Pforzheim University Spring Degree Show 2005

Fifth semester Transportation Design students presented exterior proposals for a project entitled 'Luxury class in two generations', proposing an MPV in the 100,000 Euro price class, with comfort and space as the most important characteristics.

Seventh semester Transportation Design students proposed interiors for the same vehicle.

Fourth semester Transportation Design students presented '30 Tons', a truck for the year 2010. The assignment was to design a next-generation truck for a 30-ton trailer skip. The basis was the existing package of a MAN truck. The basic concept of the vehicle was maintained to a large extent, in order to assure the compatibility of the sketched tractor to existing trailer skips. Fundamental functions of this vehicle category should be improved, and new capabilities added.

Fourth semester ID students presented '450 kilo', a three-axle microlight vehicle. The assignment was to design a microlight (three-axle control) with an unconventional layout. The scenario assumed that an existing company wants to enter into the growing microlight market. The existing corporate image of the company and the appearance of its existing products had to be transferred to an microlight.

The Pforzheim Transportation design department is located on the outskirts of the town of Pforzheim, on the edge of the Black Forest, between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe.

The first three semesters of the Transportation Design course are taught in conjunction with the Industrial Design course, and in the fourth semester of the course the students begin to specialize in Transportation Design. During this semester the students develop their design projects from 2D to 3D using digital models rather than clay, using Alias|Wavefront Autostudio for modelling, packaging studies, renderings and animations. Only in the fifth semester do the students develop their projects with the use of clay models. This emphasis on digital design techniques early in the course reflects the changing nature of the automotive design process.

The school has a Master of Transportation Design program (MTD) which is a three semester course. A diploma or degree in Industrial design is required for acceptance on this course but students gaining entry will have a certain level of freedom in planning the course structure. The school aims to take on a wide variety of students who will eventually be capable of working in all aspects of transportation design.