Spark Awards

DIRECTION FINDERS

San Francisco. Mid-February. 57 degrees, a little foggy. Spark Interface Council met to chart 2010 roll-out of ProSpark & PopSpark. Scene: war room at Autodesk Design Gallery, home of USA Spark Exhibition, Jury & Awards Show.

On-board the Sparknwagon:
-Drew Takahashi, Filmmaker, Founder of Colossal Pictures
-Todd Lappin, Editor, websites like Cnet, CNN and Wired
-Nate McLaughlin, VP at FGI Interactive (home of Spark)
-Erin Bradnor, Autodesk Database Interpretor & Spark Sector Commander
-Nirman Bisla, Spark Energy Manager & Fallen Architect
-Clark Kellogg, Collective Invention, Spark Chief Thinking Officer
-Yours truly, Founder
-Kit Hinrichs, Foundation of Spark
Ronna Tannebaum, Margeigh Novotny, Maria Giudice and Joe Kwong couldn’t make it, and Jared Hendler stayed stuck in NY snow. But we had their input and soldiered on.

Clark, Todd & Nirman

What a fun meeting premise– taking a cool hard look at the current web setup, a version of which will continue to serve the ProSpark side– and imagineering the needs and look of the PopSpark community– to be created from whole cloth.

We want PopSpark to be a warm & friendly place you check into every day. We want the competition Challenges to come from the community (the POPS). (See http://twitter.com/sparkawards). We want the POPS to build a pool of challenge ideas and rank them, and the most POPular become the current challenge. That way, we can focus the community on one challenge at a time.

Sites like DIGG and REDDIT are much simpler– you just submit a link that you like. We want something that the POP creates. That’s a massive difference in commitment and involvement– which is wonderful if we can help it happen.

It would be interesting to list all the many ways a POP can interact with the community: 
–Submit Challenges
–Vote on ”
–Comment on ”
–work on a design
–form up with others and collaborate on a design
–Submit a design
–vote on ”
–Comment on ”
–View rankings of ”
–Adjust/add to or otherwise improve their entry
–Spread the word, lobby for votes
What else, folks?

Drew View?

Best!
–Peter

SPARKS OVER NEW YORK

Recently arranged a rare mid-winter SparkMeet with Council members Brent Oppenheimer, OH+CO Principal; Susan Szenasy, Editor in Chief, Metropolis Magazine and Manuel Saez, Principal of his own design firm (and creator of the award-winning CMYKelectric bike). We met on a brisk, brassy day at Monster Sushi on 23rd Street. These are always interesting exchanges–not least because we are good friends, so there is much catching up to do.

Susan is always a delight–another world-citizen like Brent, she brings the perspective and keen eye of many years of design teaching, criticism and journalism. She’s a child of the old forms, print and fonts and paper (like self!) yet adroitly expresses herself in the latest media to loyal audiences of all ages. Although all magazines struggle, new forms are on the horizon that will afford the continuation of professional writing and design.

(As Brent points out– the recently launched Apple Tablet– the iPad, is the harbinger of new interactive media tools that provide COLOR screens, ease of downloads, various payment schemes, thousands of apps and print combined with music, video, wifi and mobile. Many devices will follow.

In the real world, Brent also recommended the Design Indaba (its conference just took place), the South African organization that sprang into action as the country embraced democracy. Some wonderful people, work and ideas. “All very pertinent to Spark as well,” Brent commented. designindaba.com/

We quizzed Manuel about his CMYK bike plans. “Manuel–What a courageous decision– you’re a designer, taking his product to manufacture and market himself!” Manuel pointed out that this is not unusual– Tom Dair at Smart Design and Bob Brunner at Ammunition frequent these swirling waters. As Tom once mentioned… “Sometimes it pays off. Other times, you just want to forget about it.” On an optimistic note, Manuel has floated a plan (contact Manuel @ manuelsaez.com for more info), has secured manufacturing and is engaged in early marcom efforts. Sweet bike– put Spark on the mailing list!

So then to Spark. We focused on three projects and their linkages– 1. the new public Spark competition– how it works, who could partner, defining success; 2. the build-out of the Sparks Over China success– more/better! Plus logical brand extensions like touring exhibitions and educational sessions; 3. the evolution of the Spark Awards– a continuing effort to polish and finesse every aspect, from outreach to systems to judging and awards. These are giant subjects, and consume many of our Council and Board meetings. Why do we do this? And why do so many brilliant designers of all levels of experience spend the time and effort to help? Because we use these meetings to guide and plan changes. The idea is to remain relevent, with an ear to the ground, listening to the winds of change, chance and need. We Spark when you Spark.

