Fuelled by Friction
Lotus
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What does it mean to design for a future that is both unpredictable and inevitable? For Lotus, partner of the Global Design Forum’s Speculative Certainties day, the answer lies in embracing uncertainty as a creative force.
“Comfort never produces groundbreaking design,” says Ben Payne, Chief Creative Officer at Lotus Group. “Friction pushes us beyond what we know, and discomfort often sparks innovation.” For Lotus, this is as true in automotive design as in any other field: creativity and engineering are inseparable, each grounding and challenging the other.
On 14 September at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a series of talks will dive deep into its design philosophy – confronting the impact of digital technology, the tension between progress and environmental security, and the evolving human experience.
“Friction pushes us beyond what we know, and discomfort often sparks innovation.”
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The company’s ethos is to balances the digital, natural and analogue, even when they sit in tension.
‘The digital represents immersive, intelligent experiences; the natural embodies emotional, human-centric design; the analogue champions the continuous advancement of performance engineering.’
By holding these forces in balance, Lotus seeks to create products that deliver both functionality and raw emotional connection.
Speculation is key. ‘If we are immediately comfortable with a design, it is probably not new,’ Payne says. By challenging conventions and balancing opposites, Lotus maintains its rebellious, pioneering spirit – interpreting its heritage through speculative design thinking, before proving ideas through data and engineering rigour.
This approach also guides Lotus’s response to ecological concerns. With its Theory 1 concept car, the company set itself the challenge of using just ten recycled or recyclable materials to build a high-performance vehicle – creating a concept in which sustainability and innovation go hand in hand.
To achieve such breakthroughs, Payne says: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
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