One of the "four centers" of the "Ford China 2.0" strategy, the new Ford China Design Center was officially opened in Shanghai
As Ford's latest global design center, it has the ability to design the whole process from design trend research, interior and exterior design, color material design, digital interaction experience design to digital model and full-size clay model production, becoming the only full-featured vehicle design center in downtown Shanghai
In addition to the design center, ford China Dx Hub "Fookron Valley" also includes a number of cutting-edge innovation teams such as intelligent networking and digital experience team, frontier trend research team and electrification team, which will further improve the efficiency of cross-departmental collaborative innovation
The new Ford China Design Center aims to attract more design talents with a global perspective and local experience, and focuses on designing and developing future products for the Chinese market and leading global trends
With the opening of the new design center, a new generation of Ford Mondeo is also officially unveiled, showing Ford's pioneering and innovative spirit in the design field with the latest "potential energy aesthetics" design language
The latest milestone in the Ford China 2.0 blueprint, the new Ford China Design Center, was officially opened today at the Ford China Dx Hub "Fortron Valley" in Shanghai. As one of the "four centers" in the "Ford China 2.0" strategy, the new Ford China Design Center, together with the Ford China Product Center, the Ford China New Energy Center and the Ford China Innovation Center, provides strong support for the Ford brand to continue to promote brand transformation in the world's largest automotive market.
As Ford's newest design center in the world, the new Ford China Design Center with complete design and development capabilities aims to integrate the essence and experience of product design accumulated by Ford for a century with the commitment of "More Ford, More China", integrate the latest technology and in-depth insight into Chinese consumers, and the "four centers" efficiently collaborate to create future products that lead the global trend with Chinese efficiency.
Ford China Design Center Ford China Dx Hub "Foton Valley" located in the heart of Shanghai
Ford China Dx Hub "Foton Valley" first floor lobby
To celebrate the official opening of the new design center, Ford China also unveiled a new generation of Mondeo in the new "potential energy aesthetics" design language for the world' premiere, ushering in a new start to 2022.
Add design innovation to create amazing products for Chinese consumers
The new Ford China Design Center has the ability to design and develop products for the Chinese market, from design trend research, interior and exterior styling design, color material design, digital interaction experience design to digital model and full-size clay model production. It was upgraded from Ford China Forward Design Studio to include a full-scale sludge model workshop and judging hall with world-class facilities, the only full-featured design center in downtown Shanghai.
Full-size sludge model workshop
In addition to the design center, Ford China Dx Hub "Fuchuang Valley" also includes a number of cutting-edge innovation teams such as intelligent networking and digital experience team, cutting-edge trend research team and electrification team, and collaborates with the product center in Nanjing to further improve the efficiency of cross-departmental collaboration and innovation.
Cantilever sludge milling machine
Leading design concepts, high standards of facilities, and efficient cross-departmental collaboration mean that design teams can realize the complete process from sketches to full-size clay models under one roof. Ford Chinese designers can take full advantage of virtual reality and augmented reality to perform more tests before developing clay models and refine digital modeling. The sludge model workshop has the most advanced high-precision cantilever sludge milling machine, which can greatly improve the efficiency of sludge model production. After the physical model is made, the designer can immerse the sludge model in the professional review hall, combined with the 8K resolution ultra-high-definition LED giant screen and the latest virtual reality review equipment, and can make intuitive design changes on the sludge model at the first time, and then transmit the change data back through the 3D scanning device. At the same time, with Ford's global virtual reality real-time review system, the Chinese design team can conduct efficient online design exchanges and reviews with the design team on other continents at any time.
Judging hall
The combination of this high-tech design technology and traditional manual design technology can fully apply Ford's century-old design experience in the design process in the most appropriate way, and can perfectly integrate and present the local aesthetic concept with Ford's design language to achieve an unprecedented design height, which is also the core vision of Ford's establishment of a design center in China.
