Now in its third year, the CDN People Awards will feature a student sketch-off with the winner revealed later during the main ceremony

Car Design News is pleased to announce that the student sketch battle will return on the evening of the 2024 People Awards in London. Students from multiple universities will be on site working against the clock to a brief provided by Hyundai. The winner will be revealed during the formal awards ceremony. 

Although the process of designing a car has evolved heavily since the early days, sketching remains a fundamental skill and that is unlikely to change any time soon. The idea of a sketch battle is to push students beyond their usual comfort zone, encouraging students to find a path, stick to it, and see the design through to as close to a finished concept as possible. At a time where OEM studios are under greater time pressure than ever, sketching well – and fast – is invaluable. 

Work will once again be judged by Hyundai design executives including Peter Schreyer and Simon Loasby, who helped to create the brief for the battle for 2024. This year, students have been asked to look far into the future and consider how the Ioniq 5 might look in the year 2100.

The brief is as follows: “Hyundai stands for Progress for Humanity. How, in your view, should the iconic Ioniq 5 progress, and what will future personal mobility look like at the end of the century?” Students are advised to consider autonomy, robotics and how emotional or functional the owner/passenger experience should be.

Peter Schreyer sketch battle winner Harry de la Riveira CDN_PeopleAwards-1

Peter Schreyer (left) with sketch battle winner Harry de la Rivière (centre) and CDN editor James McLachlan

The students will have 30 minutes to complete the brief, after which their work will be displayed at the CDN People Awards reception. The more than 450 guests in attendance will have an opportunity to talk to the sketchers and vote for their favourite. And importantly, the winning student will receive a certificate on stage presented by Peter Schreyer, with their work celebrated by many established designers and, perhaps, potential employers.

“The sketch is the most easily-relatable aspect of car design,” comments CDN editor James McLachlan. “Whether you are a trained designer or simply someone with an interest in cars, the sketch is the fastest and simplest way of communicating an idea. Which is why it endures, despite ever more advanced design technology. Car Design News is delighted to host the sketch battle once again.”

With just a couple of weeks or so to go, the CDN team encourages the participating students to sharpen their pencils, refill their pens and get ready to sketch.

The details: Hyundai Peter Schreyer sketch battle 2024

Date: 5th Dec

Time: 3-4pm

Location: The Londoner Hotel, Leicester Square

Participating universities: College for Creative Studies, Detroit; School of Digital Technologies, Innovation & Business, University of Staffordshire, UK; Royal College of Arts, London; University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK; Coventry University, UK

The 2024 sketch battle is sponsored by Hyundai