Royal College of Art preps designers for expanded role

Vehicle design is broadening and moving upwards in both intellectual and business terms, with many designers reaching board level, says London's Royal College of Art professor Dale Harrow.

“THERE ARE NO INTERNATIONAL BARRIERS for students wishing to become automotive designers,” said Professor Dale Harrow, Head of Vehicle Design at London's Royal College of Art (RCA). “And design is broadening and moving upwards in both intellectual and business terms, with many designers reaching Board level. Peter Schreyer (who as Chief Designer helped revamp the Audi brand in the 1990s) recently became the first designer to be appointed a President of Kia Motors Corp.”

A German by birth and a former RCA student, Schreyer is also the first non-Korean in the company's history to hold such a title.