When you sit in the driving seat of a Continental GT or Flying Spur, the dials in your field of view are a model of clarity and characterful design. It’s easy to forget that the hint of 3D knurling on the dial inners and the subtle shadowing beneath the elegant needles are all generated digitally on an active matrix Thin Film Transistor whose thickness is measured in millimetres. That’s the work of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) team, led by Graeme Smith – the specialists responsible for Bentley’s infotainment systems.
State-of-the-art technology with enduring design values
Think of Bentleys past, and it’s often the interior details that come to mind – the brass lap counter on the dash of Tim Birkin’s 1929 4½ Litre supercharged ‘Blower’ Bentley (adapted from a billiard table score counter), or the assured simplicity of a patinated 1952 R-Type Continental, its analogue dials deep set within a simple walnut dash. Bentley interiors speak of craftsmanship and a very British design aesthetic that’s a powerful part of their appeal.
Today though, digital technology must be integrated throughout a Bentley’s interior. The ability to connect with smartphones, view 3D digital mapping, summon up music, movies (for the passengers) and control the cabin ambience at the touch of a finger all comes from pixels and microprocessors rather than cables and gears.
Giving those flat glass screens the same design ethos as the handcrafted wood and crisply knurled metals that surround them is a challenge, but it’s one that Graeme Smith and his team of Human Machine Interface (HMI) designers at Bentley have taken on with great success.
The skeuomorphism debate; Bentley’s philosophy
Working with the styling team in Crewe, Graeme and his team of graphic designers create a mood board of icons, colours and images that will appear in a new model. A key decision is whether to make the graphics skeuomorphic – a 3D graphic representation of a physical object – or flat digital design. Smith explains Bentley’s approach:
“A Bentley isn’t a smartphone; it’s going to be used and cherished for generations. So we chose a skeuomorphic approach that will age with the car. Look at pure digital instrument graphics from ten years ago – they’ve dated faster than the car they were part of”
His point is echoed by Director of Design, Stefan Sielaff.
“In general, skeuomorphism is being phased out in favour of a clear and flat graphic communication of information. But we were quite clear about not going all the way to this kind of ultra-modern digital graphic. It would have been wrong for the brand and for the car. We still use skeuomorphism, dials and needles, to convey the traditional way of getting this kind of information.”
Please click here to view the full press release.
SOURCE: Bentley
