The Car-tier Of Design: Pratap Bose, Chief Design & Creative Officer, M&M

Every curve tells a story: When you look at a car, whether you are astounded by the tranquil marvel of a front fascia, the opulent body lines, or the intriguing interior, your eyes are feasting on the creative acumen of a designer!

Car design is the backbone of the automotive world. From conceiving an idea to its implementation, there is a person who guards it all – the creative head whose geniusness goes beyond magnificence – this person understands the consumer sentiment, market and ideates to weave a masterpiece.

Today, a force to be reckoned with, Pratap Bose is a name that every auto original equipment manufacturer (OEM) wants to collaborate with. From an early age he was a curious person, always trying to figure out how things worked, how they were put together, and how they stayed together!

"My interest in car design was sparked when I saw a beautiful blue Mercedes SEL parked in front of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. While I knew of the existence of Architecture as a profession, I was intrigued to know if anyone designed cars. That was the start of a lifelong journey in this field of passion and work," Bose, chief design & creative officer, Mahindra & Mahindra told Entrepreneur India.

With a wealth of experience in his sleeves, he believes business and creativity is Yin and Yang – two fundamental, interconnected forces – meant to exist in harmony.

Design is intrinsic to business outcomes, and design without a business model is not effective at all, "This relationship, if understood and leveraged correctly, can have an immense impact on the top and bottom line of companies," the designer said, whose piece of art sold within seconds of being opened for booking. This was M&M's latest Batman edition: As many as 999 units were sold out in 135 seconds.

Bose understands money and M&M understands creativity. A match made in heaven. "I think designers need to understand how and where the money flows through an organization, and business people need to appreciate and harness the power of design to create strong financial outcomes," he quipped.

The annals of history are a testament to the marvelous work of design. Designers and artists that have had a profound impact on Bose's work are, Dieter Rams, Louis Kahn, Frank Gehry, Calatrava, Frank Lloyd Wright, B V Doshi, Charles Correa, Peter Schreyer (Ex president of design at Hyundai Group), Olivier Boulay (Mercedes Benz), to name a few. He is also an admirer of fashion designers such as Virgil Abloh, Cristian Dior, Sabyasachi, Rahul Misra, Gaurav Khanijo, amongst others.

Bose believes it is important to be a keen observer or 'people watcher'. He thinks, in design, and especially automotive design, it's always important to keep the unstated and unexpressed needs and desires of the customer at the center of the outcome.

"We need to think typically in a 4-12 year time frame, it's important to imagine what the customer will truly desire in a vehicle when it's launched, and how it stays relevant for many years beyond. So, pushing the envelope is vital. The method we follow is quite classical in a sense. It's the design process which utilizes the best of our skills as a global design team. We use manual and digital techniques and technologies to shape dreams that truly move people, and become a means for them to experience life."

Maybe his secret sauce lies in asking a few questions, such as how do people travel, eat, sleep, and live? What role is the current product fulfilling in their lives? How will life shift and change? What will customers need tomorrow and beyond, that they aren't able to clearly express today?

"The other key ingredient is of course imagination. A designer needs to visualize and then realise the products and services of the future, by using the power of creative visualization and imagination," the chief added, when asked about the most effective ways to truly understand customer needs.

In the whirling world of design, one cannot fathom creativity, if it's in an inopportune moment. Propitious predictions are golden goose. "Timing is everything. Too early or too late, and the chances of success change dramatically," he concluded.