Ed Welburn defends GM design from HuffPo attack
So what do you do if you happen to be Global Vice President of General Motors Design and a blogger calls your company out for lacking a modern sense of design? Well, if your name happens to be Ed Welburn, you respond with an open letter of your own.
After Huffington Post writer Gerald Sindell wrote an open letter to new GM CEO Fritz Henderson suggesting that a new design direction should be Job 1 for the reinvention of GM, Welburn felt compelled to respond. As you might imagine, the response is a rather passionate one. So what did Welburn have to say to Sindell? You can read the rest of the story after the jump.
[Sources: GM Fastlane and Huffington Post]
Sindell points out that at his first press conference as chief, Henderson promised "great design" from the new GM. He wanted to know how Henderson planned to do that, wondering aloud "what [Henderson's] process would be for inspiring, creating and recognizing great design." Sindell implies that good design will be at the heart of GM's turnaround if it is to happen, but says he doesn't see anything in the company's new website or marketing campaign to suggest they know how to do that:
I really wonder if General Motors can suddenly start to make stuff that's well-designed, from both the engineering side, as well as the interior and exterior. Can an organization that has made so much truly ugly stuff suddenly start making great design? I went to your new website, gmreinvention.com, and perused the portraits of the top team, just to get some clues about the design sense there. I see mostly corporate-type guys, in ties and suits, and the one thing that doesn't leap out is, "Wow -- great design sense." What leaps out is, "Older white guys wearing suits to the office in Detroit, except for one woman and one black guy."
That "one black guy" happens to be Mr. Welburn, who in his response suggests that Sindell might be a little out of touch. Besides explaining that diversity in design is more about what's inside than out, he points out that he leads, "one of the most diverse industrial design organizations in the world. I have the pleasure of participating, developing and approving every product our passionate design team creates."
Welburn goes on to single out Chevrolet's Camaro and Malibu, Cadillac's CTS and SRX, as well as Buick's LaCrosse as examples of how GM has been getting it right lately. He then goes on to challenge Sindell to go check them out for himself. Welburn adds that Design is a group of listeners, conducting many "research events, nontraditional focus groups, and dialogs with potential customers... all in the name of exceeding expectations." Mr. Welburn sums up his challenge thusly:
Our job today is to recapture, reconnect broadly with consumers, and help them feel good about GM vehicles again. It will be difficult, but not impossible, and our designers have the best chance of rebuilding that confidence. My team is designing some of the best vehicles ever, in studios right here in Michigan and across the globe - designs that inspire me and the customers we've met with - keep your eye on us.
Check out Gerald Sindell's open letter on The Huffington Post by clicking here, and Ed Welburn's response on GM's Fastlane blog by clicking here and decide for yourself.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
mapoftazifosho 2:33PM (6/10/2009)
Everyone is an expert...
Reply
ronEbear 2:34PM (6/10/2009)
I am an expert on experts.
creigs9 2:49PM (6/10/2009)
I am an expert on experts experts, and all things in general.
IK 1:18AM (6/11/2009)
I don't know shit - but I do know that GM's best designs are only half way where they need to be.
Take a look at the CTS-V for example. It's an excellent car (GM's best?), but what holds it back is the design. Both the body design and the interior are huge steps forward for GM, but be honest, can you really compare this to BMW or Audi? The CTS lacks the refinement and sophistication in design - aspects I sincerely wish are more present in the car's next iteration.
But that just covers one car. What about all their other models? Where can one point and say "here", GM produced a quality design?
It's a shame that a company the size and age of GM has come to such a low level where they don't even know where their weaknesses are.
njsidekick3 2:35PM (6/10/2009)
The new Caddy Designs are Hot, what the hell is Gerald Sindell talking about? maybe he cant afford a new Caddy.
Reply
clicketyclack 3:15PM (6/10/2009)
The new caddy designs are "hot"? Um, yeah, I've always wanted the fascia of my car to look like the front of a big-rig. Check out my new Cadillac STS guys--It's the Ice Road Trucker edition.
The bailout money that we've given to GM should have gone to Tesla which is the only American car company with half a clue about the direction America's automotive compass is pointing.
Oh and GM, I beg you with all of my heart...lose that ridiculous fu**ing bow tie emblem on your Chevrolets.
Nellydesign 3:39PM (6/10/2009)
Yeah, that Bowtie has to go. It's totally, like, conveying what brand of car it is and stuff. How stupid. Maybe if you take it off people will think they are buying something else Genius! Branding is for losers. Have you thought of running your own car company? I'm sure one of these bankrupt organizations could use your staggering intellect.
