Fascinating concept car XiM23 re-defining "Digital Luxury”: my summary of the?experiences at the Yanfeng Innovation Center in Neuss/Germany

When was the last time you experienced luxury? What is luxury for you? What does an experience have to include to be?perceived as luxurious? Was it a wellness weekend where you didn't have to watch the clock and just enjoyed the luxury of?having time to yourself? Was it when you spent great time with your kid/kids and totally lost yourself in a game with Lego or?building blocks or toy cars? Or was it when you were traveling and felt the luxury of freedom? Is luxury always just a feeling or?can you touch it? Is it a special high-quality material, is it a particularly processed detail? It is perhaps not for nothing that we?speak of luxury goods with some objects? Watches, bags and cars are usually the prime examples.??

So what is it that defines luxury?

Let's start from the beginning. First of all, for everyone luxury is something different. I've had several luxury experiences this week?alone. It starts with the fact that I had the time to bake cookies with my little son on Sunday and was able to observe how much?fun he had, while he cut out the heart shapes himself. To listen to "Jingle Bells" & Co. on continuous loop and just to have time?together was pure luxury. It continues with the feeling of luxury when I realize again and again that I can work from anywhere and?how flexible it makes me. And it concludes with the fact that I have a dream of a job, as I always get to experience the latest and?coolest technologies from the automotive industry live - often long before it is presented to the general public.??

As you see my?definition of luxury is not something you can touch but only experience.

Of course, this is all very personal and individual. And you can't do a general study on me, after all it is called #DERRtobedifferent?for a reason ?? That's why it's so great that the global user research team at Yanfeng have looked into what the main factors are that make?people experience luxury. They came up with the following: service, simplicity, personalization, comfort and control - where?having control or giving up control, depending on the context, both contributed to the luxury experience. And then they created a?concept car XiM23 based on the results with a focus on “digital luxury”. But - and this is also intentional - the Yanfeng designers?didn't aim at a distant future, but at the tangible 'already possible soon' future. That's why if you're familiar with other Yanfeng?XiM concept cars, it's quite possible that some of them will look more futuristic in your opinion. As I learned this week, that's pure?intention. Yes, designers live in the future, but they decide for themselves how far in the future ????

Well, I wouldn't be me if only technologies and not some great personalities??were in focus in my summary. I would now like to?bring someone onto the imaginary stage for this XiM23 project. It is John Vincent , Principal?Designer at Yanfeng, who together with the global design, consumer research and user interface team is responsible for this concept car. The gleam in the?eyes and the enthusiasm for the project immediately reveal how much of John's heart and soul went into this concept. John also?took a lot of time to walk me through all the possible modes of operation. That was another level of fascinating and I would like to?go into that in more detail.

The first nice little detail is, as soon as you want to sit in the car, the doors open automatically and the seat turns towards you.?Even though I don't have any physical impairments and am very fit, I still find this very pleasant. "How thoughtful of you - thank?you” is what I would say now in a nice restaurant when the waiter helps me with my chair or holds the door open. Just think again?of the previously mentioned study and the term "service". As soon as you get in, the seat turns back in the direction of travel and?automatically adjusts itself according to its user - me in this case.

And then you first have the choice, because the car can drive in 4 different modes. With each increasing mode, the car drives?more and more autonomously until it is completely autonomous. More precisely, in the first mode you drive yourself. The large?curved screen, which stretches seamlessly in front of the driver and passenger, is extended just a few inches and shows basic?information for the driver and a few comfort factors for the occupants, such as temperature and volume for example. With each?next mode, the car's autonomy to drive increases, and the screen extends more and more to give the driver less information and?more entertainment. Always with you is your assistant Yan, who talks to you in a pleasant female voice and is always ready to?help or, if necessary, stay in the background. The balance between both is indeed a very pleasant experience.?

As I've mentioned a few times in my LinkedIn community, I like minimalist design and so I was excited to see that many features?have multiple functions. The elements in the car that are there anyway, like light effects, the big main screen or the smaller?touchpad are used differently depending on the mode you are in. Let me give you an example. Light effects, for example, can be?used to create mood through colors and aesthetic appearance.??And at the other moment, light signals combined with sound are?used to indicate danger in the blind spot.?

My favorites, however, were ultimately two points. First, that I could adjust the volume or temperature by focusing on an element?on the screen and moving my hand in the air without touching or saying anything. This is magic, oh I mean of course, technology?that excites me ?? I could get used to it right away. If this is our near future - I'm looking forward to it.

