A Common Thread with Fashion

──My initial question was, why do German sports cars often feature checkered patterns? For example, pre-war Mercedes-Benz racing cars also had checkered seats.

Manuela Joosten (MJ)"Why indeed (laughs). I don't know about other companies, but the seat pattern for the first-generation 'Golf GTI' is called "cross check," and when that pattern was adopted, similar checks were trending in the fashion world. The designer was Scottish."

──So it's been carried over.

MJ"Yes. However, while they might all fall under the umbrella term "cross check," the actual patterns differ significantly. For instance, the cross check on the previous generation GTI is completely different from the first generation, and the new GTI's pattern has been further updated."
Previous generation GTIis completely different from the first generation, and the new GTI's pattern has been further updated."
New GTIhas been further updated."

──What do you mean by updated?

MJ"With the previous generation, I think the appeal lay in the glossy yarn used for weaving. In the new model, in a word, it's become three-dimensional. The check pattern has multiple layers, and the top layer should appear to be floating. Furthermore, the surface has a granular treatment, which I believe strongly enhances the sporty feel tactilely."

Just as the first generation couldn't use jacquard weaving due to technical limitations at the time, seat materials also evolve hand-in-hand with the latest technology. The seat upholstery for the new GTI is a new material that couldn't be used before. As technology advances, car interiors also take on new appearances. In that respect, there are commonalities with fashion."

Thorough Lifestyle Research

──When we talk about car design, the exterior usually gets all the attention. However, some designers believe the interior is far more important, as we spend most of our time inside the car once we buy it. That might be true. Why did you decide to become an interior designer?

MJ"I studied textile design at a vocational college and university in Germany. After graduating, I was involved in developing fabrics for furniture. Then, I moved to a fabric supplier and worked on developing and producing textiles for companies. I proposed fabrics for Volkswagen (VW), and they were adopted. I grew up in a family that loved motorsports, so I was interested in cars. When VW, who liked my proposals, invited me to join the company, I made the decision immediately."

──What does your current job entail?

MJ"I'm a Senior Designer in Color & Trim within the Design department. My main projects over the past few years have included the previous Golf, the new Golf, all variants of the new Golf, the Scirocco, and the up!. I've been primarily involved in interiors as a key designer."New Golf, all variants of the new Golf, the Scirocco, and the up!. I've been primarily involved in interiors as a key designer.Scirocco, and theup!. I've been primarily involved in interiors as a key designer. I also act as a coordinator, liaising with other departments. VW places great importance on its seats. Of course, compared to Audi within the same group, Audi focuses on elaborate finishing and offers a choice of several types of leather upholstery. In contrast, VW only offers a choice between fabric and leather.

My first job at VW was child seats, and at the time, my sister had children, so I closely observed their lives and what they looked for in a child seat. Even when choosing the color of the seat stitching, I spend considerable time doing my own market research, even for something as simple as black or white."

What Constitutes an Ideal Seat?

──Car seats come with various upholstery, surface treatments, and shapes. Do you have an ideal seat in mind?

MJ"A seat that firmly supports the body, offers a snug fit, and has a slightly firm cushioning. That provides a sense of security to the occupants. It's also important that it doesn't cause fatigue even on long drives. Ultimately, a functionally superior seat is my ideal. On a related note, to ensure there's no excessive strain on the thighs, once a seat prototype is ready, I have monitors use it for extended periods and provide feedback. This helps in creating the ideal seat."

──I'd also like to ask about the design aspect. Where do you draw inspiration from? While not a seat, the glossy finish on the up!'s dashboard, for example, is reminiscent of an iPad.

MJ"If I had designed it after seeing the iPad, it would have been impossible to adopt it by the time the up! was announced. The new Golf's exterior color has a finish reminiscent of metal like titanium, and some have pointed out that it resembles the new iPhone. But again, I hope you understand that we don't research and develop based on seeing the iPhone."

During the development process, we might encounter new materials, and sometimes our direction aligns with that of completely different industries. However, when it comes to seat fabric design, it's true that we keep an eye on the fashion industry. Approaches like Burberry's, which has traditional patterns and reinterprets them in a modern way, are inspiring."