Designers Need To Be Conscious Of Making Products Look Good At The Mobile Phone Level: Pratap Bose

The Speaker discussion at BW Future of Design Awards 2019 by Pratap Bose, Vice President, Global Design, Tata Motors was about how their designs build better consumer connect and how  we need to integrate business and design. 

Bose started his session by saying, "Through our products, we show people that our work is  meaningful, important and deeply rooted in design." 

Bose shared that Business and Design are two words that Tata Motors has been trying to integrate for the last 20 years.  

Design is an integral part of the Tata Motors business. It costs between 700 to 1000 crores to take a car model from a sheet of paper to a sheet of metal, which is a huge responsibility for a designer. 

"When you talk about the future, you talk about aspiration. Everyone wants to be better and faster. It is a key factor for us and where we come in as Tata Motors Design. We have a history of creating new segments", shared Bose. 

Bose advised, "People always talk about market share but what gets you market share is mindshare. Mindshare is that space in the customer's mind that your product or service actually occupies. There are 2-3 products that you will discuss while sitting at the dining table. If you as a brand are not in those two dinner table conversations or mindspace no one will turn up in your showroom."

"In the first 20 seconds, consumers decide if they are interested in a product or service. As a design team, our job is to make sure the product looks good at the mobile phone level." shared Bose on how to connect with a mobile-led consumer. 

Bose says the primary motivation for their brand has always been respecting the guy who drives the car.

"There should be a balance between business and the softer elements. A designer can do a lot like curating a product to connect with the customer." stated Bose. 

Signing off, Bose said, "We design our cars with the element of humanity. There is aggression on the road already. We need to add something strong and powerful to our cars but it should not be aggressive."