Audi 2014 Annual Report Download - page 20

DESIGN THINKING
Design thinking is a method of developing ideas and innovation.
Established at Stanford University by David Kelley, Bernie Roth,
Terry Winograd and Larry Leifer, it encourages inventive thinking.
Interdisciplinary teams create new products, technologies and ser-
vices in a six-stage process. A well-known example of an innovation
that is the result of design thinking is the “Embrace Warmer.”
This sleeping bag with heat store serves as a substitute incubator
in regions with no electricity supply and regulates the body tempera-
ture of the newborn baby. Students developed the “Embrace
Warmer” in 2007 at the d.school in Stanford.
Design thinking places the needs of the customer at the center.
The fi rst three process stages involve understanding the problem,
observing the users and defi ning typical customers. Ideas are
collected through brainstorming, and prototypes built and tested.
If customers are not satisfi ed with the product or service, the
process or its individual stages are repeated. Operating in variable
workspaces with mobile desks and whiteboards, the teams
visualize ideas with the help of sticky notes. Having enough space
to build prototypes is also important.
The message of design thinking is this : Especially in the connected
age, an innovation involves more than simply an individual having
a bright idea. It all comes down to teamwork, where ideas quickly
undergo a reality check.
UNDER-
STAND
DEFINE
POINT
OF
VIEW
IDEATE PROTO-
TYPE TEST
OBSERVE
How will the urban premium customer buy their car in the
future ? Online ?
WEINBERG : In any event they will expect products and
solutions that are tailored exactly to their requirements. The
diversifi cation of lifestyles is fueling individual expectations.
STADLER : There will be two stages to buying a car, the virtual
and the real. The test drive won’t go away. Nor will the face-
to-face sales consultation. Rather, we will create a new way
of interfacing with customers. The Audi City in Berlin, for ex-
ample, is a far cry from a classic showroom. It is a place where
our brand and products can be experienced virtually. So we
transfer the technologies of the Audi City to our dealers, too.
The Audi VR experience is our latest coup. This involves cus-
tomers putting on virtual reality glasses at the dealer which
enable them to sit virtually in the driver’s seat of their individu-
ally confi gured Audi.
What direction will design take in the future ?
STADLER : In a world that is changing rapidly and incessantly,
our new design sets a counterpoint. It is timeless but also
progressive. It gives visible expression to “Vorsprung durch
Technik,” lightweight construction and quattro in each of
our models. The new Audi A will be the fi rst example of this.
We will make a unique statement in the full-size category
with its design approach.
020 >> 021WE CREATE PROGRESS >> 01