Next Meets: San Francisco in February. UK in March. Shanghai & Beijing in April… God willing.

Best!
–Peter

ENTERED, JUDGED & CELEBRATED
And we were SO busy getting it on! The third Spark was a solid success, by any measure. The work was of excellent caliber, mostly aspirational and inspiring. The jury was challenged with an exciting array of designs in many media, from ceramics to steel. Check it out at the Sparksite:

Visit http://www.sparkawards.com/Galleries/09_Winners/09_Jury_Pix.htm

and http://www.sparkawards.com/Galleries/09_Celebration.htm

SO–WHERE’S SPARK BEEN LATELY?
Good question! Sparking, of course. After the incredible climax of the Spark Judging and Awards Celebration, we dug into the complex process of awards trophy and certificate production. Essentially this is all hand-work, with something unique for all the finalists and winners.

But adding to the fun was the production of the Sparks Over China Exhibition and mini conference for early December. In mid-November we pulled together the Spark winners– hi-res images or real pieces, for air shipment to China. Plus every conceivable media from mug-shots of the winners to videos, documentation, etc. This went into the able hands of our CitiExpo partner in China, Ready Zhang and our great task-ms-tress, Mabel Mai, who got the job done. We flew out on the 29th– first to fulfill our happy duties to the Global Design Network in Hong Kong.

GDN is part of the giant Business of Design Week, one of our favorite design expos and highly recommended. Fellow delegates included good friend Julia Chiu, of Japan’s Good Design Awards (and soon to be President of ICOGRADA), Geoff Fitzpatrick, head of the Australian Design Institute and Kigge Hvid, CEO of the INDEX Awards. Then we were off to the Guangzhou Design Fair, for some real Sparkn’ Chinese-style.
This delegate- stuff is not easy. One is kept busy from 830am to 11pm, in a constant whirl of meeting politicians, dignitaries, banquets, award-shows (we handed out trophies at 4 of them!), TV and magazine interviews, speeches and jury-duty for the Kapok award.
Our Spark mini-conference went very well. After the PK pitch (with excellent translation by Ding Zhong), Professor Tong, President of Design at the Gungzhou Academy of Arts related his tale of journeying to America, visiting many of the top design schools and judging Spark.

Also Asst. Prof and 2008 Spark winner Haishan Deng (on the left) spoke about the experience of Sparking, and why more Chinese designers should be entering competitions.

Then we handed out Finalist Certificates. These folks were SO happy! But BEST of all was the exhibition of Sparks. All of ‘em, from the last three years. Quite an accomplishment to get everything together–especially 09– in such a short time. We were so proud to see this great work being honored in China.


The work was in display cases or mounted on silk panels by students from GAFA, working with the Citiexpo team. Just beautiful. Great job.

So it went, so it goes. Blowing in the wind.

Back in Hong Kong, we found time for some deep thinking about our friendships and progress in this exciting land. Without getting too blogged- down, I think much is done for peace and cooperation–and progress and freedom– in weeks like this. So maybe we should all just get out there and meet people and make plans and just DO It. Because you can. And it helps. And you’ll get rich– inside. Thanks for the Sparks, China!

BACK TO BASICS–SOME SIMPLE STUFF ABOUT THE SPARKAWARDS

LOOK-SEE
The 2009 Winners Galleries are full of fascinating and inspiring work. Visit:
http://www.sparkawards.com/09_Winners.htm

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We have all just been through an amazingly tough year. We hope and pray that the worst is now in the past, we’ve passed our trial and the new year will be happy, sustainable and prosperous. All best!

2010 SPARKS: ENTER ONE
This year will be an exciting adventure for Spark and Design. In our continuing search for fresh and relevent design interaction, we are launching PopSpark this Spring. Can’t publish many details yet, but PopSpark will encourage personal creativity and focus on specific arts and media throughout the year. It will compliment the original SparkAwards “ProSpark”, which continues in the Fall.

2010 SPARKS: ENTER BOTH
Which Spark is right for you? PopSpark is a forum for individuals, who may respond to a creative challenge in a specific discipline they enjoy working in. It is not for corporate or design firms. The Spark Design & Architecture Awards– ProSparks are the home for all professional firms and entrants– and aspiring pro’s.

