KEVIN GEORGE: FIESTA DESIGNER'S TOYS HAVE GOTTEN MUCH LARGER
- Prior to joining Ford, Fiesta designer Kevin George worked in the toy industry
- An Ohio native, George grew up visually cataloging the nuances between model year changes in his favorite automobiles
- The married father of two young daughters, George balances off-hours between family and thinking about his next vehicle purchase
Kevin George went from designing remote-control toys, theme park rides and NASCAR die-cast collectibles to iconic Ford cars including Mustang, Thunderbird, Focus and now Fiesta.
But that’s not to say his career in toys didn’t prepare him for designing cars. It’s just the opposite, in fact.
“A lot of what I do at Ford utilizes the same skills I used before – transforming two-dimensional sketches into three-dimensional models, creating core concepts and staying true to those, as well as getting in the mind of the customer,” explained George. “Regardless of the scale, it’s all about bringing a fantasy to life.
“For me, Fiesta was about crafting everything I did in the kinetic style – or with movement in mind – and that’s easier when you’re used to adopting other mind-sets, like I did with toys.”
Growing up in Kettering, Ohio, George believes that the automotive sector represented his design career destiny.
“My father worked in the auto industry for 34 years,” said George. “We had prototype vehicles in the driveway all the time.”
It became an obsession to learn the minute differences between vehicles from successive model years. Building a mental database of year-to-year model changes helped the aspiring designer begin to “connect the dots” of brand DNA.
Industry and creative legacies intersect
“While my father’s career was a profound influence on me, my mother played a key role in my design future,” George said. “She has always been intuitively creative and has the ability to visualize how things should look, as opposed to how they are. This is a critical skill for a designer, and I credit my mother with passing this ability on to me.”
George joined Ford in 2001 with the initial assignment of designing the interior for the 2005 Mustang. The University of Cincinnati graduate now serves as design manager for the North American Fiesta.
Managing the interior and exterior design for the North American Fiesta, in both four-door and five-door variations, has been a rewarding experience.
“I’m very proud of this product,” said George. “The most challenging part of creating a global design is the difference between North American and European crash safety standards. These ‘under the skin’ variations mandated by legislation can have a significant impact on the look of the car.”
Working within the global structure, George and the North American design team accomplished this while still honoring the Fiesta’s kinetic surface language. Kinetic design is a strong aspect of Fiesta demonstrating the designer’s vision of the energy from an object in motion.
One aspect of Fiesta that George loves is that when he gets in the car, he doesn’t feel like he’s in a small car. That means a lot considering his height – George is 6-foot-2.
“The roof profile gives me plenty of headroom and the seat travels far enough that you can fit your legs in. If you can tune it to me, anybody can fit in it.”
George is the married father of two young daughters and an enthusiast of all things automotive. He’s currently in the market for an early Ford Bronco in stock original condition – unencumbered by previous owner-inflicted modifications.
Personal Insights and Fun Facts
- Toys have played a big part in Kevin’s career
- Kevin is a car guy, through and through
- He has the auto industry in his blood
# # #
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 198,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 198,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
April 19, 2010