Hi!

I’m Drew Smith.

I’m an analyst, strategist and storyteller who started out as a car designer.

I help leaders in the automotive and mobility sectors imagine the future and make it happen.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the studio walls, beyond the factory gates. 

A lack of time and head space means you easily become disconnected from stuff that’s going on in the outside world.

But history is littered with great brands that missed major shifts in technology and culture and lost the connection to their customers. Sony, Kodak, and IBM. Lancia, Pontiac, and Saab.

So when the pressure’s on, you need a tour guide to this transformation, an interpreter to help you make sense of it all, a creative collaborator to help you take advantage of it.

Most of all, you need someone who won’t bullshit you, or sell you something you don’t need.

That’s me.

For over 15 years, I’ve bridged the worlds of automotive design, research, strategy, and storytelling.

I’m the auto industry insider/outsider.

I get how you work and why. I understand what keeps you up at night and how tough your job can be. And I’m here to help you succeed.

 
 
 

Latest thinking

Featured
In praise of pushbuttons (and other physical controls)
In praise of pushbuttons (and other physical controls)

Buttons are making a slight return thanks to revised guidance from Euro NCAP. Drew Smith considers what we lost in the move to screens, and what we might gain from the new rules.

The UX pain of EV rental
The UX pain of EV rental

By adding EVs to rental fleets without perfecting the end-to-end experience, brands which claim to be customer-focused have squandered an opportunity to build customer acceptance.

In the race to be “cool”, quality and coherence are being left behind
In the race to be “cool”, quality and coherence are being left behind

CES 2024 demonstrated that established OEMs like Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes are still asking the wrong questions when it comes to user experience.

Why does Apple's new CarPlay (still) look so bad?
Why does Apple's new CarPlay (still) look so bad?

For those interested in automotive UX design, the arrival of Apple’s second generation CarPlay has been eagerly awaited. On the current evidence, we might have waited in vain.

On Porsche, CarPlay, and the luxury of consistency
On Porsche, CarPlay, and the luxury of consistency

As GM looks to evict Apple from its instrument panels, Porsche is doubling down. Why? I’d argue that it’s a move entirely consistent with Porsche’s brand values.

Perceived quality and focussing on what matters
Perceived quality and focussing on what matters

Perceived quality and customer acceptance of new ideas have often been judged on gut feet and qualitative research. Intended Future brings quantitative rigour to the space.