“Lighting reflects the soul of the car and underlines its character”.
Stefan Sielaff, 45, joined Audi AG in 1990, the year he obtained a master’s degree in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London. He first worked on interiors at Ingolstadt. After working at Sitges, Spain, on the development of the European Design Centree, he was back to Munich to become head of Interior Design at Audi. In 2003, he joined DaimlerChrysler as design director of the Interior Competence Center of DaimlerChrysler in Sindelfingen. He was back to Audi few years later to be now head of Design. Driving Vision News asked him a few questions.
Driving Vision News: It is difficult to characterise a brand. What words best define what you want an Audi car to be?
Stefan Sielaff: elegant, dynamic, high-class – Audi design is best defined with these core values. Our vision is based on these three words – this is how we want to create icons for tomorrow.
DVN: Perceived quality, design lines, and surface perfection are prime concerns for you. With respect to those aspects, how do front and rear lamps contribute and integrate?
S.S.: A human’s eyes are the mirror to his soul – this is a well-known saying. And it fits perfectly to our cars. Our lighting speaks the same language compared to the rest of the design; it reflects the soul of the car and underlines its character.