RMI Delhi- Invitation by Volkswagen for Design Interaction- 6 Feb 2014

On 6th

February 2014 (Thu), students of RMI

Delhi’s Product Design department, accompanied by

Product Design- Program Director, Devon Foster and

Product Design faculty, Antonio Suarez, were invited to a

“Design Interaction” session with Mr. Romulus Rost, Head

of Design Interior for Volkswagen Design Center at

Potsdam- Germany, at Greater Noida.

There were only 40 students (5 schools- 8 students

per school) who were selected and invited for this Design

Interaction session. Raffles Delhi is proud to be one of the

privileged schools to be selected.

Mr. Rost gave an exclusive presentation to the

students on how an automobile design flows from initial

sketch to working prototype using the example of the

newly unveiled ‘Taigun’ model, a SUV concept developed

specifically for the Indian market by Volkswagen.

Mr. Romulus Rost, Head of Design Interior for Volkswagen.

Mr. Rost gives a detailed description of the new VW Taigun.

Mr. Rost explains how the Volkswagen ‘Taigun’ design process started and developed into prototype.

There was an immediate Question and Answer

session, after the presentation, whereby questions

about Design Strategy, Prototyping, Marketing and

Production Manufacturing were asked by the students

and were answered by Mr. Rost.

Mr. Romulus Rost walks the audience through the design development of the new Volkswagen ‘Taigun’’s interior.

Product Design student Sudarsh Singh asks about the

budget and costing of the Volkswagen ‘Taigun’ project.

Product Design student Vibhor Gulati asks about teamwork between

designers and engineers at Volkswagen.

Raffles Delhi’s students were thoroughly impressed by this “real-world” case study analysis

covering what it takes to deliver an automobile from brainstorming to actual marketing, being explained

by someone with such vast industry perspective as Mr. Rost. They also were impressed by Volkswagen’s

unique Design philosophy which pays very close attention to details, which other automobile

manufacturers often overlook. Raffles Delhi’s students felt their Design studies are enriched by such

interactions and are looking forward to similar events in the future.

Following the Q & A session, Mr. Rost engaged Raffles students in an informal “pep” talk

regarding their work and future careers in Design. Among some of the pointers he gave, Mr. Rost said

“You have to tell a story with your designs. You have to feel what you are doing and you must be

passionate about it. You have to love your designs and be proud of them and stand behind them”.

After the presentation, an informal "pep talk" between RMI Delhi’s Product Design students and faculty and Mr. Romulus Rost was held.

Vidyut Jacob, student from Product Design said, “College life is great but it is important to get

out into the world and see what other designers are doing. This Volkswagen show gave me that

experience. There are so many things I liked about Mr. Rost’s presentation. It is difficult to talk about

them all. But when you see what is happening in industry and get to talk to the people who are doing it,

it gives you something to aspire to. It challenges you to make your own work better”.

Another Product Design student, Siddhant Khajuria added, “I really enjoyed seeing the whole

process of how the Volkswagen ‘Taigun’ was being made. It is interesting to see all the steps from

sketching to modeling and to prototyping. It gives me a very real understanding of the manufacturing

process and how design and designers fit into it.”

Antonio Suarez, Product Design lecturer shared, “It is a good talk and I enjoyed hearing about

the design process and philosophy that Volkswagen follows. In many ways, it is very similar to what we

teach here in the Product Design department here at RMI Delhi. It is really refreshing to see how

involved and important Design is in the Auto industry as compared to other product manufacturing

industries which do not necessarily hold design in too high a regard. “

Product Design students Sudarsh Singh (L) and Siddhant Khajuria (R) pose in front of the new Volkswagen Taigun before the design

interaction session.

Devon R. Foster, Program Director of Product Design, said, “Meeting Mr. Romulus Rost and hearing

about the development of the Volkswagen ‘Taigun’ from idea to product launch is very beneficial for our

students. It is important for students to complement their studies by actually seeing the skills and

techniques they learn in classes, being applied to a real world Product Design process. Mr. Rost gave a

very in-depth overview of how this particular product was brought to market including how Volkswagen

designers work with their marketing team and board members. On an educational level, it couldn’t

have been better”.

The Design Interaction was well received by the public and RMI Delhi’s students and staff

benefitted from this exclusive interaction. The students have requested for more such interactions with

people from the industry, as it will benefit them and complement in what they have been taught in

classes.

Upon completion of the presentation, lunch was served and the students were given "goodie bags" of Volkswagen-branded items such as

caps, coffee mugs and pen drives.