'5+1' with exterior designer Anne Forschner

Lately we spoke to Munich-based exterior designer Anne Forschner. For more than eleven years now, she has been working for BMW. Learn more about her passion for cars and her job, the development of automotive design over the last years, latest and future car design trends and her experience as a female designer in this still male-dominated industry. 

1. When did your passion for cars begin? Did you always know you wanted to become a car designer?

I was always drawing when I was a kid and I knew quite early that I wanted to become a designer. The place where I grew up (near Stuttgart) influenced my decision to go into the automotive industry quite a lot – many people there work for Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. At one point BMW had a huge impact on me, when the E60 5 Series came out. I was blown away that you could design an everyday car in such an emotional way. I still love that car. That’s when I started looking into car design and applied to Pforzheim University.  

2. What’s your favourite of the cars you’ve designed for BMW? Is there any part of a car that you like designing most? What’s the most challenging part for you?

I don’t really have a favourite. The cars I designed are all different. All of them had different challenges and with all of them I’ve learned something new, so I’m emotionally connected to them in various ways. For sure, a car like the Concept i4 is special, because electrification creates opportunities for shaping the car in a new way. 
The most exciting parts to design are the overall proportions and the big emotional surfaces, for example the body sides. This is what makes car design different to product design – there’s a huge sheet of metal between two wheels which you can sculpt in a very emotional way. However, a car is a complex 3D object and the surfaces relate to one another. That is fun, but very challenging as well. Later in the process, I also enjoy going into the details. If you are passionate about the job, you want to design every bit to perfection, because you know that every surface and detail matters when you see the car out on the road.

3. You’ve been working for BMW for more than eleven years now. How did the exterior design of the cars evolve over this time? What are the latest trends and what do you think the future of automotive design will look like?

Eleven years sounds like a lot! But actually it doesn’t feel that long. Over the last few years, we’ve had to include more technologies in the cars. For example, we have to find clever design solutions to integrate our driving assistance systems below the exterior surfaces or within the kidney grille. This is sure to become even more challenging as autonomous driving develops. The requirement for reducing CO2 emissions is also influencing car design, which means we have to work very closely with our aerodynamics department.
In the future, car design will evolve together with technology and the needs of customers. For example, if we travel in self-driving cars, we can do something while we’re in them other than driving. This interior space needs to be developed and designed.

4. What kind of differences are there between cars designed by women and those designed by men? 

I can’t see any clear differences. You can become a good designer regardless of your gender. It’s essential, though, that you have the basic talent and that you get the right education and experience. 

5. Every day we see examples of how the automotive industry is still male-dominated. How do things look in your team? Where do you see the benefits and opportunities of more women working in the industry?

True, my colleagues are mainly men. Of course it would be great to have more female representation in the team, but there still aren’t many women studying car design. As I mentioned before, you can be a great designer whatever gender you are. I wish women would be more self-confident and participate more actively in the development of future mobility. I also think it is very important for men to accept that women are into cars as well. There are still too many prejudices about women who love cars, and this attitude does not really encourage a diverse workplace. It’s not only about women – people from different cultural and ethnical backgrounds are also a big asset for the industry. Diversity is what the world is made of, so there is no question the industry would also benefit from more of it. Now more than ever, as we question the role of the traditional combustion engine, we need to open our minds to new ideas of mobility.

And the +1 question for you: “Looking into the future, what year specifically do you think the majority of cars sold worldwide will be electric?”

Now it’s your turn. Let us know what you think.

– 2035/2040 (answer via Instagram)
– As soon as people realize they can get away with 100 km range of 90% of the time. So 2030. (answer via Instagram)

Pictures: BMW Group
Interview: Britta Reineke