Drive Design provides design consultancy services focused on the automotive industry, offering commercially successful designs and a unique approach encapsulated in The Driveway™.

Drive Design

drive | 4,234 followers on LinkedIn. Automotive design consultancy creating commercially successful designs for our clients. | “Welcome to drive, where quality design meets digital craftsmanship.

We create commercially successful designs for our automotive clients who recognise the impact of exceptional design on their success, through high-quality design consultancy.

As a leading automotive design consultancy, we deliver creative solutions to companies that recognise the impact of exceptional design on their business.

I help clients deliver commercially successful designs | design director | drive | automotive design consultancy

Chris Longmore

Designer at Drive

Tom Ellis

drive

Gafur Safarov

Driver at drive

Mubshar Qureshi

DESIGN ADVICE drive ’s understanding of the difficulties facing companies trying to establish a company or new product, make them ideal partners to be involved in the development of a robust product concept helping identify design and manufacturing efficiencies through collaboration with strategic partners. Not every venture can be the success that everyone is looking for but minimising the risk by being fully aware of the undertaking at the start, with suitable gateways mapped out so that owners and investors can make informed decisions before embarking on the next phase, help to increase the chances of a sustainable business. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #startupstrategies #enterpreneurs #cardesigners #cardesign

drive sketchbook award 2024 Looking forward to meeting up with friends and fellow designers at the Auto and Transport Design Coventry University Degree Show 2024. #TheDriveway ™ #drivenbydesign ® #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #cardesigners #cardesign

GIVING AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY When people join drive , we have always made sure that when we give them a project to work on, we know they have the skills to execute it. It might push them, but we are confident that they will successfully deliver the project for the client. In that way whenever a client’s project is finished, they go away with a positive impression of the designer or modeller they have worked with, and of drive . We also believe introducing our team to, and giving them the responsibility of dealing directly with, our client’s personnel on the project. For it to work, we have to trust them, and they have to trust us. In this way they learn to take responsibility and make decisions for themselves. Yet they do so knowing that we will guide, support and back them. We hope we develop our team, not just in their design related skills, but all aspects of the business. Preparing them for a successful future career. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #cardesign #trust Automotive Design Professional Profile Advice

STARTING UP A NEW CAR COMPANY? WHAT’S IN A NAME? I was lucky enough to see from very close quarters the start up of a car company when drive were invited to be design partners. When the founders of Zenos Cars Limited , Mark Edwards and Ansar Ali started,, they went through a process of deciding what their approach was to be establishing and naming their car company. They considered several options including buying an established company, registering / purchasing a recognised but now dissolved marque or starting afresh with a totally new brand. Looking at the pros and cons they decided that on balance it would be better if they started with a clean sheet and build from scratch. They invested and went to such lengths, involving Mike Taylor of brand advisors Meda from the very start, to ensure they got it right realising how important this aspect of their offering was. They were able to create a strong brand proposition for their new company, to deliver an engaging (thrilling) experience focused around lightweight sportscars – “Experience the thrill of belonging”. The brand values were to be defined by Accessible, Ingenious, True, Rigorous, Passionate and Attentive. It would not necessarily be easy to establish themselves or the brand, however the problems of taking an existing or previously known brand, far outweighed the benefits. Namely that the baggage brands can carry could hold back the operation. Anything from die hard enthusiasts of the now defunct manufacturer, through to trying to get buy in from an existing workforce accept a new direction. Perhaps the biggest obstacle being that it can be difficult to shake off any previous assumptions or negativity associated with an existing brand. Perhaps a good example of this is an EV company, who by all accounts have a good-looking product being produced on a proven production line, that launched using a previous brand with not exactly a glowing reputation. There are enough doubters without giving them ammunition. So when starting your company, getting everything right from the beginning is vital, from the name, product proposition and brand identity. Be great to hear from entrepreneurs and founders of start ups their experiences. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #startupstrategies #enterpreneurs #zenos #cardesigners #cardesign