ALL DESIGN
ALL DESIGNERS
WELCOME!

SPONSORS & FRIENDS
Hewlett-Packard
AutoDesk, Inc
FGI Interactive
British Design Innovation
Core 77
ArchNewsNow
Archinect
Death By Architecture
Curve/Australia
SEGD

FOUNDATION TEAM
Smart Design
Continuum
HOK
Pentagram
Teague

LINKED YET?
Our new group is now over 415 members. Join the buzz!
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1815249&trk=anet_ug_hm

OR HOW ‘BOUT THAT TWITTER! JOIN US THERE
Spark’s intrepid Communications Director, Mark Charmer, guided the creation of: http://twitter.com/sparkawards

CONTACT SPARK
Spark may be reached at +1.914.481.6106 or via email at info @ sparkawards.com. Visit www.sparkawards.com for more information. For competition details, try the ever-popular FAQ section at http://www.sparkawards.com/Call_for_Entries/FAQ.htm

SPARK WILL BE BACK SOON
Take care of yourselves!

continue reading…

Visit the Asian Design scene here at ASIANLINE. We hope to include feeds and blogs from friends throughout this important region. Please send us your news and views to asianline @ sparkawards. com.

We had one heck of a 2009 competition last year, but adding to the fun was the production of the Sparks Over China Exhibition and mini conference for early December. Here’s the story:

Mid-November, we pulled together the Spark assets– hi-res images or real pieces, for air shipment to China. Plus every conceivable media from mug-shots of the winners to videos, documentation, etc.

This went into the able hands of our CitiExpo partner in China, Ready Zhang and our great project manager, Mabel Mai, who got the job done. We flew out on the 29th– first to fulfill our happy duties to the Global Design Network in Hong Kong.

We love this city.

Part of the giant Business of Design Week, one of our favorite design expos and HIGHLY recommended. Here’s Victor Lo, major player in the GDN and BODW and able event director Amy Chow.

Fellow delegates included good friend  Julia Chiu, of Japan’s Good Design Awards (and soon President of ICOGRADA).

We were happy to see our Asia-mentor and pal, Geoff Fitzpatrick, head of the Australian Design Institute.

And Kigge Hvid,  CEO of kindred-spirit aspirational INDEX Awards told us about new INDEX efforts to incubate good design.

Then– a quick train  zip to the even-gianter
Guangzhou Design Fair, for some real Sparkn’ Chinese-style!

I love this slide!

This delegate-stuff is not easy. One is kept busy from 830am to 11pm, in a constant whirl of meeting politicians, dignitaries, banquets, award-shows (we handed out trophies at 4 of them–gadzooks), TV interviews,   (Here’s David Grossman explaining the work of the Israel Design Works), magazine interviews, speeches and jury-duty for the Kapok award.

Press conferences are fun too. I had a nice view–
of the Mayor’s welcoming speech, followed by the delightful custom of loud explosions of confetti (the cleaners LOVE this I’ll bet)

Our Spark mini-conference went very well. After the PK pitch (with excellent translation by Ding Zhong), Professor Tong, President of Design at the Gungzhou Academy of Arts, related his tale of journeying to America, visiting many of the top design schools and judging Spark. Great stuff.

Also Asst. Prof and 2008 Spark winner Haishan Deng (on the left) spoke about the experience of Sparking, and why more Chinese designers should be entering competitions.

Then we handed out Finalist Certificates. These folks were SO happy!

Ah but BEST of all was our exhibition of Sparks. All of ‘em, from the last three years. Quite an accomplishment to get everything together–especially 09– in such a short time. We were so proud to see this great work being honored in China.

The work was in display cases or mounted on silk panels by students from GAFA, working with the Citiexpo team. Just beautiful. Great job.

Here’s a great group we’ve grown accustomed to: Jan von Holstein, and next to me Prof. Tong and Johan Adam Linneballe. Friends for life (count David Grossman in here, too).

It was a fine experience. We’ll be back soon, to march out the Spark exhibition and story to the other great cities of China and Korea.

So it went, so it goes. Blowing in the wind.

