AD&P; > October 2013 > FEATURE > Moray Callum on Ford Design > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofieldguide.com
Moray Callum on
Ford Design
You might think that nowadays, things
might be easier for automotive designers,
what with cars and trucks coming out
every few years and all of those digital
tools to accelerate their work. And you
would be wrong. Just ask Moray Callum.
by Gary S. Vasilash
> Editor-In-Chief
p Moray Callum says that the amount of work
that designers are faced with today is greater than
was the case in the past, especially as overall design
and minute detail (e.g., integrating aerodynamic
forms on tail lamps) are becoming both a competitive factor and a functional requirement.
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When I made the observation about the
potential work habits of automotive
designers, I thought that Moray Callum
was going to hurt himself making a
loud, derisive gufaw in response to
my obvious ignorance. Callum has
more than a passing understanding
of the ins, outs and practices of
automotive designers, having entered
the feld in 1982 with a bachelor's
in industrial design from Napier
University in Edinburgh and a master's
in transportation design from the
Royal College of Art in London. His CV
includes stints at Chrysler, PSA Peugeot
Citroën, and Ghia. He joined Ford in
'95, at the HQ in Dearborn, then was
assigned to Mazda in 2001 (remember:
Ford used to have more than a passing
interest in that company, collaborating
extremely closely; in November 2010,
Ford reduced its holding in Mazda from
11% to 3.5%), where he headed up
design for the Japan-based company.
He was moved back to Ford home base
in '06. He is now executive director,
p The headlamp for the 2013 Focus. Remember when headlamps were
simply round or rectangular shapes that had all the design fair of a
round or rectangular shape? Now, Moray Callum says, headlamps are
essential in distinguishing a vehicle's front end, and that the front of a
car is key in gaining buyer acceptance.