A plus B, 165 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,719 Speaker 1: which we will rename as objects C. This is the 166 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: larger one that represents the combination of the first two. 167 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: If we combine object C with the original object A, 168 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: we'll see that same ratio holds true that A is 169 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: to B as A plus B is to A. And 170 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: you can repeat this. You can do this over and over. 171 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: You can add A to C and you create an 172 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 1: even larger object D, and D will have this same 173 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: ratio relationship to C. So this mathematic curiosity inspired countless 174 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: philosophers throughout antiquity to pursue all sorts of paths while 175 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: exploring this ratio and its implications. And it also inspired 176 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: artists to incorporate this ratio into their works. And you 177 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: can find the golden ratio represented in many different artistic endeavors, 178 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: from tilework to architecture. And in the twenty twenty three 179 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: Nissan z the designers purposefully built elements of the vehicle 180 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: to be in alignment with the golden ratio because for 181 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: centuries it's been thought of as esthetically pleasing. Now you 182 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't notice this without someone pointing it out. Unnless 183 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 1: you happen to be one of those ancient philosophers who 184 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: are absolutely gaga about maths. But it does make a difference. 185 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: It makes an impact, even if you cannot articulate why 186 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: it does. Now, before you start getting into specifics like 187 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: a katana blade or the golden ratio, you have to 188 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: work out your ideas, and designers typically start with a sketch. 189 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: That sketch could be old school. There's some designers who 190 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 1: use paper and pencils to create their sketches. They will 191 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: start off with basic shapes and they'll refine their ideas 192 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: from there. They'll add color, they might even add some effects, 193 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: like create some little blurder lines in the back to 194 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,959 Speaker 1: give the impression of a vehicle in motion. Or they 195 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: might start with something much more high tech, like a 196 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: waycom tact and they'll create a digital two dimensional sketch 197 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: of their ideas. But generally speaking, the first visually appealing 198 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: part of the design process is a two dimensional sketch. 199 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: This initial sketch is really just a starting point, and 200 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: the designer will likely go through many versions before honing 201 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: in on what will be the actual design to be 202 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: used as the generative element for the whole vehicle. In fact, 203 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: the early finished sketches can be abstract. They might give 204 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 1: a sense of shapes and colors, of lines and reflective surfaces. 205 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: They're there to impart a feeling that this car was 206 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: meant to go fast, or this car is meant to 207 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: take you on an adventure. Ideally, the sketch marries form 208 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: and function. It looks like the type of vehicle that 209 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: will take your breath away but also be perfectly suited 210 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: for its intended purpose. Those sketches aren't just for car 211 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: exteriors either. Artists will also sketch out cabin interiors and 212 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: the like, giving a hint at the color schemes, the materials, 213 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: the positioning of controls, the ergonomics of the car's interior. 214 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: These sketches can also hint at what the driving experience 215 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: is aiming for. So what happens after this flurry of sketches, Well, 216 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: we'll get to that after we take this quick break 217 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor. So we've created a 218 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: bunch of sketches. Where do we go from here? The 219 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: design team has to select which sketch is really going 220 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: to be representative of where this vehicle is headed from 221 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: a design perspective, of course, and then it's time to 222 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: hand that over to a three dimensional design team. To 223 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: be clear, everyone on the design team is three dimensional. 224 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: I just mean this particular team specializes in creating virtual 225 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: three dimensional models. So it's their job to take this 226 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: two dimensional sketch and, using software like ALIAS, build out 227 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: a virtual three dimensional model. These tools, these software pieces 228 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: are collaborative and they include computer assist features, and they 229 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: make it much easier to adjust a design, which allows 230 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,359 Speaker 1: the team to iterate quickly and even pivot if necessary. 231 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: So if it turns out that something that was in 232 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: the original sketch is impractical or impossible, they can make 233 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: adjustments to that without going all the way back to 234 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: the beginning. The virtual three dimensional model can be viewed 235 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: on a computer screen. It can be imported into an 236 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: environment where someone can don a VR headset and carry 237 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: a controller, and then can virtually walk around the model 238 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: and see what it would look like in person. The 239 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: three dimensional model has to accommodate for all the technical 240 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: requirements of this vehicle, so it's not just the aesthetics. 241 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: It has to also be there to allow for things 242 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: like the powertrain for the vehicle that has to be 243 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: built into this model as well. And design software has 244 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: really come a long way over the years, so these 245 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: days this software can simulate all sorts of lighting conditions, 246 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: for example, so designers can actually see what a vehicle 247 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: would look like at noon or at sunset, or in 248 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: the light of street lamps. You can even export designs 249 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: so that they can be milled out of clay or 250 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: foam and create a real world three dimensional model based 251 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: on this virtual computer model. Now, just because you can 252 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: have a milling machine guided by computers cut out the 253 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: basic shape of a vehicle in a block of clay 254 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that sculptors. Human sculptors don't play an important 255 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: part too. They do. A milling machine can reduce an 256 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: enormous block of clay to a vehicle design, but it's 257 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: the team of sculptors who come in to refine that 258 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: rough cut into something special. They use tools that are 259 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: descended from centuries of artistry and by hand. They use 260 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:27,479 Speaker 1: these tools to shape that model, to define edges, to 261 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: create curved surfaces, to use site and touch to get 262 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: the feel of the vehicle just right, something