Don't discount good design's importance

Cesar Vergara
Senior Design Director-Rail, Teague

Design is an important part of a successful passenger rail operation. Though a car won't be bad-ordered because passengers find it ugly or because onboard service people find it difficult to operate, poor design will make an unhappy situation for the life of the car. Worse still, it will become the best advertisement for the automobile and airplane.

I am reminded of the time when I made a presentation to a large European commuter railroad. It was difficult for the executives to understand the blueprints of the train. I proceeded to color the plan views and put a little shadow to work to make the drawings easier to read. Immediately the executives became very engaged and were able to give their thoughts and opinions, as they were empowered by the clarity of the drawings. They had no formal training in engineering, and yet they were expected to read and approve concepts presented as blueprints.

Looking at the design of a lot of new passenger rail equipment, it is obvious to me that what has been lost is a real definition of-and with it a purpose for-design. There exists today in the passenger railroad industry what I perceive as an acute need to define and simplify the purpose of industrial and graphic design to the top decision-makers, thus enabling them to appreciate and evaluate what design can do to add value. No wonder design appreciation courses are offered to MBA students nowadays!

Design is the profession that bridges marketing and engineering as well as mechanical and onboard services. Designers accomplish this through the use of drawings, mockups, and illustrations. They ensure the ergonomic correctness of the environment and amenities. They ensure compliance to flammability and toxicity standards through the use of attractive and comfortable materials. They also ensure that signage is clear for all to read, including the visually impaired through the use of Braille and textures. They look for innovative solutions to complex accessibility issues to serve all passengers.

But the biggest part of what a designer does is to give an overall vision and unity to a train, from the exterior styling, which can improve aerodynamic performance and reduce noise emissions, to the use of reflective graphics that enhance motorist safety at grade crossings. Oh yes-don't let me forget-it has to look beautiful and attract passengers for years to come.

Design is neither engineering nor art. It is a hybrid discipline that, when used correctly, can serve as a focal point to ensure that one department's solution does not become another department's nightmare. Needless to say, to call a designer after most everything has been decided is often frustrating: It is frustrating for clients when they are told how much could have been done if the designer had been called earlier. It is frustrating for the designer, because he or she is perceived as impeding the process when in reality is trying to make things right.

With rare exception, executives are not trained to make tough design decisions that the railroad must live with for years to come. Once the criterion has been provided to the designer, it must be left up to him or her to create the concepts. A designer should not be told how to design any more than a structural engineer should be told how thick the metal should be.

It is equally wrong for the designer to ensure that a few are pleased and disregard the passenger who pays for the ticket! Many decision-makers don't want to hear it, but the train is not for them. Equally dangerous is to use market research and a design team to "guide" a project to a predetermined look to please one person. Design, abused, is many times more damaging than no design at all.

Good design is not expensive. In fact, dollar for dollar, no other discipline provides a greater overall impact on a vehicle, with as much positive impact over its life, than design. Years ago, I made a presentation to W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Amtrak's much-respected president. He asked me why he should like the design I was showing him. I stated that ultimately it was the passengers I hoped would like it. I proposed that he approve it. If people liked it, he could take the credit. If they did not, he could fire me.

I kept the job, and being the man he was, Graham Claytor did not take the credit.

Cesar Vergara spent 20 years as a train designer in Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., including 10 years as Amtrak's chief designer. He is currently Senior Design Director-Rail at Teague, one of the largest and oldest transportation and product design firms in the world.