I visited GM’s headquarters for design in Michigan where I saw one of the most ambitious projects out there — the Volt. In our current climate of high gas prices, any sign of possible relief is an important one … I recall a few years back coming close to buying a Toyota Prius to join the hybrid revolution. The Volt differs from the Prius in that it is not a hybrid gas-electric vehicle, but instead it is a purely electric vehicle with a gas-engine that can charge the battery when it’s supply goes low. You can also recharge the Volt by simply plugging it into the power outlet of your garage. So whereas in the Prius the electric engine runs at low speeds while the gas engine kicks in at higher speeds, the Volt runs purely on electrical energy for 40 miles and then the gas engine kicks in to recharge the battery as needed. Although the Volt (and Prius) are miracles of technology, they survive and thrive on their design and I was impressed with the design thinking that is going into the Volt and other projects ongoing at GM.

My takeaway was that even the most advanced technological companies today need new perspectives on our world that can benefit from the powerful conceptual framing power of an art and design education.