CMF
(Color, Material & Finish Design)
VNL is a long-haul truck, which means it’ll live on a highway most of it's life. So, when I started looking for inspiration to pick the color for the launch, I knew it needed to portray something that speaks to highways. Often times, when driving on a highway, you get to see beautiful views and landscapes, and that’s when the image of Smoky Mountains came to mind.
I always wanted to include Southern pride in the look&feel of this project. I think it’s very important to make people aware of the fact that Volvo Trucks N.A. is based in the South (NC / VA), where many American cultural roots were born! With that in mind, there’s nothing that better represents the southern region than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
So, I went through many images of this majestic mountain range until I found a gorgeous neutral blue monochromatic picture that allowed me to pick a handful of options reviewed by my team and brand management until we nailed down this elegant cool neutral with a metallic finish. It's quite an unexpected color for a truck, which makes me love it even more, but it works for Volvo because it speaks that premium language that characterizes the brand.
In line with Volvo’s status as premium brand, I wanted to move away from the overused mirror chrome finish that every other truck has in their trim offering. After exploring and reviewing countless gloss levels and hues, we finally found the perfect satin chrome finish. The one that conveyed the precise message of high-end quality that the brand has always been known for.
In this case, we worked with a black master developed for the FH in Gothenburg. It was exactly what we wanted. My take on it was to tone down the gloss level and make sure we achieved the matte finish we were after.
Following the brand guidelines for badge design, I created this logo with Volvo's emblem font, carefully arranging the kerning to assure good legibility even from far away. In line with the FH badge in Europe, I added this dynamic shape as a container to carry the sleeper length designation for the three largest VNL models - 740, 760, 860.
Once the 2D design was approved, I worked hand in hand with the DSM to develop the badge in 3D and afterwards with the supplier to secure the overall geometry of the final piece and make sure the finish matched the Satin Chrome and matte black masters. The badge placement on the truck was also my choice. I found a way to accentuate both the badge and a graphic line on the body side.
VNR is a regional haul, which means it will mostly live in the city. Trucks tend to be pretty intimidating for people; they’re big, noisy and impossible not to notice.
As a CMF designer I had the responsibility to make it blend in the urban life while somehow, stand out. Cities have infinite sources of inspiration, but I chose to focused on building materials and infrastructure hues. I asked myself, what’s the color that prevails in a city? Well, you may think it depends on which city, but actually, it was pretty consistent throughout the countless photos I looked at. Warm neutral hues were always present - cement, asphalt, concrete, steel, iron – Most aerial city shots have an overall warm palette, that’s why I chose this handsome warm neutral. The metallic effect gives the paint a lot of depth, allowing the color to change depending on the light source it’s under. That kind of versatility reflects what happens to city buildings, which constantly change hues. Sunlight affects the appearance of color on all things, but neutrals often change more drastically due to lack of Chroma. Buildings can look gold, pink, grey, brown (ish) depending on the position of the sun and that’s exactly how our Urban Bronze behaves with light.
So, there you have it, a good looking truck that blends in the city, maintaining a pleasant presence with a bold statement!
Following the brand guidelines for badge design, I created this logo with Volvo’s emblem font, carefully arranging the kerning to assure good legibility even from far away. Once the 2D design was approved, I worked hand in hand with the digital surface modeler to develop the badge in 3D and afterwards with the supplier to secure the final piece and finish which needed to match the Satin Chrome of other components. The placement on the truck was also my choice. I found a way to accentuate both the badge and a graphic line of the truck’s side body.