SENT TO COVENTRY! THANK YOU👏 We would just like to thank the large turnout of students who attended the drive presentation given by Harry Gravett and Chris Longmore , last week to the automotive and transport design course. It was refreshing to see all 3 years attending, and happy to stay behind and share your thoughts with us. Hopefully our replies to your questions proved insightful. Shaun Hutchinson (PhD) and the others running the course put alot of effort into arranging these talks, as do those who presented from the automotive design industry, individuals like Ben Thompson , Alícia Rudeck and Luke Robbins as well as companies FUTURA and Autodesk . So it is pleasing to see that the students appreciate this and attend. For those who weren’t able to attend, Harry will gave some insight into drive and his thoughts on how to approach getting a design role and this was backed up with insights from the other side of the interview table by Chris. As well as discussing the role of consultancies, the 2024 drive Sketch Book Award and Domeble Symetri Student Awards were also introduced. We will be posting a summary about our talk on YOUR PORTFOLIO in the coming weeks, so follow the Automotive Design Professional Profile Advice page to see that. Thanks again, Chris & Harry www.drivedesign.co.uk #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #cardesigners #cardesign Auto and Transport Design Coventry University PS Special mention / thanks to Nick Hull who must have seen it all before yet Sat through our presentation - respect!!

COVENTRY AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN STUDENTS IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR DEGREE DO NOT MISS THIS Harry Gravett and Chris Longmore from drive will be presenting tomorrow afternoon at the Delia Derbyshire building at Coventry University. Harry will give some insight into what working at drive from his experience arriving as a graduate. Chris will introduce you to what consultancies like drive do. They will also talk about portfolios, Cvs and LinkedIn. And finally the Drive Sketch book award. If you are serious about your career in the automotive design industry, and you only have time for one of these lectures, you need to attend this this one!!! Looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow afternoon, 7th February 2024 – 4pm. Remember to REPOST this so your colleagues know about it. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #cardesigners #cardesign Auto and Transport Design Coventry University

THE NIU KID IN TOWN? Established automotive manufacturers including VW, Ford and General Motors are now setting out their plans to be electric vehicle brands, numerous Chinese companies such as BYD and Nio are staking their claims to become established global OEMs in the future while recent news suggests start-ups such as Canoo and Fisker (again) are finding getting traction can be problematic. I wonder whether further down the road it will be Chinese electric scooter manufacturer Niu Technologies everybody’s talking about. Niu Technologies was founded in 2014, with the goal of designing a stylish, smart-tech electric scooter (e-moped) and selling it to consumers in China, a market that was ready to be disrupted with lithium powered electric technology. They also developed the “Smart Niu” app that relays scooter performance as well as being a Security Alert Theft Protection system where you are warned if the scooter is tampered with when left. Today, NIU is one of the world’s leading provider of smart urban mobility solutions, with over 600,000 electric mopeds sold worldwide over the last year, having adopted an omni-channel retail model, integrating online channels with their network of Flagship Stores, Premium Stores and Dealers, from Los Angeles to Paris. This sales growth has a lot to do with the coinciding of events, climate change awareness encouraging the reduction of fossil fuels usage, the need to reduce traffic congestion and Covid discouraging the use of public transport and sharing of rental transport. The different series of products they provide address the needs of different segments of modern urban residents and resolve the demands of different scenarios of urban travel, while being united through a common design language that emphasizes style, freedom and technology. New electric vehicle manufacturers need to cultivate brand loyalty and NIU are already doing this. Through their global presence Niu have the advantage should they look to disrupt the micro-mobility market further by introducing a small urban ‘car’ to their range, using the knowledge they have gleaned through their current customers. Building on the brand awareness, with their dealership network in place, Niu are already in a very strong position compared to most of the ‘new’ car brands to be accepted by potential car purchasers. As an already profitable business and established NASDAQ listed company in its own right, there is a lot of reasons they should feel confident about the future. Clearly developing a vehicle presents different challenges to an e-scooter, but as companies such as Opel and Peugeot have proved, starting with two wheels can lead to very successful car brands. Neither I or drive have any affiliation or working relationship with Niu Technologies #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles NIU Technologies #niu

