Creations
GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE CREATION OF THE LATEST DS F3VER CONCEPT
DS Automobiles unveiled its new creation, DS F3VER, on October 11th on the eve of the 91th edition of the Paris Motor Show. The purpose of this exploratory concept is to assert DS’s distinctiveness through a design that challenges convention. Desirable, customizable and versatile, DS F3VER embodies the "Design Intelligence" philosophy, which is focused on the pursuit of efficiency.
COME BEHIND THE SCENES OF ITS CREATION BY THE DESIGNERS AT THE DS STUDIO IN VÉLIZY, NEAR PARIS
Exceptional Versatility
DS F3VER is a concept exploring what a future compact DS model could look like, without compromising on comfort or freedom of use.
Its length (4.19m) enhances both its agility in the city and its road-going capabilities.
Its generous wheelbase (2.70m) promises remarkable interior spaciousness and trunk volume for its size, while offering a best-in-class -in its segment- 100% electric range, so as to consider every trip with serenely.
“THE PARIS MOTOR SHOW GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR NEW DESIGN DIRECTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC. DS F3VER EXPLORES NEW TERRITORY WITH A DISTINCTIVE DESIGN ORIENTED TOWARDS ULTRA-PERSONALIZATION, A FRONT-END IDENTITY THAT BREAKS AWAY FROM CURRENT STANDARDS, AND A ‘DESIGN INTELLIGENCE’ APPROACH AIMED AT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COMPONENTS TO ENHANCE PERCEIVED QUALITY AND THE PURITY OF ITS LINES.”
Thierry METROZ – Design Director, DS Automobiles
SEDUCTION: AN IMMEDIATE POWER OF ATTRACTION
“The exterior design of DS F3VER is the result of the team’s cross-thinking. Romain imagined the ring, which surrounds the roof line. Kevin drove the general stature of the concept and its double fin. César created the treatment of the front panel, which displays the DS logo and integrates the new Y lighting signature. Thomas synthesized the whole, refining the proportions and details.”
Frédéric SOUBIROU – Exterior Design Manager DS Automobiles
A Redefined Design Language
The sensual, sculpted flank of DS F3VER contrasts with the sharper front and rear ends, asserting its personality.
Its tapered window line accentuates its elegance and dynamism.
Extended duo-tone, for a new kind of customization
The ring outlining the roofline is a new customization feature for F3VER. It reinterprets the extended duo-tone aspect (contrast between roof and body colors), which is a signature of DS creations.
On DS F3VER concept, the Extended rear duo-tone treatment is reimagined to emphasize the perceived compact nature of the silhouette.
The dividing line between the colors starts at the rear of the roof and wraps around part of the fenders, the tailgate, the taillights, and the bumper.
A Unique "Totem" Bearing the DS Emblem
The front face totem is a new design element that showcases the DS emblem. Positioned in the center of the grille, this new, highly visual, rectangular, and monolithic component -translucent and animated-asserts the DS Automobiles identity.
Mirroring this, the rear digital totem is integrated into DS F3VER’s rear bumper.
A distinctive new light signature
The slender, high-tech, Y-shaped vertical LED Day Running Lights contributes to the new light signature of DS F3VER.
The square 3D taillights showcase a spectacular animated depth effect, reminiscent of a tunnel of light. They are made up of 16 LED panels held by a lightweight magnesium structure inspired by the vaulted roof of the Grand Palais. Together, these elements also give DS F3VER an instantly identifiable signature.
“To create a hypnotic effect in the taillights, I drew inspiration from the art of *trompe-l’œil* and from fidget toys. I also filmed my PC screen—which was displaying the camera feed—to create an infinite feedback loop, resulting in a visually striking, almost hypnotic effect." Samuel PERICLES – Lighting & Wheels Designer, DS Automobiles
Meticulously designed wheels
Particular attention was paid to the design of DS F3VER’s 21-inch wheels, which feature a highly open, dynamic look. Geometric patterns of overlapping crosses create a structure that appears visually light yet robust.
Champagne-colored inserts, subtly detailed with the Clous de Paris pattern, further enhance their refinement.
ULTRA-PERSONALIZATION: A PILLAR OF DS F3VER DESIGN
A.I.: a tool for exploring the worlds of DS F3VER
"Five worlds linked to specific personas inspired the designers to define DS F3VER’s design and its various personalization options. Two were selected to define the concept 'Les Parisiennes' and 'Gentleman Driver'."
Thierry METROZ – Design Director, DS Automobiles
To achieve this result, exterior designers used A.I. tools capable of generating 2D visuals from pencil sketches in mere seconds. These tools also place the car in various settings -natural, urban, or imaginary-to lend it a sense of realism.
The A.I. tools were developed in-house to safeguard trade secrets. Each designer feeds the tools their own sources of inspiration and adjusts the settings to ensure the resulting 2D drawing remains faithful to their unique sketching style.
