Kelly Holder

I am Kelly. I'm a UK based designer with over 8years in the Automotive and Transport industry since the completion of my degree from Coventry University in 2014. At a point where I gained various experience in all fields from design, alias, visualisation and CMF and worked at various companies doing various projects from caravans to Bentleys to toy cars, I wanted to tailor my career a little more to advance design and widen my creativity further so completed the MA at the Royal College of Art.

I am a unique designer and my work shows that the final outcomes is the product of a careful process including thorough research with a story behind the ideation. I believe an Intelligent Mobility Designer shouldn’t just simply draw cars, I think they should be creatively active in the project they’re working on and be able to express their thoughts through varied skills using inspirations from all different fields and industries. I am a designer not just a stylist. I am a deep thinker, I am curious, I am creative and far from concrete. I explore, I am patient in the process and create original work. The MA at the Royal College of Art enhanced these qualities in me. I’ve also been praised for having an open mind and a keen sense of humour and positivity when working in a team.

In such an exciting period of change from vehicle design to intelligent mobility, my goal is to not just design beautiful vehicle architecture. I use a thorough process of research and careful form development, but also concentrate on the technology and innovation used in the vehicle, as well as the appealing aesthetics. I believe it is a matter of trying to change people’s mindsets with future mobility design to create a more positive and sustainable future for the next generations.

I believe good design should be user focused so the interior and exterior develop in harmony with each other. With autonomous cars being the future of mobility, I feel it’s necessary not to let this lose the personal touch. We need to encourage other ways to still have the user connect with the vehicle and of course trust it. With the use of artificial intelligence, we can use this to aid us further to adapt the vehicle to be a more personal space and altogether more humanised experience. And, of course, not lose the sustainable brand values in the concept along the way.

I was very lucky to be able to collaborate with FORD Australia on my final major project. The resultant vehicle TOTEM is an example of bringing people together in remote areas like Australia for surfers and adventurer's. It uses innovation and technology for a more sustainable future and offers nomadic capability of temporary off-grid living, with it's hydrogen electric powertrain, batteries stored in the body architecture, a water filtration system delivering clean water on the move and semi-autonomous driving technology. It combines the emotional with the practical and inherits Australia's pickup cultural connection, displayed in the fluid form inspired by the ocean. It highlights the transition between vehicle design and intelligent mobility.

The design values bring the emotional together with the practical. An essence of freedom for leisure is felt in the fluid form and speedtail design, floating roof and bonnet influenced by the ocean. The futuristic architectural space maintains the beauty of the body and promotes mobility that younger people would want to drive and enjoy, however it’s not just about the aesthetics. it’s about changing mindsets and future attitudes and this was designed to achieve a vehicle efficient for long distance journeys and create a more sustainable future, aiming for people to have more respect for nature.

Kelly Holder

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Royal College of Art

Kelly Holder

AMEEA SCHOLARSHIP AWARD STUDENT

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About

Royal College of Art