The aim of the ARIA concept was to “define the relationship between music and physical form and to extract a design language from this relationship,” Coventry graduate Mihir Ashok says of his final thesis project.
In order to acquire guidelines that would inform the design a set of objective values were needed, which required research on how music works. This led to musical intervals, in the form of numerical ratios, being selected and applied to form the basic proportions of the concept.
Pop music was chosen as the basis for the surface language and overall characteristic of the car, to bring more focus into the project and to widen its appeal. The goal was then to capture the playful, expressive and memorable nature of pop music within the lines/surfaces, stance and overall volume.
The surfaces are meant to communicate interwoven shapes, which is essentially what music is, while also representing the softness and melody of pop music.
The key lines are indexed so as to lead the eye comfortably around the car, making it easier to digest. Its stance is meant to signify the eager, energetic nature of pop music.