My second favorite is the overall look of the concept car. When one talks about "digital luxury", one might expect that "digital"?would be in full focus. But it's not - at least not visually - take a look at the pictures. Don't get me wrong. The advanced futuristic?technology is always present, but never overloaded, never too much. Very discreet, very pleasant, very adapted to my needs as a?user. Just like the well-trained waiter in the greatest restaurant, who is there when you need him and discreetly fades into the?background as soon as you want to enjoy your meal and pleasant conversation with your companion. This is also a part of the?luxury experience.

And actually there would be a third point, because in the fully autonomous mode there is a massage function built into the seat?and it was so good that I would have loved to extend the interview into eternity ?? But there was already another interview?waiting for me.

Afterwards I had a conversation with Andrea Hees , who as Director Global Product & Program Management xBU at Yanfeng is?responsible for system integration and??cross-business unit approach. Now whoever thinks - what on earth is ‘cross-business unit?approach’, I can rexplain. Well, Andrea explains it best in her own words, so I quote: “The cross-business unit approach to?innovation uses key synergies between the interiors, seating, passive safety, cockpit electronics and exteriors business units.?That collaboration promotes integrated smart cabin products that provide balanced experiences for the end user.” In short, when?Andrea and her colleagues combine Yanfeng’s capabilities of different business units, the product performs better, cost synergies can?be used?and the customer gets a product that provides unique user experiences.

By the way, I could also see this in several products that I was shown during the tour of the show room. The tour was led by? Andreas Maashoff , who holds the position of Director Advanced Product Development and heads the European Innovation organization at Yanfeng. I was able to see, experience?and sometimes even touch all business units individually or combined into entire systems. It was about material development in?the field of lightweight materials, sustainable materials, airbag innovations, door panels, interior design in general, intelligent?steering wheels, smart surfaces, and seats that should not only be comfortable but also safe.

Do you know how much will change in interior design when cars start driving autonomously? To illustrate the complexity?Yanfeng's employees have to deal with on a daily basis, I'll give a few examples. So, imagine the driver in the autonomous driving?vehicle is relieved of his task of driving and wants to enjoy some leisure time. At the same time, he can turn the seat backwards?to have a conversation with other passengers, for example. Now where do you place the airbags? Or he may want to relax a bit?and maybe even take a little nap. How should the seat belts be positioned then? Standard position of seat belts is not enough if?the seat is set lying down, because in case of an accident you could slip under the belt. In addition, the lying position is not ideal?in the event of an impact, because you could die from internal injuries. These were just two examples to demonstrate the?complexity of the tasks. Well, who else would like to trade places with the Yanfeng employees because it would supposedly be?so easy to handle ‘just’ a bit of interior design? Probably not many.?

But now I and I hope you also have a better understanding and a lot of respect for what the employees can do and what the new?intelligent products are supposed to be able to do as well. I was also able to do a few tests and even try out the comfortable?seats - you see here how comfortable a working day can be ??

My exciting trip to Neuss has come to an end and now it's time to say thank you. First of all to John Vincent for the fantastic tour,?for all the time you took and for the great willingness to answer all kinds of questions. Knowing that you and the team are?already working on the new concept car, I wish you never run out of new great ideas.

Second thank you goes to Andrea Hees for taking the time to explain to me all the connections between the business units, for?the transparency and for the trust to share a lot of knowledge. It was great!

Another thank you goes to Andreas Maashoff for the brilliant guided tour, which we overextended so mightily in terms of time?because there was so much to learn, thank you for explaining the intelligent connections between the products, for the?description of the modern complex challenges and for the ability to excite me about every single product on display and, of?course, thank you for letting me see products that we are not even allowed to talk about in public. Thank you for the trust.

And last but not least, a huge thank you to Andrea Odendahl , Astrid Schafmeister and Jennifer Fay Wendt for making me feel so comfortable, for organizing?everything so perfectly and for allowing us to talk so openly about the future of technical marketing. I really appreciate your trust?and professionalism.

Best regards,

Ludmilla

PS: My loyal readers, unless you are new to my network, you already know that I love connecting people, sharing knowledge,?inspiration and optimism about the future. My approach to everything I do at Elite Experts Conferences is built on three pillars: "educate, entertain and?inspire". So if you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to ask them here. I encourage you to share knowledge,?stimulate discussions, exchange ideas even if you don't always agree with each other. LinkedIn is a social media platform and?should be first and foremost that - social. So let's lead, learn and laugh together ????????

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