Re-zipping  back to Hong Kong, the wind at our back
we found a nice view out our window  and time for some deep thinking about our friendships and progress in this exciting land. Without getting too blogged-down, I think much is done for peace and cooperation–and progress and freedom– in weeks like this. So maybe we should all just get out there more, and meet people and make plans and just DO It. Because you can. And it helps. And you’ll get rich– inside.

The wrap-up. What a finale to this visit. (Actually, ALSO a nice start for the Asian Games) Thanks for the Sparks, China!

The End of the Beginning.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

continue reading…

Poundbury – an essay in how not to design a new town

February 17, 2010 in architecture, Cities, Design, Leon Krier, Observations, Parking, Poundbury, Prince Charles, Sustainability, urban design | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

FREE: The Web as Big Box Retailer

continue reading…

P.ARCH is the hotspot for Public Architecture, urban planning and design. P.ARCH highlights the potential of the design community to be a force for positive change in the civic sphere. Please send us your news and views to p.arch @ sparkawards. com. continue reading…

Welcome to Chez Spark, where good design is reason for living.

NEW CENTURY FASHION
continue reading…

Where — and how are you going into our bright future? We love and design fast cars and slow, big engines and small, gas, hydrogen, electric, 4 wheels–more or less– trucks, trains, planes, and dig plenty of efficiency and sustainability. We even have a lobbyist for capacitors! Please send us your news and views to going @ sparkawards. com.

Contributors include Dan Sturges, Dave Muyres, Mark Charmer and Joe Simpson. Gentlemen, start your powerplants!

Finding meaning in Frankfurt – 2009 auto show review

Ferrari’s 458 Italia was the prettiest looking core-model Ferrari since 1994’s 355. The stunningly executed Rolls Royce’s Ghost showed Bentley’s Mulsanne the way in elegance terms, showcasing some particularly fine English craftsmanship – check out those door inners, and ingot-like door handles.

Rolls Royce Ghost doors

Lexus and Saab still disappoint. The Lf-Ch was predictable – somehow feeling a little too close to Toyota’s similar sized cars in its execution, and bringing little new to the premium C-segment dominated by the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. SAAB’s 9-5 doesn’t really stand cross-examination against Audi or BMW either. While a welcome new product on a stand starved of product under GM, it suffers from a slightly dated feeling (not surprising really, as its design was signed off some time ago). We wonder how – and if – things will change for SAAB under Koenigsegg.

Citroen Revolte’s interior raised a few eyebrows

Citroen’s ReVolte was much talked about before the show as being a modern interpretation of the 2CV. Yet for all the talk of plundering a heritage line, this was Citroen having a bit of fun. Drawing inspiration from a certain section of Parisian society, the interior takes on the feeling of a boudoir in the rear (crushed red velvet) and clashes it against an integral rear-facing child seat and hi-tech, pilot-like driver’s chair. If nothing else, it made us smirk, and provided an amusingly playful contrast to the seriousness of the Germans.

Sister brand Peugeot produced an intriguing concept in the form of the BB1. A sub-Smart sized city car, the BB1 actually seats four, although they may want to be more than just good friends with one another before all climbing aboard. Cleverly for a product that in size approaches something many might hesitate to classify as a car, there is strong use and reference made to Peugeot’s road bike heritage (bike inspired front seat perches, bike-based driving controls). It felt like an authentic gap-bridging vehicle between car and bike. We expect to see much more of this type of thing aimed at the urban populations of mega cities. Certainly Renault’s Twizy appears to be just that, too. It provides an interesting contrast to the BB1, being physically smaller but designed to imbue the driver with the sensation that they are in a real car, in a way the Peugeot passes over.

Four passengers in the Peugeot BB1 – they’re all good friends…

Favourite vehicle of all for me was the VW L1. Some explanation is appropriate here. Last year I finished an MPhil at the RCA, and my final project was a VW-branded city car, arranged in a tandem formation, and in part inspired by the 2002 1 Litre concept – brainchild of Ferdinand Piech. For many reasons, a very aerodynamic, light, narrow, tandem format car makes sense for our future world.

VW L1

Yet just eighteen months ago (when completing my project) I thought VW had shelved the 1 litre. It was a Piech pet project, and featured rocket science tech that was too expensive, too weirdly packaged to ever see the light of day in a production car. Never underestimate Ferdinand Piech is the message to take from this… more than ever, he’s very much in charge – and in the seven years since the original 1-litre car, the production techniques and cost of making its carbon fibre monocoque have fallen. Meanwhile, the two-cylinder diesel motor has entered the realms of economic reality too – as it’s likely to be pressed into service under the hoods of future Up! and possibly even Polo models, as the internal combustion world continues to downsize. So the L1 is very much set for future production according to VW.