“Using A.I. allowed us to generate numerous images in record time. It is a valuable tool, but it will never replace the designers’ creativity or their final choices.”
Thierry METROZ, Design Director at DS Automobiles
A wide range of customization options, showcasing the expertise of DS designers
Colours, materials, graphics, and digital animations allow DS F3VER to adapt to every personality.
"To showcase the customization options for DS F3VER, we focused on two distinct worlds. We dedicated a subtly golden hue to the Parisiennes style. The Cosmic Blue colour, with its dichroic effects, lends a more contemporary feel to the Gentleman Driver persona."
Marie OLIGNIER – CMF Designer, DS Automobiles
A 'Cosmic Blue' colour that enhances the vehicle's contours
"The Cosmic Blue colour features shades ranging from brilliant blue to violet highlights. Its development required specific formulations: dichroic pearlescent pigments, which are applied to the car body, are then covered with an ink that produces the final coloration; it’s like chemistry."
Mathilde BALOURDET – CMF Designer, DS Automobiles
"The combination of deep blue ink and dichroic paint pigments creates a highly colour-shifting finish. The ambient light allows the eye to perceive violet or blue highlights, depending on the viewing angle, the curves of the bodywork, or the ambient light."
Kenny BUARD – Paint Expert, DS Automobiles
The customizable roof ring: the heart of personalization
"Thanks to the work of the exterior designers, we were able to explore different panel divisions on the roof ring to expand the range of customization options"
Marie OLIGNIER – CMF Designer, DS Automobiles
Bespoke roof graphics
"I designed each roof graphic to harmonize with the specific body color theme. For the Parisiennes (Champagne colour) version, I drew inspiration from the floral patterns of a Parisian street artist. For the all-black model, I played with a layering of highly colorful, geometric patterns. With the satin grey finish, I reinterpreted a zebra-stripe pattern by turning it into a graphic grid. For the performance-oriented theme -represented by the matte black finish- I paired a gold graphic gird with the usual codes of performance, bringing a touch of elegance and sophistication. Almost all the designs feature a dual visual layer: they are composed of the inverted 'E' from the logo, which subtly forms the overall pattern."
Audrey BATISTA DE BARROS – Graphic Designer, DS Automobiles
A refined yet distinctive logo
The F3VER logo branding was also the subject of careful graphic design.
The monolinear typeface draws inspiration from technical world, with rounded corners to soften the appearance. The overall design is distinctive enough to embody the concept, while remaining understated enough to accommodate the vehicle's wide range of customization.
A new user experience focused on customization
UX designers developed DS F3VER’s animations to meet three objectives: personalizing the concept, interacting with other drivers, and providing information to the user.
"The animations on the rear digital totem personalize DS F3VER to reflect the driver's world. Thanks to digital messages, it also enables car-to-car communication. This element also indicates the battery charge level."
Marie JASPART – UX Designer, DS Automobiles
THE “DESIGN INTELLIGENCE” PHILOSOPHY
"Design intelligence aims to reduce the number of components. This approach simplifies and accelerates the design process while enhancing perceived quality, the purity of lines, efficiency, and sustainability. With DS F3VER, simplicity becomes a mark of sophistication!"
Thierry METROZ – Design Director, DS Automobiles
On DS F3VER, the front bumper assembly consists of just four parts: the central element (or "totem"), the two headlight units, and the bumper itself.
The front light signature is consolidated into a single component that incorporates both the vertical LED DRL and the main lights. The same principle applies to the rear. The front bumper, lower door sections, and wheel arches no longer feature any add-on parts.
A Concept produced internally, at the DS studio workshop
The physical model makers built DS F3VER in a few months, in the DS studio workshop in Vélizy.
“To create DS F3VER in time for the Paris Motor Show, we focused our know-how on the elements of seduction, while going to the essentials to facilitate its assembly. We designed each part like a Lego.
The challenge for the modelers focused on certain pieces, such as the totems, whose plexiglass, cut from the mass, was tinted in a specific ink to give them shine."
Sacha MILINKOVIC – Physical modeling manager, DS Automobiles
The glorification of DS F3VER through images
The visuals for DS FEVER were created by L’HORDA (CGI design studio), according to the brief from the graphic designers of the DS design studio.
“To highlight the slender silhouette of DS F3VER, the contrasts of its Cosmic Blue color and its new light signatures, we trusted the L’HORDA studio team to select the best viewing angles. The animated film of the concept, revealed on October 11th, the day before the show, was produced in record time by our partner.”
Laurent NIVALLE – Virtual LAB Manager and Global Brand designer, DS Automobiles
After unveiling F3VER concept, which carries the DS exterior design genes, the studio's designers will soon reveal their vision of the interior design of this concept.
See you in the coming months on our website!
