THE DESIGN OF THE ID. 2ALL

The ID. 2all concept vehicle was designed by Andreas Mindt, who took over as the new Head of Volkswagen Design on 1 February 2023. Volkswagen is in his blood, as his father was a designer in Wolfsburg before him. Andreas Mindt joined Volkswagen in 1996 after studying design. He created bestsellers such as the first Tiguan and the seventh-generation Golf. In 2014, he moved to Audi in Ingolstadt as Head of Exterior Design. The next step followed in 2021 when Mindt became Director of Design at Bentley in Crewe, England. However, he has always maintained his close ties to Volkswagen and continues to be the proud owner of a Beetle. Andreas Mindt on his first project as Volkswagen Head of Design: “We are transferring the DNA of our icons into the future. The ID. 2all is therefore also an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo.”

The Volkswagen design DNA – a new strategy

Andreas Mindt has developed a new Volkswagen design strategy – one that will ensure the brand’s DNA remains clearly recognisable in the future. Mindt: “I am focusing on three main pillars: stability, likeability and excitement.”

“The most important value for Volkswagen design is stability,” says Andreas Mindt. This includes value stability, stability of form, reliability and recognisability. “A second core element of the brand is likeability,” explains the designer. The Beetle, Volkswagen bus, new Beetle and ID. Buzz clearly demonstrate this. “Stability and likeability – we have to achieve these two values in every respect.” But there is much more to a successful Volkswagen than that: “We also want to create excitement in our customers.” For example, with added dynamics, improved operability or the classic “form follows function” of an ID. Buzz or Golf. Technologies, forms and concepts are what make a Volkswagen desirable. Stability, likeability and excitement are typical characteristics of the Volkswagen design, the Volkswagen feeling. Mindt assigns three design elements to each of these three values. They are all reflected in the ID. 2all((ID. 2all – the vehicle is a concept car and is not available for sale.))).

The exterior design of the ID. 2all – three brand values, nine design elements.

Stability: A charismatic stability element is the C-pillar design originally developed for the first Golf, which evokes the tensioned string of a bow pointing in the direction of travel. The Chief Designer has created a new interpretation of this element as a general feature of compact Volkswagen models. The ID. 2all is the first Volkswagen with this new C-pillar signature. Andreas Mindt: “The C-pillar is the backbone of the Volkswagen design. In the ID. 2all((ID. 2all – the vehicle is a concept car and is not available for sale.))), the stability of the C-pillar initially flows from the backbone into the side body elements.” The C-pillar is drawn into the side contour of the silhouette and thus shapes a completely new but still typical Volkswagen design – as was shown by the Golf 7, for example. This design intentionally dispenses with a shoulder, thereby giving the entire side of the vehicle a strong volume and a strikingly individual appearance.

The second stabilising element is the completely straight side contour between the A- and C-pillars. Mindt: “The window shoulder, the feature line underneath it and the side sill must establish a positive tension together with the front end. Just like on the
ID. 2all.” This straight window line has been a characteristic style feature for generations of Volkswagen models over many decades.

The third element is what is known in designer language as the stance – the visual stability. Andreas Mindt: “The volume above the wheels must be reduced so that the vehicle appears to stand on the road in a stable way. That is the case with the ID. 2all.” A powerful stance creates a positive impression particularly when the front wheels are turned at an angle. In the case of the ID. 2all, stability therefore means the interaction of the C-pillar flowing powerfully into the side, the positive tension of the silhouette and the confident stance.

Likeability: Automotive design is an art form, but there are still clear laws that apply – such as the golden ratio. Andreas Mindt: “Likeability is created by the golden ratio. This is quite simply the ratio of three fifths to two fifths.” Leonardo da Vinci already followed this geometrical principle in works such as the Mona Lisa. The designer continues: “The feature line running below the window shoulder is located on exactly the golden ratio line of the ID. 2all((ID. 2all – the vehicle is a concept car and is not available for sale.))). Both the Beetle and Golf also always followed the principle of the golden ratio.” People perceive this division created by nature as being pleasant and likeable.

The second decisive element in terms of likeability is the design of the front end. Mindt: “The front of the ID. 2all is characterised by upwardly rising elements. The careful use of these elements creates a confident smile.” The third element of likeability fits in perfectly into this picture, namely humanity. Mindt: “It is important for us that the front of a Volkswagen shows a human expression. Just like the ID. 2all.”

Excitement: The first element here is dynamics, which are designed so that a sporty model is also easily conceivable on the basis of the ID. 2all. This would hardly be possible without generally implemented dynamic characteristics. High quality is the second design element of excitement. The Chief Designer states an example: “The concept vehicle has a driving mode selector switch in the interior that is made of high-quality material and enables precise operation. This is a detail that would not normally be expected in a vehicle in this price class.” The third smart element is elegance – a style element that makes a Volkswagen timeless and ensures it maintains its value. Among other things, the ID. 2all demonstrates this elegance in the interplay between the bonnet and the linear silhouette that lengthens the appearance of the concept vehicle and exudes confidence.