that a 263 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: machine can't do. They work as a team to reach 264 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: the goal envisioned in those early sketches, to create something 265 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: that people will want to interact with. So while the 266 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: clay model might begin with a computer, the human artists 267 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: are the ones to mold the vehicle from there. Interestingly, 268 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: after this step, it's time to get the vehicle designed 269 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: back into the virtual realm. Nissan uses sophisticated optical scanners 270 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: to get a precise three D model of the sculpted clay. 271 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: So we start with a two dimensional sketch, we go 272 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: to a virtual three dimensional model. We then go to 273 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: a real world three dimensional model from clay that then 274 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: gets reshaped and refined by artists, and then we scan 275 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: that to create a new virtual three dimensional model. Eventually, 276 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: this design process narrows in on what will be the 277 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 1: final design, and the information that was used to create 278 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: that finalized virtual model then can be used for the 279 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: actual manufacturing process. The stamping dies and the production molds 280 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: that are used in manufacturing can come from this data. 281 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: There are other departments that also play an integral role 282 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: in determining what the finished vehicle is going to look 283 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: like and how it will perform. This also includes things 284 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: like color design. These teams elect the colors that will 285 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: give the vehicle its own personality. That includes both the 286 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: exterior and the interior colors, with a guiding principle being harmony, 287 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: a harmony between the intent of the vehicle and its appearance. 288 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: A car that's meant to thrill needs to have a 289 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: color palette to match. After all, that also includes the 290 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: actual materials used for the interior. How are they going 291 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: to feel, how is it going to look, how are 292 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: they going to capture color? How will they reflect light? 293 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: All of these considerations play a part and ideally are 294 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: in alignment with the intent the purpose of this vehicle. 295 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: It's pretty remarkable how every decision in the design process 296 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: has to do several things. It's like having multiple bosses 297 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: and you have to please all of them because the 298 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: design needs to meet the requirements of that initial business plan. 299 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: It needs to perform in a specific way depending upon 300 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: the intended function of the vehicle. It needs to evoke 301 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: an emotion, It needs to be esthetically pleasing. If the 302 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: process fails in any of these duties, it can mean 303 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: going back to the drawing board, sometimes literally. So a 304 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:22,360 Speaker 1: quick word about the twenty twenty three models Nissan has designed, 305 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: because I think it's fun to know what sort of 306 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: influenced the designers as they worked in those early stages, 307 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: as they sketched and three D modeled and sculpted. I 308 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: already mentioned that the Z, Nissan's sports car, incorporates the 309 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: Katana as part of the vehicle's design. There's also the Frontier, 310 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 1: a truck that with a grill that took inspiration from 311 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: warrior helmets, which I think is amazing, this idea of 312 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: really being able to tackle the world like a warrior 313 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: in this in this truck. And then there's the Aria, 314 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: which Kon says followed a Japanese concept of welcoming openness. 315 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: The Aria is a crossover vehicle. It's an all electric 316 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: suv with really cool inset button controls that light up 317 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: on the interior surfaces of the car. Honestly, as I 318 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: watched video demonstrations of the vehicle, it made it seem 319 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: like you're in a spacecraft. I really really dug it. 320 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: I really want to be inside one. I have not 321 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: actually set foot in an Aria yet. So in their 322 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three models, Nissan's goal was to create designs 323 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: that impart the feeling of what it must be like 324 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: to drive those vehicles before you even opened a door, 325 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: let alone turned it on. By the time a car 326 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: rolls off the production line, dozens of people have played 327 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:52,400 Speaker 1: a critical part in the vehicle's look, feel, and operation, 328 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: all aligned with this goal of imparting a specific emotional 329 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: response the thrill of driving. To me, this entire process 330 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: is incredibly inspiring because it's going from the psychology of 331 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: human beings, how we react when we see something that 332 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: appeals to us. It also incorporates both traditional and modern 333 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: techniques for design, everything from shaping clay to using additive processing. 334 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: Three D printing can play a big part as you're 335 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: printing out specific components to see how they fit in 336 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 1: with the overall concept of a vehicle. It's this marriage 337 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: of the traditional and the modern that I find really interesting. 338 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: It isn't all about let's abandon the old way because 339 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: we have a new way. It's how do these things 340 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: work together in harmony to produce the result that we 341 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: have intended. And in the case of Nissans vehicles, it 342 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: really makes a lot of sense because you start to 343 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: see where that appeal really comes through, and you realize, 344 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: if we left this all up to automated processes, we 345 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't end up with anything even remotely as esthetically 346 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: pleasing and thrilling as what we get through the marriage 347 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: of all of these methodologies working together. I want to 348 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: thank Nissan for sponsoring this episode. It's always fun to 349 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: really take into consideration what has to happen for a 350 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 1: product to come together. Often I just look at how 351 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: the product works and the various technologies that allow it 352 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: to work, without really considering how did teams decide what 353 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: that product would look like and how it would feel 354 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: to use it. So putting myself in that mindset, it's 355 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: a bit of a stretch, and you know what, we 356 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: could all use a stretch now and then in the 357 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: middle of the day. Thanks for listening to this episode. 358 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: Hope you enjoyed it. I will talk to you again 359 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: really soon. Tech Stuff is an iHeartRadio production. For more 360 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 361 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.