On the move with design visionary Dan Fidgett – Vice President of CMF Design at Volvo Cars
In our latest edition of "On the move with design visionaries”, we have the honour of featuring Dan Fidgett, the Vice President of CMF Design at Volvo Cars. With a distinguished and longtime career in fashion and sportswear design, Dan Fidgett brings a unique perspective to the automotive landscape. Dan’s unique expertise lies in the ability to infuse automotive design with the dynamic and trend-driven elements inherent in fashion and sportswear. By bridging these worlds, he brings a fresh approach to CMF Design, enriching Volvo's vehicles with a harmonious blend of style, functionality, and innovation. Join us now as we explore Dan Fidgett's valuable insights and uncover the visionary concepts shaping the future of CMF Design.
1. Drawing from your longtime experience in the Fashion and Sportswear industry, and now as the Vice President of CMF Design at Volvo Cars, what specific expertise do you bring and what can the automotive industry glean from fashion and sportswear in terms of CMF Design?
When I reflect on my career journey so far, considering what I've learned from my experiences and what I can bring from my previous life into my new one, I consistently return to two key topics, specifically related to CMF. Reflecting on my first two years here, I don't think these two have changed, and one has become more apparent since my move.
Firstly, the consumer-first mindset: my learnings during those 15+ years have underscored the importance of this. Remembering that we are here to sell products to people is truly foundational. As soon as a brand deprioritises it and takes their eye off the ball, the slippery slope of disconnection between a brand, its message, and the consumer begins. It's an easy thing to break and takes much longer to rebuild. Reflecting on those experiences makes me realise that in my old industry, the fast pace, intense competition, and the craving for something new and distinctive drive the need for brands to deeply understand their consumer and the importance of consistent messaging and nurturing over time.
Two concrete examples that I often consider, discuss with our team, and believe resonate well with Volvo as a brand (and segue nicely into the second key topic) are cultural trends and how they reshape things. In my opinion, these are much deeper and richer sources of inspiration than merely looking at what other brands are doing. For example, the shift away from fast fashion into more long lasting 'timeless' trends driven by Covid, pressures due to the cost of living, sustainability, and a deeper consciousness by Gen Z. I believe we can learn a lot from a CMF perspective, especially by focusing on our next generation of car consumers, Gen Z – understanding their expectations, needs, and finding solutions to the problems they face in this redefinition of mobility. The second key topic is sustainability, one of the key reasons I moved to a brand that has this as part of its DNA. I feel that Volvo Cars is truly leading within the industry from a CMF perspective, but I also sense that we are at the beginning of a sustainability and circularity journey that I have already traversed in my past life. I can bring my learnings and add them to the mix here, keeping our consumer in mind. Our next-gen consumers expect sustainability – it's not an "if," "but," or "maybe" anymore.
A significant part of this journey, and one we are already discussing here, is relearning the development process. It involves flipping the page towards living form following function, starting from a sound technical standpoint, putting sustainability and circularity at the heart of everything we develop from concept. This approach doesn't focus solely on aesthetics but trusts the process, believing that aesthetics will naturally evolve along the way. It might be a bit scary initially, but it's an approach that truly enables innovation, something I learned from my old life.
Finally, one aspect that I've felt and witnessed and reflected on since I started here is gender – a significant topic, especially in the last few years in my previous life. I moved from an industry that, like sustainability, has been on its journey toward gender equality. We know we work in an industry that traditionally has been very male-dominated. I've sensed the difference in the industries myself since moving. Specifically from a CMF point of view, how can we use this? How can we contribute to that journey and play our part in changing this dynamic? We can achieve this by continuing to challenge stereotypes, questioning traditional design principles, and exploring ones that truly support a more gender-neutral approach. This involves creating expressions, combinations, feelings, and products that are more balanced, harmonised, and resonate with all our consumers.
2. Can you share Volvo Cars' overarching philosophy when it comes to CMF Design and how it aligns with the brand's identity and values?
The simple answer is that our CMF philosophy and values reflect our company's values. We have a human-centric approach, a big focus on sustainability, and more specifically, our journey towards circularity, and of course, our Scandinavian design principles. We feel that in CMF at Volvo, we are in a privileged position where we have the ability to communicate these key messages through our CMF applications and stories. Our work is the touchpoint for consumers; we work on the areas that they touch, feel, and interact with in a very direct way every day. We have the ability and responsibility to create the connections, expressions, feelings, and environments that help promote and educate our consumers on our brand values.
3. In light of ever-evolving technology and materials, how does Volvo Cars remain at the forefront of innovation in CMF Design? Can you highlight any recent advancements or unique materials that have been incorporated into Volvo's vehicle designs?
Really good examples of how we both approach this and why can be seen in our three new decors in the EX30, and more specifically, the stories and sources of some of the content: Flax, Denim, and PVC window frames. We have tried to showcase both expressions that can be created from natural and recycled sources – two main lenses through which we are exploring sustainability. We have demonstrated that anything can be used as inspiration and a source of content to challenge and reshape people's opinions on premium.
We have shown that we can repurpose items that we are already growing or creating for other purposes or have already polluted the planet with, instead of using virgin sources. This is the beginning of the journey for us; we want to demonstrate what is possible and the areas we want to continue to explore. We don't have all the answers; we are also learning as we go, and this is okay. It's okay to not know and be open and objective about the journey. One key thing we are discussing is the redefinition of premium, the celebration of the natural beauty and properties of materials, celebrating the imperfections and the aesthetics that this brings. I think it's a really special thing that every decor in every EX30 is unique; none are the same, and it is like having your own bespoke piece of unique artwork in your car. How premium is that?
4. Given the close relationship between CMF Design and other design disciplines such as Exterior and Interior Design, how does collaboration take place between the CMF team and other design teams within Volvo Cars to ensure a cohesive and harmonious design language?
This is a great example of a similar dynamic between my old and new life and how a CMF team fits into the bigger Design puzzle. Our process means that we follow the development of a program right from concept to production and it also means that we have touch points through the process with all other design teams such as Interior, Exterior and UX. We are really trying to promote going on these journey’s together as design disciplines in a collaborative way. As a CMF team we want to try and help create harmonious expressions holistically throughout the car and we are in a unique position to help cultivate that. I really think this is one of the most exciting part of our work. We get to work with, learn from and contribute on all area within the design of each program and working in this way is not only more fun, but it also creates better results. I think Henry Ford famously said that “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success” I really believe this and is part of our human centric approach to design and how we make sure we deliver on our values.
5. Looking ahead, what trends do you foresee in the field of CMF Design for automotive interiors? Furthermore, how is Volvo Cars preparing to lead or adapt to these trends in the future?
The two main trends we are talking about and are focusing on as a CMF team at Volvo Cars are both heavily influenced by current social trends and our company values – 'Timeless' and 'Circular,' both of which have already been mentioned in the questions above. These are two powerful concepts deeply rooted in our Volvo DNA and our company targets for the upcoming years. How do we design our cars to be relevant to our current and next-gen consumers in a responsible way? How do we find that find balance, creating premium, desirable products that resonate while also minimizing the impact on our environment and planet? It's an exciting and challenging journey we are on, and we are already retraining our approach to innovation to focus on these key areas. We are prepared to lead and to look from a different perspective. We have started to show and communicate this through the EX30. This is just the beginning of a long and exciting journey.
We appreciate your participation, Dan, in our interview "On the move with design visionaries." To learn more about Volvo, its products and the people behind the brand, we encourage you to explore our latest articles showcasing CMF Designer Camille Audra, our test drive with the Volvo EX30 and the latest addition to Volvo’s portfolio, the Volvo EM90.