The folks to attended the Go Further with Ford Trend Conference received an extra early wake up call on Day 2. This day was jammed packed with 4 key sessions.
Go Further with Design
Panelists: Adam Kalkin, Ari Goldenberg, Gretchen Gscheidle, Christian Siriano
This 25-minute panel talked about the importance of design well beyond the automobile. Sustainable materials are becoming increasingly important to consumers while incorporating sleek and impeccable craftsmanship.
Bottom line: The design must resonate with consumers, not just functionality but emotionally as well.
Streamline and Simplify
Panelists: John Hendricks, Gary Clayton
This is where the pain in my back set in and taking notes wasn’t even in my vocabulary. So much so, that I didn’t even take one photo during the session!
Now more than ever, high-tech devices and services are increasing in demand from the consumer. From the advancements in voice recognition, DIY health solutions and affordable touchscreens, consumers are claiming these items to be a commodity in every day life. This session explored the rapid growth and expectations of consumer technologies, as developers and brands battle information overload and consumer sentiment to actually ‘de-tech’ their lifestyles.
Eco-psychology
Panelist: Adrian Grenier, Tim Sexton, Liz Heller, Cher Ficher
This highly informative session spoke about the Butterfly effect of how small changes can affect large, complex, and even unrelated systems.
Ford has taken many measures to ensure that the cars that they are building today are part of the small changes in our world to create a cleaner and eco-friendly tomorrow.
Check out what Adrian Grenier had to say about the butterfly effect.
Urbanization
Panelists: Carol Coletta, David Kirkpatrick
By far the most enlightening panel at the conference! With up to 4 billion cars expected to be on the roads by 2050, will automotive manufacturers work with other forms of mobility in harmony? Ford understands that they need to rethink both technologies and initiatives to meet the world’s transportation needs in increasingly crowded spaces.
Did you know that today’s 24 to 34 year olds are more apt to live in a city center or an urban environment rather than the suburbs? Ford has teamed up with Zipcar, a car-sharing service that rents by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassle of owning a car in the city center.
The day ended with a DIY Dinner Party at TechShop Detroit. My back was then completely finished for the day so I did not stay for the concert that followed.
