Automotive Technologies and Alternate Power

[Msterbeau]

UGLY?!  Are most of your peers boys or something?

:laughing

Chibby is in....not sleek.  Sleek is last week.

I'm not certain how they got the type of handling/lack of rolling possibility they claim either.  I would definitely have to look closer at it and actually drive it for a while to truely make up my mind.

Aparently, the only person who owns one of these at the moment is George Clooney.

Most pf my peers ARE boys... More girls are getting in on the car design thing though.

And I'm well aware that sleek (As in Jaguar E-Type sexy - sleek) is not the current fashion. The product design ethos has been all the rage for 15 years now in the design community. I'm going to fix that. I was driving behind an E-Type convertible last week on the highway. I can't think of another car with the pure, sensual lines of that thing..... *drools*

[sinmantyx]

Most pf my peers ARE boys...  More girls are getting in on the car design thing though. 

And I'm well aware that sleek (As in Jaguar E-Type sexy - sleek) is not the current fashion.  The product design ethos has been all the rage for 15 years now in the design community.  I'm going to fix that.      I was driving behind an E-Type convertible last week on the highway.  I can't think of another car with the pure, sensual lines of that thing.....  *drools*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, if this teaching gig starts getting on my nerves, think there is room for a woman with a masters in applied physics and a good natural sense of design (or so my mother tells me), but has extremely unfortunate nonexistant programing/MCAD skills?

:whistling

I do find it all quite interesting. I have a feeling though, that I would start getting overwhelmed by the details and start freaking out working alone for hours in front of a computer.

I tell you though, it is about time that cars are actually adequately marketed toward women. If they were to begin with, arguably we would have had EVs at the get-go. As the quiet, clean EVs were a hit among the ladies.

[Msterbeau]

Cars have been marketed with women in mind for quite some time. Just not women like you...

My degree is a BFA in Industrial Design. It has very little to do with programming or engineering although we do need to know a fair bit about materials and manufacturing processes to do our job well. The design I speak of is artistic. We doodle cars all day... :-)

[HipsterDufus]

When it comes to advertising, it's always a good idea to advertise to young white men. The reason? Because (generally) no one wants to be old, a minority, or a woman.

Btw, don't get mad at me because I posted this. =) This is actually a current advertising principle that they pretty much teach you in Marketing 101.

[BrassFusion]

When it comes to advertising, it's always a good idea to advertise to young white men.  The reason?  Because (generally) no one wants to be old, a minority, or a woman.

Btw, don't get mad at me because I posted this.  =)  This is actually a current advertising principle that they pretty much teach you in Marketing 101.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aaaaand that's what's slowing the progress of society. Thanks for clearing that up for us, hipster.

(I like being a woman, btw... and aren't there just a hair more women in the country than there are men?)

[sinmantyx]

Cars have been marketed with women in mind for quite some time.  Just not women like you... 

My degree is a BFA in Industrial Design.  It has very little to do with programming or engineering although we do need to know a fair bit about materials and manufacturing processes to do our job well.  The design I speak of is artistic.  We doodle cars all day...  :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know, I know....I'm so UNUSUAL!

Oh gosh, taht's what you do! Perhaps I should have been an artist like my Mom wanted me to be. I tell you I must be the only science professional whose mother was somewhat disappointed that I didn't go into art and design.

I do though, remember when the Scion came out (that's the name of that blunt car, right?) and the commercial mentioned that the designer listened to NIN --- that was the most hilarious moment! It's like when the CURE first started being played on the classic rock stations. We must be OLD --- the mainstream IS marketing to us, not for movies, music and clothes, but for CARS!

I suppose you need to know a bit about fluid dynamics as well? I tell you I get all fussed up once someone starts mentioning "curls" and "deltas"...but the basics of turbulent flow and pressure doesn't turn me into fits.

:grin

...but speaking of marketing, I think high gas prices are the best thing that can happen right now --- when you think of the long run. They have been artificially suppressed for so long that we have become very complacent. This may finally be the stick in the ass we need to create lasting solutions.

[sinmantyx]

Aaaaand that's what's slowing the progress of society. Thanks for clearing that up for us, hipster.

(I like being a woman, btw... and aren't there just a hair more women in the country than there are men?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, and for most things we are the "drivers" of the consumer choices within a traditional familiy unit.

I just remember the car insurance guy who thought that making a "woman driver" joke to my husband and I would endear himself to us. It didn't.

MAN...I still feel bad about not EDUCATING him...loudly. Regardless, he certainly didn't get the sale. I often wonder if he was too dense to understand why.

I think women (and others, obvious) need to flex their market-muscles and make it clear what we actually want --- clean, green, safe, low maintainence, quiet cars with cup-holders and very loud sound systems.

[Msterbeau]

I think women (and others, obvious) need to flex their market-muscles and make it clear what we actually want --- clean, green, safe, low maintainence, quiet cars with cup-holders and very loud sound systems.

Hahaha... Sadly... The majority of women don't want all those things. Safety is bigger these days... and I'm pretty sure that they're one of the major drivers of increased safety in cars... But Green? I see so many women (And men) who think that's all a big joke. Idiots. And cupholders are useful but we've gone overboard on that and I personally think that adding all these "conveniences" is making cars less safe. People are to busy eating and talking and being entertained to pay attention to driving!!!

Fluid dynamics? Yep... If you work on exterior design, sooner or later you'll work in the wind tunnel. We don't learn things like that formally but you pick it up as you go. It's pretty interesting to see what can be made "aerodynamic". Round off a brick... taper it front to back a little and bingo... your drag count just went way down.

[HipsterDufus]

Aaaaand that's what's slowing the progress of society. Thanks for clearing that up for us, hipster.

(I like being a woman, btw... and aren't there just a hair more women in the country than there are men?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, I'm not saying it's right. :innocent I saw a special on PBS on car design where they were talking about how they market cars.

But seriously. If women want cars marketed to them, there need to be more women in the car industry. Of course, this needs to be addressed through the educational/employment system; however, as we get more women designing cars, you'll get more things in the car marketed towards women. Men just won't think about designing for women unless women really show a demand for certain products. And, so far, women just haven't. It'll be interesting to see if that trend continues...

[sinmantyx]

Hahaha...  Sadly...  The majority of women don't want all those things.  Safety is bigger these days... and I'm pretty sure that they're one of the major drivers of increased safety in cars...  But Green?  I see so many women (And men) who think that's all a big joke.  Idiots.    And cupholders are useful but we've gone overboard on that and I personally think that adding all these "conveniences" is making cars less safe.  People are to busy eating and talking and being entertained to pay attention to driving!!!

Fluid dynamics?  Yep...  If you work on exterior design, sooner or later you'll work in the wind tunnel.  We don't learn things like that formally but you pick it up as you go.  It's pretty interesting to see what can be made "aerodynamic".  Round off a brick... taper it front to back a little and bingo... your drag count just went way down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I know....I know. I teach mostly women and sometimes I think I'm a different species.

Perhaps what I'm saying is that the semi-butch bisexual gothicpunk science-geek atheists should really flex their share of the car market!

I still can't get why so many people think "green" is B.S. I think perhaps it's because they get confused with the details and the disagreements about the details and turn off all together. They simply don't care because they don't want to think that hard. Harsh-but true.