Creating emotional connection through storytelling, sustainability, and the constant strive to push boundaries – Bentley’s head of colour and trim Maria Mulder talks interiors and material innovation
Car Design News: What does your day-to-day look like?
Maria Mulder: My role covers such an expanse, I think it is one of the most creative roles you can have in colour and materials. I don’t just look after the mainstream Bentley cars, I also work on limited editions, with Mulliner on the personal commissioning guide, and on Coachbuilt models. So I am lucky enough to often work with new material innovations. Mulliner and Coachbuilt probably require the most innovative exploration of materiality, and these are sometimes translated into our mainstream models of the future. The level of creativity that this encourages is astonishing.
CDN: How do you deem a new material worthy of exploration?
MM: We will never use a material just for the sake of it. There has to be a purpose and a clear intention. It needs to be beautiful, sustainable and functional, but it also needs to be better than what came before. It is a difficult task because we already use materials of the highest quality, but if it is the next best thing, it must come through.
This content is available to subscribers only | Sign in
Unlock exclusive design knowledge, inspiration & connection.
Knowledge
Inspiration
Billed as $194 annually
Other currencies: £149 / €179 annually
Available to new subscribers only
Knowledge
Inspiration
Connection
Billed as $259 annually
Other currencies: £199 / €239 annually
Knowledge
Inspiration
Connection
Billed as $389 annually
Other currencies: £299 / €359 annually
Explore more subscription options.
For help with individual user subscriptions please contact:
Eric Ng
Eric.Ng@ultimamedia.com
For help with multi user subscriptions please contact:
Angela Yang
Angela.Yang@cardesignnews.com
The designer has received his second promotion in as many years
Autonomous vehicles need not be as cold and uninviting as we might first think, providing the focus lands on humanisation and smooth UX design
Car Design News goes inside Ford’s human-centered design studio to understand how the brand is researching what people want, use and ultimately need