Bingo on the Caddy critique too. Now that I look at the CTS-V it really does look like a giant 18 wheeler. I MEAN THEY BOTH HAVE BIG GRILLS LOL! You sir, are the smartest man I've ever seen comment on a blog.
Protzenegger 5:51PM (6/10/2009)
@ Nelly: Best ownage ever.
clicketyclack 7:00PM (6/10/2009)
@Nelly
You're right, branding has nothing to do with selling cars. That's why none of the worlds automakers spend hundreds of millions per year to differentiate and bolster their non-existant brands. Thank god that you're such an intellectual.
That cute little bowtie is so awesome that Chevy puts it on the only well-built and attractive model in their line-up...oops, I'm wrong, the Corvette gets it's own badge. ...I wonder why.
As for Caddy, let me know when they finish playing catch up to the Japanese and European companies and do something innovative.
p.s. the headlights belong on a big-rig too.
Nellydesign 9:38AM (6/11/2009)
First off, the opening paragraph of your last post makes no sense. You "agree" with my sarcastic comment that branding isn't important which would actually back up your original proposal of ditching a decades old logo, but then you seem to contradict yourself by (I assume sarcastically) pointing out the other car companies around the world that "don't" spend millions of dollars on branding. I just really have no idea where you are coming from.
Intellectualism aside (I mean I did use an "lol" in my post so what does that tell you), I will stand by my backhanded assertion that getting rid of the bowtie is a horrible idea. The Chevrolet brand, for good or ill, is closely associated with it's logo in the minds of customers. If they got rid of it, what would you propose they replace it with? A big "C"? The Presidential crest? It would be like... well, it would be like any 100 year old company ditching their long standing logo for something no one anywhere has any connection with. Bad idea. You may not like the logo, mainly because you don't like Chevrolet, but that doesn't give your idea any more merit.
clicketyclack 5:32PM (6/11/2009)
Rather than go back on forth with you about the varying percentage of sarcasm we both used in our posts, I've decided to type this one from the heart.
The only connections I feel towards the Chevy branding are negative ones. Shoddy build quality, low resale value, and poor reliability are a few. Admittedly, I might be the only one who feels that way on this forum but I'm certainly not the only consumer who is left with those impressions of the brand.
Moving on to the design of their emblem, let's look at the Malibu for a moment--It's a pretty decent looking car and it is definitely a move in the right direction for GM. However, I personally have trouble getting past the huge honking yellow belt buckle slapped on the front of it. Is it a deal breaker? Certainly not. But IMHO it's a blemish that doesn't need to be there. I like to think that they could come up with an emblem that is more modern and attractive without forsaking their heritage or their loyalists.
I criticize the American car companies so harshly because I really do care and I want GM/Ford/Chrysler to be world leaders in every facet of automobile engineering...Especially since we now own a large chunk of most of them.
Borrego 2:34PM (6/10/2009)
Get 'em, Ed! You and your team are heroes to an emerging generation of car enthusiasts that crave unique, declarative design ethic at an attainable price point. GM vehicles are caricatures -- the Camaro bulges muscle, the CTS blings where it should and doesn't apologize with a small badge, Hummers look like Tonka trucks, and the ZR1 looks like the world-beating GT car that it is. Pundits can rail on the financial management of a business they'll never understand, but they better back off of the product -- the product isn't the problem.
Heroes, Ed! I mean it.
Reply
Throwback 2:51PM (6/10/2009)
agree 100%. Welburn has overseen some of the best designs out of GM since the 60's.
Protzenegger 6:00PM (6/10/2009)
Designers across the globe are thanking Mr. Welburn right now. GM is incredibly fortunate to have him as their design VP.
KIB2 7:48PM (6/10/2009)
Hey, Ed's the man. The people at the Huffington are a bunch of Eurocentric nose pickers.
Sean Flanagan 2:34PM (6/10/2009)
I can't believe the Huffington Post gets as much respect as it does. It's so radical that it's nearly a parody of itself. It's almost as if it exists only to incite people.
Reply
Redeemed 2:52PM (6/10/2009)
Same can be said about PETA. Why these fringe groups get this much press is beyond me.
Ben 3:02PM (6/10/2009)
Lets also throw in Code Pink, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Perez Hilton, etc, etc...
Rich 9:12PM (6/10/2009)
Agreed. Just because I advocate for animal rights, don't associate me with Peta. Just because I have sympathies for Republican ideals, don't associate me with Limbaugh.
Just because I think GM's design language is dull don't associate me with an overrated blog.
Yar 2:36PM (6/10/2009)
Well the Huffington Post is just a fistful of crap, so it is of no surprise that they formulated something like this. I'd like to know what they think "well designed" means from an engineering standpoint, that would be a laugh.
Reply