The headline is that the L1 has a drag factor of just 0.195cd (the lowest I’ve heard of – and for comparison, today’s best the Prius, is 0.25), and weighs under 400kg – the monocoque accounting for a scarcely credible 65kg of that. But after talking to designer Maximillian Missoni, there’s a sense that the real achievement has been to create a beautifully spare exterior style, reflecting the purity of purpose in the engineering, with design language that is recognizably VW, and acceptably car-like.

The low cockpit, and side-hinged canopy enclosure make sitting in the L1 feel more akin to piloting a fighter jet than merely driving a car, an idea that is intentional. The design theme was inspired by aeronautics, and intended to convey a sense of speed. More than that though, Missoni says that there was a desire to create a positive sense of drama and forward thinking here “you want to be able to drive up in front of a restaurant, and not feel embarrassed, you want to feel “I’m a pioneer’”.

Compare this to the other future we’re presented with; the forgettable, dumpy forms of the Prius or Leaf – essentially the cars we have today with new powertrains underneath. There’s much merit to what these cars have done to condition markets and move consumer’s mindset. Yet there’s also evidence that – from both an environmental perspective, and an urban mobility one – we need to go further, rethink some first principles. For me, the L1 is that car, it shows a really different way forward – in a positive way. VW’s a huge car maker, but it’s proving that size isn’t a hindrance to thinking differently.

So while the Prius may be a green darling, and its current iteration reputedly very good, the VW is – in many regards – much more elegant when viewed from a holistic design and engineering point of view. Of course, you won’t be able to fit a family of four and the dog in an L1, so many will dismiss it. But think about how often you travel alone, or with just one other – and think about how menial a task day-to-day driving has become. The L1 shakes those ideas up, and says that the future could be different, but the future could have a real sense of adventure, a sense of fun about it. If VW is truly saying that a car as pioneering as this can now be produced, at a cost those pioneering individuals can afford, then it suggests there is every reason to be optimistic about the future – of not only the car, but of how we can push the boundaries of travel itself within the constraints of the world today.

Posted by Joseph Simpson on 23rd September 2009

Four Minutes In Frankfurt–Video

Four Minutes In Frankfurt

Are You Electric?

The NYTimes reports a different, perhaps more confident mood among would-be electric vehicle makers. What do you think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/automobiles/14electric.html?ref=business

The last 12 months of auto design – our favorites

August 24, 2009 by Joe Simpson, with Mark Charmer

Pininfarina Bluecar (nee Bo)

Electric and hybrid cars need to look apologetic and dumpy don’t they? Ergo, all cars of tomorrow will look like the Prius, right? Wrong! Pininfarina, the Italian design house better known for styling Ferraris, took the unusual step of developing their own-brand car, in conjunction with French battery maker Bollore, to showcase a small, electric city car. At its unveil at last autumn’s Paris auto show, words like ‘cute’ and ‘funky’ were the order of the day. Pininfarina even put solar panels where the radiator grille would have been (because it doesn’t need one), and showcased an interior whose design picks up where their brilliant Sintesi concept left off. All in all, this ought to be the car that moves the game on beyond Prius.

Ford Smartgauge

Just under a year ago, Ford was smarting from being (wrongly) lumped in with GM and Chrysler over auto bailout shenanigans in the US. The perception was that the US auto industry didn’t do green, because it didn’t make a Prius competitor. Step forward the Fusion Hybrid, a car which drives just like a regular car, looks like one, but gets better gas mileage than any other hybrid in its sector. But all of this wasn’t really the reason for excitement. No, it was the Fusion Hybrid’s Smartgauge cluster – a four-way configurable digital instrument panel, which helps drivers to get the best economy from the vehicle. Using ethnographic research done with IDEO, Ford have come up with a system that adds layers of complexity and information as drivers learn and want to know more about how their activity affects economy. Ultimately, it just makes the car more engaging and fun to drive… and I never thought I’d write those words about a hybrid.

