Interview with Xiaomi Car Chief Designer Reveals Insightful Stories Behind the Design of Xiaomi SU7
On March 30th, according to the latest news from IT Home, during a live interview with Autohome, Xiaomi Car’s Chief Designer Li Tianyuan provided a comprehensive explanation of the design highlights, details, and the stories behind Xiaomi SU7. He also shared the story of how the design of Xiaomi SU7 was completely revamped.
Right from the beginning of the interview, Li Tianyuan addressed the question “What was the biggest challenge Xiaomi faced?” He mentioned that the biggest challenge encountered was when the design was completely overturned, which was a significant challenge for the entire design team.
“The challenge stemmed from a shift in mindset. Previously, designers used to think I need to create something different, innovate to the fullest, and make a difference.”
“The early design concept was completely different from what it is now. During the initial research phase, the majority of people were against that concept. We had to rethink, switch to the user’s perspective, and think from a beginner’s angle. Letting go of preconceptions and starting over was indeed quite difficult.”
Regarding the decision to retain physical buttons in a car, he explained that it was Xiaomi’s insistence.
During the early stages of product definition, multiple teams discussed the matter, with the primary focus on “interaction,” which involves giving feedback and receiving feedback through physical actions.
“Mr. Lei mentioned the fusion of human and car, where you give a command to the car and it needs to provide feedback to you. If communication is solely through the screen, the tactile sensation might be missing, so we decided to keep physical buttons.”
“Furthermore, physical buttons are also crucial for safety. When Xiaomi considered designing physical buttons, we added another layer to our thought process. We introduced expansion modules because some users prefer no physical buttons, thus empowering users to make their own choice.”
