Buick Smart Pod Concept Vehicle

ADVANCED CONCEPT: DESIGN + EMERGING TECH

PROJECT TITLE / Buick Smart Pod Concept Vehicle

COMPANY / General Motors

STUDIO LOCATION / Michigan, US + Melbourne, Australia

DURATION/ January 2019 - November 2021

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

Buick's future growth was tied to the China market, a region with distinct luxury values, digital-first behaviors, and a rapidly evolving definition of premium. The Smart Pod was as much a strategic research vehicle as a design one an opportunity to ground future CMF strategy in deep cultural foresight and translate those insights into a new design language for Buick's autonomous and electric portfolio.

  • Senior Design Lead - CMF Concept Direction

    • Led two global design teams across Michigan and Melbourne, aligning CMF vision and translating concept into a full-scale, functional vehicle prototype

      • Conducted cultural foresight research into China's luxury market, including consumer behaviors, lifestyle trends, and premium material expectations; defining Buick's future material and design direction

      • Translated cultural insights into actionable CMF frameworks and design language, establishing a foundation for Buick's electric and autonomous portfolio

      • Guided external vendors and fabricators through prototyping and execution, ensuring design intent was realized at full scale

      • Aligned CMF innovation strategy with Buick's long-term portfolio and market growth objectives

    • Defined strategic CMF vision rooted in cultural foresight into China's luxury consumer, elevating brand identity and design coherence across programs

      • Created a halo autonomous vehicle that positioned Buick as an innovation leader in the China market

      • Developed a pipeline of production-ready innovations bridging concept and implementation

      • Expanded product portfolio and market growth in China through localized CMF strategies grounded in deep consumer and cultural research

1:1 scale working prototype model. Designed in Michigan, created in Australia utilizing in-house with fast fabrication, rapid prototype 3D printed parts

full size model

micro-LED lighting technology replace traditional headlamps. Its dynamic wake-up lighting animation and sliding door welcome passengers when they approach, delivering a personalized experience

front + rear light details

the Smart Pod’s airy roof and innovative glass lattice maximize visibility, blending the interior and exterior environments seamlessly

innovative roof

premium materials with a luxurious look and feel: soft surface materials comprised of silk, wool and plant-based soft trim; hard trim feature hand polished re-purposed engineered wood

interior hard and soft trim

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Buick Smart Pod pioneered a new design language for Buick's luxury business vehicle portfolio, blending digital innovation with premium materials to deliver a fully immersive, intelligent experience for the China market.

The project was grounded in design-led cultural foresight: deep research into China's evolving luxury consumer to define what premium, comfort, and connectivity would mean for Buick's next generation of autonomous vehicles. Insights from this work directly shaped the material direction and design frameworks that carried forward across the brand's global portfolio.

featuring a 50-inch retractable retina LED screen, the latest-generation virtual cockpit system provides a highly intuitive AI-enabled experience for in-car virtual assistance and seamless connectivity with the outside world.

interior tech and innovation

mood + inspiration

color + materiality

/ hand finished material samples for hard and soft trim

/ detail of hand crafted leather pleating /topography detail of flooring carpet

material palette