Women In Automotive Design

Group: Quick Lime • James Hunter• Paul Jessen • Anthony Makkar• Narek Ohanyan• Taylor Mesko• Merari Zarceno

What is Ergonomics, Quality, and Safety?

Human factors

Study of: designing equipment

and devices that fit the human

body, its movements, and its

cognitive abilities

Optimize human well-being

and overall system

performance

Ergonomics

Anthony Makkar

What is Ergonomics, Quality, and Safety?

Quality: ensuring highest standards are

met

Safety: keeping human security as

highest priority

Reliability: how consistent is my

product?

Manufacturing

Testing

Production

Quality and Safety

Anthony Makkar

Steps involved in Car Production… Sketch (Drawing)

Clay Model

Concept Consideration of different

Materials (Ford Team)

Testing

Production

James Hunter

Historical Background on Women in Automotive Design Harley Earl

First one to higher women

designers (1950)

Damsels In Design

First Team of women

designers for GM

Last about 10 years due to

Harley’ retirement James Hunter

Team FORD Consist of 5 women:

1. Debbi Mielewski (Technical Leader)2. Angel Harris (Plastic Research Engineer)3. Ellen Lee (Tech Expert Plastic Researcher)4. Cynthia Flanigan (Materials Engineer)5. Patti Tibbenham(Building Researcher) Goal: For cars to longer use anything that can be labeled as toxic and to

eliminate petrolum based plastics. Fords use of soy-based foam reduced

3 million pounds of petroleum oil 11 million pounds of carbon dioxide

And is 24% more renewable than petroleum First to use soy-based foam to plump car seats.

9 ford models and 2 million vehicles use soy-based foam seats.

Merari Zarceno

Taylor Mesko

The Volvo Team• Volvo creates all women design team to design a

concept car from the women perspective (2002)

• Reason for creation: Industry studies show

women purchase 54% of vehicles and influence

80% of all sales of Volvo.

• Design team included 5 female managers and 20

interior and exterior designers.

• Important features included: Relocation of windshield wipers fluid to side of car

Parallel park assist

50,000 kilometer before oil change

Automatic door opening

Taylor Mesko

Volvo team (continued) Ergonomics considerations

Upon entering car, persons body scanned

Seat, steering wheel, pedals, head restraint, and seat belt are adjusted

based on person’s build.

Creates optimum line of sight for the user.

BMW Team Ergonomics considerations

• Two women designed interior and exterior of 2010 BMW Z4.

• Goal of project was to make design in which nobody could differentiate

whether a male of a female designed it.

• Male dominated field

• Common conception that women don’t know about cars.

• Since 1900s, the automotive field was seen as potential tool to help

women get away from their traditional roles.

• Women became more visible in the automotive field in the 1930s Union

Struggles.

• 1909 22 year old Mrs. Alice H. Ramsey boarded a 30 HP Maxwell and

began a 3,800 mile trip.

• 1922 Henry Ford opened his car factory and hired women for welding work.

• In 1942 Helen Rother was the first women to work as an automotive

designer for General Motors in Detroit in 1943.

Struggles …

Narek Ohanyan

• Modern automotive field involves more women because most

services are not provided the old way.

• Equal Employment filed a lawsuit against Arapahoe Motors Inc.

• Five women were subjected to sex discrimination and a sexually

hostile work environment while employed by the car dealership.

• Factors encourage women to stay in the field or newcomers to

join the field• Raises and Promotions

• Strict Human Resources Department

• Encouragement by other women

Struggles Continued…

Narek Ohanyan

Paul Jessen

Summary: Women in Automotive DesignPerceptions on Women in the field:

• Valuable Marketing input

• Perhaps not as valued for expertise

• Ford’s All-Women Design Team

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3AzpI50tZY

(40 sec till 1:30)

• Still skewed gender ratios

• No real push to involve women

• In spite of these perceptions women are prolific in

the field

Paul Jessen

Summary: Women in Automotive Design

Women and All-women Teams(Potential Role Models)

Dorothée Pullinger (Galloway)

“Damsels in Design” (GM)

YCC Team (Volvo)

Ford Materials Team

Nadya Arnaout/Juliane Blasi (BMW Z4)