Mr. Chen Anning, President and CEO of Ford China, said: "Adhering to the commitment of 'More Ford, More China', we are accelerating the realization of the 'Ford+' program. The opening of this world-class design center is the latest impetus for Ford China's continued brand transformation. The automotive industry is rapidly transforming into electrification, connectivity and intelligence, and the full opening of Ford's four major centers in China will help us focus on the needs of Chinese consumers, continuously provide products with unique Ford design DNA and first-class technology experience, and continue to show Ford's pioneering and enterprising pioneering spirit of innovation for a hundred years. We are pleased to see that through design, Ford's iconic classic elements can be perfectly integrated with Chinese innovation trends, which is the most intuitive way for Ford to connect with Chinese customers." ”
Virtual judging hall
A broad stage for local design talent
Shanghai has become an emerging world art and fashion center, and has also attracted more and more automotive brand design centers to settle in, and is becoming an ideal place for more and more outstanding designers from all over the world. Ford's decision to set up a full-featured design center in the center of Shanghai fully demonstrates Ford's thirst for local design elites. Ford China Design Center is located in the Ford China Dx Hub "Fuchuang Valley" park in the inner ring of Shanghai, just a 15-minute drive from the Bund. It's home to startups, cutting-edge tech companies and game design and development studios, making it a part of a young, vibrant neighborhood.
3D Data Modeler
In the past two years, the number of employees at Ford's China Design Center has increased tenfold. Today, more than three-quarters of the creative design team members are young local designers under the age of 35, and they are the perfect combination of fresh thinking, local knowledge and global vision, bringing unlimited vitality and possibilities to Ford's development in the field of design.
Interior designer
Mr. Max Wolff, Design Director, Ford China & International Markets Group, said: "The aesthetics of Chinese consumers are based on three basic preferences: clear volume, harmonious proportions and exquisite details, and in our product design language, you can see our designers' deep understanding of Chinese aesthetics and consumer needs, and how to achieve perfect integration with Ford's global design elements. ”
Exterior designer
Color material designer
The latest interpretation of the concept of "potential energy aesthetics" - the world premiere of the new generation of Mondeo
The design concept of "potential energy aesthetics" is a new design language developed by Ford China's design team based on the aesthetic preferences of Chinese consumers, and the appearance of a new generation of Ford Mondeo comprehensively interprets the essence of Ford's new design concept from the three dimensions of "movement", "creation" and "force", and further confirms the continuous refinement and improvement of Ford China's design elements.
The extreme proportion of the front and back length of the new-generation Ford Mondeo vehicle, the streamlined top profile, the acceleration of the hood line and the swift shoulder line create an agile, smooth sense of movement, making the movement gene that Ford has always adhered to at a glance. The through-LED daytime running lights not only emphasize the visual width of the whole vehicle, but also exude aggressive deterrence. The tail and front face maintain a harmonious and consistent design, and the unique taillights incorporate classic three-dimensional design elements and outline the surrounding area with a sporty blackening treatment, visually once again emphasizing the body size, creating a beautiful feeling that is both refined and powerful.
The new generation of Ford Mondeo debuted at the Ford China Design Center
Anthony Lo, Ford Motor Company's global chief design officer, said: "On the new generation of Ford Mondeo, you will see more possibilities. It not only shows a new image of Ford and what we want to achieve in the future, but also truly resonates with the emotions and travel aspirations of people around the world. The opening of the Ford China Design Center is a testament to our optimism about the future and the boundless creativity, determination and hard work of our talented team. ”
The global automotive industry is undergoing profound changes around "electrification" and "intelligence", and China is undoubtedly the hot land leading this change, the opening of the new Ford China Design Center represents the attention and support of Ford headquarters to the Chinese market, and also pins on the ardent hope of accelerating Ford's transformation to the "new four modernizations" through Chinese innovation. With the systematic operation of Ford China's "four centers", the new product plan around the consumer experience as the core is advancing at full speed, making the promise of "more Ford, more China" more vocal.