Ferdinand Alexander ("F. A.") Porsche, grandson of the company's founder and the first head of design for the Porsche brand, always strived for the extraordinary. He designed the 911, which quickly became a design classic and the epitome of the sports car. His goal was the perfect symbiosis of form and aesthetics. Above all, however, he was already looking at the brand image from a design-oriented perspective. "F. A. Porsche had a visionary understanding of how design as a key factor influences the identity and success of a brand. This attitude and his legacy have always formed the basis for our work," says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche.
In the course of further sharpening the design criteria within the Volkswagen Group, Style Porsche has taken a close look at its own brand and analysed which values it embodies and which customer groups should be addressed. The typological model of Carl Jung, which he developed in the 1930s, was used to describe the brand personalities. The Swiss psychoanalyst used a total of 12 role models.
With hero, rebel and creator, Style Porsche has selected three archetypes from this portfolio that embody the core values and identity of the brand. In the next step, these findings were transferred to the strategic level of brand and product identity. After all, it's not just about the unique design of the products, but also about creating a uniform brand world across all touchpoints between customer and brand.
"The process was valuable because we dealt intensively with the identity of the Porsche brand," Michael Mauer continues. "The sharpened Porsche design criteria are a guide and at the same time form the framework for inspiration and creative freedom. Based on the archetypes and the key terms derived from them, we have developed a kind of brand compass. Beyond the pure styling of the sports cars, we want to use it holistically throughout the company."
Sharpened design criteria illustrated by the 911 Turbo S
Hero, rebel and creator – these three archetypes symbolise Porsche's design identity. The hero embodies courage, strength and perseverance. The key term for this is Focus. As a rebel, the brand finds itself in the field of tension between tradition and pioneering spirit – the key term is tension. In addition, the sports car manufacturer stands for passion, technical precision and visionary thinking. The key term purpose is associated with this archetype.
The strategic sharpening of the design is tangible in the new 911 Turbo S. Because the Turbo S is the hero of the road, a symbol of power, attitude and sovereignty. All design elements – such as the unique sculpture of the fenders, the front end with large air intakes, the independent rear end and the active rear wing – serve the purpose of bringing turbo performance to life (Focus).
At the same time, the 911 Turbo S is a rebel, a border crosser that always dares a little more. This is evident in the rear spoiler, which has shaped the silhouette since the 930 – exciting (Tension) and clearly turbo. And finally, this sporty top model is the expression of innovative engineering and design culture. Connoisseurs can see this in numerous details: on the central locking wheels, on the active bow lip or on the extension of the active wing. The Turbo S is not about show, but about the clever integration of function and functionality (purpose).
About Style Porsche
Style Porsche, the design department of Porsche, has around 150 employees. Analogue methods and digital tools are used in the iterative design process: Innovative software from the gaming sector, among others, supports the employees. But despite digitization, the design department still attaches great importance to the design quality of classic sketches and elaborate clay models. In 2014, the sports car manufacturer opened its current design studio in Weissach. The architectural structure of the studio allows for maximum transparency and communication for the. In addition, the interdisciplinary exchange with the "Flow Test Benches" and "Concept Construction" teams, which work together with the "Styling" department in the same building complex, is promoted.
