As cars become more electronic, more automated, how users treat cars is also changing from “vehicles that move” to “spaces that move.” This means that the emphasis on their interiors is also changing from the prevailing masculine perspective to a more feminine one. There appears to be a movement towards soft, comfortable materials like fabrics and translucent materials such as marble being combined to create spaces that allow the occupants to feel more relaxed.

Younger people are rapidly becoming less and less interested in cars. Automotive manufacturers are abandoning the idea of drawing young people in through motorsports to rekindle their interest in cars, and looking for ways to find the creative ideas that the youth enjoy among contemporary fashion culture. So we see a lot of elements designed to appeal, such as items that form a single coherent design while still mixing in elements of various colors and textures, or designs that add colors to allow people to get a feeling of life amidst a world of similar tones.

People’s values regarding luxury are changing dramatically, and how people with “mindfulness” think and act are becoming the focus of attention. These people are not interested in material greed, but find value in the emotions and memories they gain from their experiences or the beautiful scenery they see on their travels. For these people, should we not extract and express the beauty of form and shape created by nature or the fascinating aspects of materials?

Today, when advanced technology is used to mass-produce a range of different products, we are taking another look at our values vis-à-vis products such as crafts and Scandinavian furniture that can only be created by highly-skilled artisans. In this theme, the focus is on sophisticated people who can understand these values. As long as cars are still products to satisfy material desires, for these demanding people we will need to recreate and add high quality textures to designs inspired by artisanal handicrafts and their decorativeness.