Download Women in Automotive Design: Ergonomics, Quality, and Safety and more Slides International Women's Voices in PDF only on Docsity! Women In Automotive Design Docsity.com What is Ergonomics, Quality, and Safety? • Human factors • Study of: designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities • Optimize human well-being and overall system performance Ergonomics Anthony Makkar Docsity.com Historical Background on Women in Automotive Design • Harley Earl – First one to higher women designers (1950) – Damsels In Design – First Team of women designers for GM – Last about 10 years due to Harley’ retirement James Hunter Docsity.com Team FORD • Consist of 5 women: 1. Debbi Mielewski (Technical Leader) 2. Angel Harris (Plastic Research Engineer) 3. Ellen Lee (Tech Expert Plastic Researcher) 4. Cynthia Flanigan (Materials Engineer) 5. Patti Tibbenham(Building Researcher) • Goal: For cars to longer use anything that can be labeled as toxic and to eliminate petrolum based plastics. • Fords use of soy-based foam reduced – 3 million pounds of petroleum oil – 11 million pounds of carbon dioxide • And is 24% more renewable than petroleum First to use soy-based foam to plump car seats. • 9 ford models and 2 million vehicles use soy-based foam seats. Merari Zarceno Docsity.com Taylor Mesko The Volvo Team • Volvo creates all women design team to design a concept car from the women perspective (2002) • Reason for creation: Industry studies show women purchase 54% of vehicles and influence 80% of all sales of Volvo. • Design team included 5 female managers and 20 interior and exterior designers. • Important features included: Relocation of windshield wipers fluid to side of car Parallel park assist 50,000 kilometer before oil change Automatic door opening Docsity.com • Modern automotive field involves more women because most services are not provided the old way. • Equal Employment filed a lawsuit against Arapahoe Motors Inc. • Five women were subjected to sex discrimination and a sexually hostile work environment while employed by the car dealership. • Factors encourage women to stay in the field or newcomers to join the field • Raises and Promotions • Strict Human Resources Department • Encouragement by other women Struggles Continued… Narek Ohanyan Docsity.com Paul Jessen Summary: Women in Automotive Design Perceptions on Women in the field: • Valuable Marketing input • Perhaps not as valued for expertise • Ford’s All-Women Design Team http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3AzpI50tZY (40 sec till 1:30) • Still skewed gender ratios • No real push to involve women • In spite of these perceptions women are prolific in the field Docsity.com Paul Jessen Summary: Women in Automotive Design Women and All-women Teams (Potential Role Models) – Dorothée Pullinger (Galloway) – “Damsels in Design” (GM) – YCC Team (Volvo) – Ford Materials Team – Nadya Arnaout/Juliane Blasi (BMW Z4) Docsity.com
