Driving innovation: MOME and Mercedes-Benz Shift into high gear

Date: 2024.12.06

Over the past twenty years, Mercedes-Benz and MOME have developed a close partnership. As part of this collaboration, the university's vehicle design specialisation has become one of the leading courses in the world, withMOME students and faculty being actively involved in the car company’s design programmes. Many students have gone on to intern and later work full-time at the luxury brand's design department, or in the design teams at Audi, KIA, BMW, and Volvo. In August 2024, students from the Interaction Design MA programme visited the Stuttgart factory, bringing back enhanced concepts developed from presentations there.

In 2023, the MOME Interaction Design MA joined the partnership to design innovative solutions for the brand, focusing on digital experiences integrated into cars in the B2C mobility market. Before the autumn semester of 2024, a few former students and first-year MA students visited the Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart during the summer break.

This visit was preceded by two years of mentorship from three Mercedes designers, who worked with the programme’s students. Three of the students – Viktória Biki, Sára Muszka, and Eszter Illés – were awarded the university’s Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence.

After last semester’s end-of-year review (KIPAK), Mercedes designers invited course leader Tamás Fogarasy, course lead and Director of the Design Institute Péter Molnár, and our students to visit their factory in Stuttgart and present their student projects to the car brand’s design team.

During the courses, students received an overview of Mercedes, its brand values, the design of cutting-edge concept cars, and well as the current state of the automotive and vehicle industries. The instructors focused on research methods, the importance of synthesis and environmental analysis, and both digital and physical ergonomics, creating visual design templates and detailed prototypes tailored to the brand.

Some projects focused on everyday challenges and potential solutions, such as commuting, work-life balance, accident prevention, and enhancing the user experience, not only for the driver but also for children in the car.

Following the successful visit and presentation, plans are already underway for next year’s course to explore new and exciting projects with the students. Special thanks are due to product design alumnus Bence Ágoston and UX designer Viktor Horváth for their support during the course.

In spring 2025, Mercedes will once again partner with MOME students to design driving experiences.

Links to the two student projects:

https://mome.hu/en/projektek/immerziv-auto-utaster-elmeny

https://mome.hu/en/projektek/autok-gesztus-es-hangvezerles-fejlesztese

https://mome.hu/en/projektek/mercedes-memory-lane

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