The Lexus ES 350 (2019)
Through my research of the ES 350, the features I found most captivating were its aggressive and angled headlights, hourglass grille, and chrome accents. I also appreciated the symmetry to guide my eye to areas like the Lexus insignia. Keeping these design elements in the forefront of my mind, the first product I created was called Ethereal, a spinning top that combined the ES 350’s curved edges with the Lexus insignia. By combining these curves to create a form akin to an arrow tip, I created a 3D printed top with internal negative space that was as eye-catching still as it was when spun. My next prototype Infinitum was a fidget spinner similarly designed around the ES 350’s core principles of balance and symmetry. It incorporated the car grille’s hourglass-like design and aggressive check marked headlights to create a 3D printed spinner with a system of arrows that led back to the center bearing and the Lexus insignia atop it.
Ethereal and Infinitum
The next product concept was a bicycle seat geared towards luxury road bikes that I called The Wasp. I incorporated the ES 350’s status as an all-terrain luxury sedan and the aggressive curvature found in areas like the car’s chrome accents, headlights, and front grille to create a rendering for an aerodynamic seat ideal for riders who want to push their limits without unnecessary discomfort. My final prototype in the series, Titan, is a Bluetooth speaker that utilized the ES 350’s organic symmetry and dynamic curvature to create a 360-degree listening experience with an appearance that is equally attention-grabbing. For this prototype, I disassembled my own Bose Soundlink Color in order to repurpose its speaker system and accompanying parts. I then separated the essential parts and modeled them in Fusion 360 so that my speaker shell design could be modeled to best fit the pieces. As part of this process, I even had to rewire the speaker units to the circuit board so that they could be placed in opposite spots in my model’s shell and better reflect the 360-degree soundscape I wanted to create. Although malfunctioning 3D printers made it impossible to get a full print of Titan’s last design iteration, I believe the concept accurately translated the ES 350’s visual design into a new product space. I look forward to printing an updated version of the prototype and refining its design in the future.
Fusions: An Exploration of Cross-Branding
To create a strong visual identity for a product, a designer must be able to identify and translate its core elements across media. Fusions takes this principle and explores how the car company Lexus could expand its design and brand language across hypothetical product markets. Using the 2019 ES 350 as a reference point, I constructed a series of renderings and prototypes with Autodesk Fusion 360 that embodied Lexus’s existing brand identity of luxury, seamless integration, and dynamic aesthetics.