Toyota iQ

Arguably as innovative as the Gina, the iQ is a sub-3m long city car, which (at a squeeze) seats four, can turn on a six-pence, and yet will let you walk away from a 40mph crash alive. The Prius is often lauded as Toyota’s greatest engineering achievement – but this car trumps it. Among other things, Toyota completely rethought and redesigned the air conditioning and HVAC system to take up less space, remodeled how the steering rack / differential / front axle arrangement worked allowing the distance from front wheel to driver to be reduced, and built a fuel tank to fill the (tiny) few spare spaces they had left under the passenger compartment. It out-smarts the Smart car in one move. Shame Aston Martin want to do crazy things to the whole concept…

Honda Insight Speedometer

A lot of people criticise Honda’s new Insight, but it can be applauded for an approach which – rather than adding complexity, which is inherent to most hybrid cars – seeks to simplify. So the electric motor and hybrid system is smaller, simpler, sitting like a ‘pancake’ behind the engine. And rather than the all-singing, all-dancing driver displays found in some hybrids, the Insight keeps you driving economically with a really simple piece of design. The digital speed display, sitting at the base of the windscreen and in the driver’s line of sight, simply glows green when you’re driving economically, and goes purpley-blue when you’re being lead-footed.

Volvo S60 Concept

Changes are afoot at Volvo. Ford is keen to sell its Swedish subsiduary. Steve Mattin – the chief designer – left suddenly, and now one of the blue oval’s top designers, Peter Horbury – who made his name at the Swedish firm, is returning to head up the design team. If he gets the next S60 into production looking anything like the concept car unveiled at January’s Detroit auto show, there’ll be lots of happy people in Gothenberg. Not only did the S60 concept look sleek and fast, but it had an interior of such jaw-dropping beauty and detail design attention, that it was many people’s star of the show. Criticised for deserting its Swedish roots under the stewardship of Ford, the S60 emphatically hit back, featuring a huge chunk of glass dashboard that flowed between the seats and into the back of the car. Done in conjunction with Swedish glass firm Orrefors, the end result was an interior that embodied everything great about Scandinavian interior design values, and felt as Swedish as Abba, but a damn site classier.

What do you think? Lists tend to create disagreement, so let the debate begin! What blindingly obvious thing have I omitted? Ultimately, there’s nothing too out of the ordinary here. No Tesla. No Aptera. No Jetsons-esque flying cars that start to creep into the kind of ‘reality’ one expects to see South Park satirizing. The auto industry doesn’t do ‘innovation’ in a way that’s highly visible, or that changes the world, very often. In fact, it’s largely still doing things the way Henry Ford did 100 years ago, which many argue is why it’s in the state it finds itself today. Yet for some (and I include myself here), it’s possible to take delight in the new models, and the little details which showcase the behind-the-scene hours spent by engineers and designers, who’ve dedicated their lives to shaving off a kilogramme of weight here, or an inch of unnecessary flab there.

It’s the little things, those moments where you’re made to feel ‘someone in the development team thought about me’, that still ultimately make cars the special, coveted objects that they are today.

Posted by Joseph Simpson on 19th August 2009

Disclosure – Ford is sponsoring The Movement Design Bureau’s design and research work in 2009, Honda provided an Insight test car free of charge for review purposes.

Images: BMW Gina – Steve.Jackson, Nissan Cube – winni3, Audi A5 – philippluecke, Pininfarina Bluecar, Ford Smartgauge, Honda Insight – all Joseph Simpson, Toyota iQ – Mark Charmer, Volvo S60 – potatowedge

LAUNCHPAD

July 1, 2009 by Peter Kuchnicki

It’s appropriate to launch the GOING blog with a launch by friend and Spark Council member, Tom Matano.  Tom is also Director, School Of Industrial Design for the Academy of Art University and ex-chief of Mazda Design. In a somewhat cryptic PR from LED (Louisiana Economic Development), plans are outlined for a new eco-car, designed by Tom and an impressive team. When I asked Tom “What else can we put in the GOING blog about this? How about sharing some design guidance, mission, drivetrain, etc?” Tom responded, “Unfortunately, I can’t give you any more than that the plant site has been selected… If this goes as planned, it will be another ICON like Miata has become.”

We’re rooting for you, Matano. And dig the VC masters of the universe-types behind this startup. Watch out Elon! Here’s most of the PR:

RELEASE: Louisiana Economic Development

V-Vehicle Company, or VVC, is a new American car company that will produce a high-quality and fuel efficient car for the U.S. market. Its goal is to provide the American car buyer greater product value and a superior automotive experience. By designing and building its cars in the U.S., VVC wants to help re-establish American leadership in the global automotive industry.

