Want to know how to irritate us irritable baby boomers in three easy steps?
1. Assume that we are all alike.
2. Assume that we are all fat and out of shape and can't get into or out of a car.
3. Assume that we all love the Beatles and are nostalgic about Woodstock.
I could go on....
1. Assume that we are all alike.
2. Assume that we are all fat and out of shape and can't get into or out of a car.
3. Assume that we all love the Beatles and are nostalgic about Woodstock.
I could go on....
Today's Boston Globe Automotive Section has an article "Automakers Race to Keep up with Boomer's Needs." It contains gems like this one: "Ford has its designers and engineers wear a 'third age suit' when creating features and systems for its cars. It's a heavy, bulky suit that limits muscle and joint movement to simulate the aging process, including stiff foot pads, anlke braces, knee and back braces, elbow and hand braces, rubber gloves, a neck brace and yellow tinted glasses that magnify glare. Once strapped in, designers get in prototype vehicles to see how weel they can see, turn, back uup, reach and use all the knobs, buttons and handles in the car." AWESOME! Just what I want!
No wonder the car companies are in trouble. Lowest Common Denominator approach to car design. No Boomer that I know owns or wants to own a geriartic car.
I once met Tom Matano, the designer of the Mazda Miata. He knew how to design a car. "We want to get so close to the customer that we can smell the liverwurst sandwich that he ate for lunch." He listened intently to real customers. He understood how boomers see themselves. He understood that in Japan, cars were seen as an industrial product - they were boring. He understood that in America, cars were a reflection of one's personality. He test marketed the car by driving it to a nearby shopping mall and parking it by the curb. As he drove off, people were literally chasing him to find out what kind of car it was.
