1 : Program Planning and Management

Everything begins with a plan and a meticulous one too. Our program management team researches the details to present a plan that uses the right tools for the right job. Milestones and reviews are placed with team leaders accountable for deliverables and assignment responsibility.

Key program management is very strong ingredient of the design process to ensure the program doesn’t sway off target.
A program matrix will be presented to the client to get a commitment and agreements on the deliverables, enabling the project to get started.

2 : Brand Strategy

We help you carve out your brand strategy and your brand audit. We can help you frame your position in the appropriate market segment. We work with your brand strategy team, if you have one or we can offer complete brand strategy consultancy.

3 : Design Research

We do the design research as we peel off the layers of the current product as well as the competitive products to provide evidence to set the design direction.

We help focus on the right target demographic whether local or global, and make sure the product is properly tuned to stand out in that market. We study the inspirations for that segment and establish a design language for the product.

We plan numerous future scenarios for the product lifecycle to guide the design and the associated features for maximum return on investment.

4 : Engineering Research

Whether your project is a futuristic concept and design statement or a production feasible model with working components, we make sure we understand the engineering parameters for the task at hand. And like design research, we focus on what parts and preliminary criteria may be used for specific applications including research on the best use of materials, manufacturing or the assembly of the product.

We have our designers and engineers work seamlessly to experience end user studies or actual immersion within the product to understand and discover innovation opportunities and the areas of competitor neglect.

5 : Ideations - Exteriors

Once we understand the DNA of the project we do what we do best, bring the ideas to life. The designers are in their zone, in their element as we rapidly sketch out multiple ideas and expound on them. We build appropriate story boards, condense the data and paint a probable story.

We rely heavily on the design and engineering research and the brand and marketing studies done so far. We create competition amongst our design team to leave no stone unturned. What we present to the client is the best solutions to the design problems, backed up by research based on fact.

6 : Ideations - Interiors

The same principles that applies to the exteriors, apply to the interiors as well, in fact, even more so. This is the interface between man and machine. It has to work, it has to be inviting, and it has to be appropriate to the brief of the project.

We apply the rules of ergonomics and usability and strive to make sure the driver or passengers are not compromised into fatigue and have the best environment to travel in. We apply the ergonomic principles in all elements of interaction design, to make sure the seating is comfortable and the controls are usable.

7 : Concept Renderings

Once the ideation phase is processed through the leadership reviews, we narrow down the possible options. Once when we believe specific options have the greatest potential we want to sell the idea. We take it to the next step in various 2 dimensional renderings.

Here some of the final chosen concepts are presented in more detail, may be drawn on an actual original vehicle framework to make we are not looking at a three dollar bill. All feedback is duly noted and again put through the cycles of the ideation workflow. The process continues to circulate and flow, refining the theme until it is just right.

8 : 3D Digital Rapid Math Models

Then we take the phase of visualization to the 3D level. We import the engineering CAD data and start building concept digital 3D models to show the concept in a more concise environment.

It can be sectioned or viewed parallel with the underlying engineering structure and made sure it also conforms to specific engineering criteria. The design process really heats up and reality is one step closer with the introduction of engineering input.

9 : Photorealistic Renderings

We use this preliminary data to produce photorealistic renderings. This is not a Photoshop smoke and mirror job. This is as close to reality as it gets without having to build a model at this point. This assists in focus clinics for getting marketing feedback or pre-copy to be released for the press/media world. It makes believers out of doubters too.

10 : Design Animations

We can leverage the digital data to produce design animations, such as a vehicle in its environment, working components, or a fly through of an interior or workspace. This is also a great way to look at the data in full scale on the power wall, experience the live experience to further study the materials, the textures, the color and trim.

11 : Studio Engineering

The Studio engineer is the liaison between the artistry of the designer and the pragmatic thoughts of the engineer. He protects the design by following the project very closely to keep everybody honest, and when the two worlds clash, offer concept engineering solutions for the best possible product. Our studio engineers play a vital role in making sure the design team has timely input of engineering criteria with zone and limits models and other important framework.

12 : Scale or Full Size Modeling

We have an excellent team of master modelers who can magically transform design concepts to scale or full size clay models, complete with fine details and extremely complex surface transitions. We can use digital data or just pure hands on clay modeling to complete this process – which ever is the best solution for the job at hand.

The model can be taken to a realistic level with a high level review, in color, with add-ons from the rapid prototyped world. The modeling team is so perfect and precise in its work that from a reasonable distance the clay model is easily mistaken as an actual vehicle.

13 : Digital Scanning

We can scan the physical model if necessary, and feed it back to the CAD world to capture all of the sensitive massaging done by the master clay modelers. We use white light or laser scanning tools to transfer the analog to the digital environment.

14 : Class A Surfacing

Finally we can take our primary concept digital models and take it to the level of Class-A surfacing. A much misunderstood definition, Class-A surface is taking refined concept surface data and ensuring an extremely high fidelity surface is produced with well mastered smooth flowing lines, which in addition has all production criteria and manufacturing restrictions included so it can be used to cut the surface of tools.
Quite an art in itself, this step is extremely important to release a high quality product and get best use out of the high tech tools available in the ASC design studio.

15 : Rapid Prototyping

We can take the provided digital data and produce hard physical parts in several different formats of materials with rapid prototyping. This process provides additional detail and high fidelity to any finished model or acts as a prove-out of an in-progress or finished design.

16 : Clay Model Milling

ASC specializes in this part of the process and have adequate capacity for any job to be completed quickly and efficiently. We have the milling capabilities to transform the virtual data into a physical model. With multiple in ground surface plates and six 5-axis Tarus milling machines in our studios, no job is too big or too small.

17 : Foam Milling

Light foam models are an alternative to clay.

18 : Concept Vehicle Builds

We provide world class concept vehicle build capabilities to bring the design journey to the final destination of a working concept property. This may be a show vehicle, a project installation, cut away model, engineering feasibility concept or a table top quality verification model.