• VVC was founded in 2006 by Frank Varasano, a former Oracle Corp. and Booz Allen Hamilton executive. The vehicle design team is led by Tom Matano, who is best known as the “father of the Miata,” which was recently named the “most iconic” car of the past 25 years by BusinessWeek.

Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., VVC intends to locate its first manufacturing facility in Monroe, La.

First Plant Location Selected

• VVC selected Monroe, La., as its first plant site after an extensive and competitive, multistate evaluation of potential candidates against a detailed list of critical factors. Key to its decision was the availability of an existing facility, the quality of the labor pool, its confidence in the state and local leadership and a creative incentive package developed by the Louisiana Economic Development team that addressed core needs and provided value where it was most needed. KPMG advised VVC in the selection process and CBRE acted as real estate broker.

• VVC plans to renovate, retool and expand the former Guide headlamp facility in Monroe, approximately doubling its size with the addition of about 325,000 square feet of production space. The construction project is expected to begin later this summer. Gray Construction of Lexington, Ky., has been chosen to design, engineer and supervise the project. CKGP/PW & Associates of Troy, Mich., will provide process and manufacturing engineering support. Both organizations have impressive resumes in automotive plant design and construction.

• Once completed and at full capacity, the Monroe facility will employ over 1,400 workers. The majority of these workers will be employed by VVC, with approximately one-third employed by several colocated supplier companies. VVC intends to take full advantage of the Louisiana FastStart™ program to help recruit, screen and train a world-class workforce. Production hiring is expected to begin in the summer of 2010.

V-Vehicle Company Funding In Place

• VVC has been funded thus far by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, or KPCB, under the stewardship of VVC board members and KPCB partners Ray Lane and John Doerr. KPCB is one of the world’s leading venture capital companies, with success stories including Genentech, Amazon, Compaq and Sun Microsystems. VVC and KPCB are currently in the process of closing a second round of equity funding.

• VVC has applied for engineering and manufacturing loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion loan program established by Congress in 2007 and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy to spur innovation in automobile technology.

For more information, visit www.OpportunityLouisiana.com.

BIOGRAPHIES

V-Vehicle Company Selected Investors & Executives

John Doerr
Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

“V-Vehicle Company coming to Louisiana, I think, is a great statement and a great catalyst for all kinds of new, innovative economic opportunities.”

Ray Lane
Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

“The thing that excites me the most about V-Vehicle is that it is a holistic change, so we’re thinking about – from beginning to end – how to reconstruct a car company.”

Horst Metz
Vice President – Assembly Operations, V-Vehicle Company

“Designing a car in America, building a car in America, selling the car in America – we’re going to show that it can be done.”

T. Boone Pickens
Founder and Chairman, BP Capital Management

“I’m excited to be an investor… and I believe that the automobile industry will survive in America, but it won’t look like it did in the past.”

Frank Varasano
Founder and CEO, V-Vehicle Company

“Our vision for a new American car company is coming to life here in Monroe, La.”

Tom Matano
Director of Design, V-Vehicle Company

“My belief is to do a good design that lasts longer. It’ll make people happy.” Tom Matano has 30 years of experience in the automotive design industry. In addition to his responsibilities at VVC, he serves as the executive director of the School of Industrial Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Matano joined Mazda in 1983 and progressed through numerous design positions, ultimately becoming general manager of Mazda Design, with responsibility for the chief designers’ group that created Mazda’s entire line of car designs, as well as the European and North American studios. His accomplishments at Mazda include the MX-5, the RX-7, the 929 Miata “M-Coupe” concept car and many other projects by the design teams he managed and created. Earlier in his career, he held design positions at General Motors and BMW.

>Register for Spark Today!

Check out this lively blog about the fascinating world of industrial design. Key contributors include Ayse Birsel, Steve Prastka, Manuel Saez, Sally Dominquez, and more! Please send us your news and views to shapesters @ sparkawards. com. continue reading…

Just the place for a bracing look at the worlds of graphic design. Be sure to check in on a regular basis! Please send us your news and views to graphik @ sparkawards. com. continue reading…

RE:START is the new Spark blog dedicated to survival on, and of this planet. All things considered, with an emphasis on design. Please send us your news and views to restart @ sparkawards. com. continue reading…