Touch controlled, illuminated door trim in avant-garde day/night design impresses the jury

Fürth, Germany – Leonhard Kurz was selected as a winner at the Automotive Brand Contest 2018. Kurz won in the Future, Mobility and Parts category. The jury of this international design competition for automobile brands was delighted by a door trim with interactive backlighting effects. The prize was awarded for the overall concept of the door trim including surface design, light effects, and touch functions.

Design that stands out

Cloudy Feathers is the name of the award-winning day/night design that was developed by Kurz designers. The design team was inspired by industry-specific and general trend surveys. “We are observing an ever-growing trend towards the symbiosis of design and function with an increasing focus on looking towards nature,” explains Alisa Schäfer, a designer at Kurz.

In the day design, the door trim with Cloudy Feathers look exhibits a design inspired by nature. The monochrome surface with organically curved, matt and glossy elements is reminiscent of the plumage of a bird. When the backlighting is activated by touch, the design takes on a technical appearance. The feathers turn into colored luminous diamonds with a graduated transparency effect, and the diamond pattern following the part contours. With a swipe of the finger over the surface, the color of the ambient light shining through changes. The diamonds receive a completely different color, and the entire design takes on a surprising new look.

Touch technology from PolyIC

The surface design with touch functionality was implemented by means of sensor technology from Kurz subsidiary PolyIC. Its PolyTC capacitive touch sensors offer not only a high level of functionality but also excellent transmission, thereby allowing a clear, true-color translucency over the entire touch surface. They provide the technical prerequisites for implementing a functional day/night design like Cloudy Feathers. PolyTC sensors are also mechanically rugged and flexible. This enables them to be integrated not only into flat, but also into three-dimensional plastic components such as the award-winning automotive door trim.

Prize-winning design at Fakuma

The winning design will be on display at this year’s Fakuma from October 16 —20 in Friedrichshafen. Visitors to Fakuma will have the opportunity to operate the touch functions and experience the design changeover between daylight and backlighting for themselves at the Kurz booth A4-4122 in hall A4. In addition to the award-winning door trim, further touch- and gesture-controlled displays and control panels for the automotive, consumer electronics and household appliances sectors will be demonstrated. There will also be a live demonstration of the fully mechanical integration of touch sensors using the newly developed Functional Foil Bonding process.

The competition

With the Automotive Brand Contest, the German Design Council honors outstanding product and communication design and draws attention to the fundamental importance of brand and brand design in the automotive industry. In this context, the focus is on the integral and consistent use of the brand across all media and products. Prizes are awarded in 12 different categories and four special categories. The categories cover the entire design spectrum and range from vehicle designs and concepts through brand design and interconnected multimedia all the way to campaigns and events.

Kurz’s award-winning door trim in day/night design. (Photo: Kurz)