For some people, songs and fragrances are reminders of significant encounters. For Daniela Miloševi?, a designer in Porsche’s Weissach Development Center Color and Trim Design department, memories are prompted by colors.
At the age of 17, Daniela started apprenticeship at the Zuffenhausen as a vehicle trimmer. Later, she studied Transportation Interior Design and today, she develops paint colors for Porsche, including the colors of films and wheel rims.
Her team is behind the ice collection for the Porsche Taycan—a metallic trio consisting of Frozenblue, Frozenberry, and Coffee Beige. In the process of creating these colors, the Color and Trim team focused on the theme that surrounds the Taycan which is electrification. “The electric world is characterized by purity and clarity. It is white, so to speak," she explained. But the team wanted to offer alternatives.This is when they started to explore the world of pastels. The end products were very well received by customers.
Wondering how colors are being created at Porsche? Daniela gives us a closer look.
Courage, inspiration, and a pioneering spirit are important ingredients of color development. The ideas of creative specialists are stirred by the world of interiors, and in order for them to be visionary, polarization is permitted and necessary in Weissach. For example, after the Milan Furniture Fair, Porsche’s designers examine which colors are missing from the range, and which shades aren’t showcased in the standard selection for a long period. After analyzing, they take a journey into the future in their minds.
Daniela shared that at Porsche, they are “always at least two years ahead” because they must recognize and establish trends. At the same time, they also never lose sight of the brand’s heritage and true DNA.
After visualizing, work is set on the mixing bench where everything starts white and bright. Designers slowly move forward into the world of bright or pastel colors, with small buckets and scales. They utilize the NCS and Pantone color systems over the European RAL chart because they offer more tones that they can play with.
Once a color is created, paint specialists apply it to sample plates that look like small models with a 911 silhouette. These are known as “color frogs.” To evaluate if the exterior colors will also match possible interior colors and materials, the designers collaborate with their colleagues who are responsible for the vehicle’s interiors.
At the earliest, the created paint colors will not be approved for three or four years. It still has to undergo several tests. First of all, the color should withstand exposure to the weather, and to test this, panels are placed in bright sunshine for two years. The color stability test, fire safety, salt water and stone impact will also be assessed. Around 12 paint colors are created by the team for new models and derivatives every year. With rigorous testing, an average of four are chosen and developed.
Colors enhance the character and features of a vehicle—and at Porsche, the development of colors is done with nothing less than excellence.
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