TRUST We talk about relationships with our clients, but for that relationship to be strong, it must be built on trust. Trust has to be earned, so in order to build mutual trust with the person we are talking to, and by extension our companies, we have to start with what we believe in at drive ; respect, honesty and security. But this is not enough. Our clients are approaching drive , for us to deliver them quality design work, and if we can’t meet their needs why should they trust us? It is therefore important that we understand, and are aligned with, their project goals. Which means being flexible enough to tailor our services to deliver better results for them. That is why when we talk about The Driveway™ it not a defined process, it is our attitude and approach. This all sounds good, but unless we deliver on what we are promising, then there will be no trust. Honesty really is the best policy. If we know we can’t deliver what the client needs (or in their timescale or budget), we find it is better be honest with them, and ourselves, and politely decline. Sometimes it is difficult to turn away work, but in the long run we prefer not to let you down, whilst maintaining your trust. We are talking about building trust with clients or companies, but it is really between people. We hope that the trust we have built will exist beyond a project, or a place of employment, and will help us establish a good reputation. In the ever more connected product and automotive design worlds, establishing and protecting that reputation is a must. www.drivedesign.co.Uk #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles #cardesigners #cardesign #trust #startups #entrepeneurs

BUILDING CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS When a prospective client approaches drive , we are invested in trying to solve their problems. The important point is making sure we understand exactly what their problems are. This is where our discovery meeting, whether it be in person or online, is always a structured meeting. We frame the meeting to get a true insight of the required project outcome, by asking questions and really listening to the answers. And by listening, I don’t mean we use the time to think about what we can say next. Any solution or reply to the points raised, should be considered over time, and may even only be correctly answered at the project kick-off meeting or during the project itself. We believe in answering our client’s problems, and by using our creativity to make sure the solutions look great and can be produced, we build long lasting relationships. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles

THIS IS NO SHOW CAR 9 months from sketch to show car, with a non- moveable Motor Show deadline, would be a challenge for any company, never mind a small team like Lightning. On this occasion their size worked in their favour as decisions by Chris and Iain could be made decisively and immediately. With the engineering and battery development being undertaken by John and Arthur at Lightning, they knew they had to look to other specialised experts in order to deliver the project in time. Magtec provided the powertrain knowledge with in-wheel electric motors delivering a peak power output capability of 300 kW 402 bhp. Skyships Automotive designed and manufactured the cockpit electronics, infotainment and instrumentation. The design and development was entrusted to drive following a competitive pitch process. Knowing they would have to work smart drive ’s unique digitally led concurrent approach meant they would be able to shorten the traditional linear process. drive managed the entire design and development process with Lightning designer Daniel working from the drive studio. As Daniel said at the time "In many respects we worked with them as if they were part of our own studio, as an extension of Lightning - it was seamless." With their in depth knowledge and experience drive were able to by pass traditional full scale model stage. The interior design similarly went straight to full-size production, signed off through virtual reviews on Alias Studio. Bakers Patterns then took the data and produced the body panels and interior parts before it was all brought together back at the Lightning headquarters. Managing packaging, form resolution, production feasibility and even marketing visuals, drive was able to deliver a full house service to Lightning and help realise their new electric show car with a high level of integrity. But this was no show car, it was a running production evaluation prototype, that anyone who had been involved with could ride in 3 days before its Motor Show debut. #drivenbydesign ® #TheDriveway ™ #automotivedesign #nichevehicles MAGTEC/Magnetic Systems Technology Ltd Skyships Automotive Limited Bakers Patterns Ltd Autodesk

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Drive Design