The challenge was to create a sustainable car interior; the solution ended up being a collaborative effort between University students and local businesses.
University product design students participating in the Green Product Design Network created sustainable car interiors with the help of Eugene-based electric car manufacturer Arcimoto and Beaverton-based material design company Uliko Studio.
The class, Workshop on Experimental Materials, is part of the Green Product Design Network, the brainchild of several University departments including green chemistry, product design, journalism and the Center for Sustainable Business Practices. The final product design of the class will be featured at Uliko Studio in the fall.
The goal of the four-week course’s final project was to find a way to design a car interior that eliminated waste by using materials that can be biodegraded or recycled by others at a scale that appeals to both manufacturers and users.
The focus on a sustainable auto interior is important because, although 75 percent of a car is recyclable, the remaining 25 percent isn’t. The non-recyclable portions are usually found in the car’s interior, which is tailored to specific manufacturers.
“We had to come up with design systems that could be recycled,” class instructor Wonhee Arndt said.
Students were excited about designing the car interior for several reasons.
“Right now, sustainable materials are hitting the market,” University junior Nitchakarn Sidthilaw, a material and product studies major, said.
Even non-product design majors took interest in and learned from the class.
“I wanted to test the waters for product design because it’s really different from architecture,” University junior Alex Zelaya said. “The focus is different because it focuses more on manufacturing and industrial processes. The materials matter if they’re reproduced at such at large scale.”
Students also discovered why sustainability matters.
“Before, I didn’t know much about sustainability, but then we had to do research and make prototypes,” University junior Phuong Nguyen said.
Furthermore, students learned the basics of product design.
“I learned a lot about the process, like from first sketches to the first prototype to the second to the final product,” University junior Eugene Wong said.
Using a wooden car model provided by Arcimoto, students designed a front seat keeping comfort, sustainability and accessibility in mind. For the back seat of the two-seat car, students wanted it to not only be built out of sustainable materials, but wanted to retain a modern look and be able to convert the seat into more storage. Students used materials like polar fleece, steel, nylon and polyurethane foam to create the interior.
Joe Morgan, vice president of Arcimoto, was happy about his company’s collaboration with the Green Product Design Network.
“It was interesting to see the students’ fresh perspective on automotive design,” Morgan said. “They incorporated clever ideas like interchangeable seats constructed of seasonal fabrics, maximizing storage space and working with the structure of the vehicle to offer a variety of comfortable options and unique customization choices. It was my pleasure to work with Wonhee and the students. The Arcimoto team is appreciative of their hard work, creativity and enthusiasm.”
“(In) the process, you actually have a final product that works, not just a ‘what if,’” Zelaya said.
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