At General Motors Design, the future is now

July 25, 2025Newsletter Archives

GM’s automotive designers live in the future. The folks who shape the next generation of General Motors vehicles aren’t just concerned with style – they think deeply and passionately about the interaction of human and machine, and the intersection of technology and emotion, often years before that technology reaches customers’ hands. 

This month, a changing of the guard takes place at General Motors Design. Michael Simcoe, who has led GM Global Design since 2016, is retiring. His successor, Bryan Nesbitt, becomes only the eighth person in almost a century to lead GM’s worldwide design organization. To mark the occasion, I chatted with both Nesbitt and Simcoe to get a better understanding of the past, present, and future of automotive design at GM. You can find our full conversation on GM News.

In addition to leading GM’s global design team, Simcoe spearheaded the creation of Design West, which opened in Warren, Michigan, in 2023. This building blends seamlessly with the iconic Eero Saarinen architecture of the original GM Design headquarters, while embodying Simcoe’s collaborative ethos. “Once upon a time, this corner office sat at the top of a metaphorical pyramid,” Simcoe said. “I spent a lot of time trying to flatten that whole thing. There's still someone to look at when there's a failure, but there are more people to look at when there's a success.”

Nesbitt takes over in a pivotal moment for automotive design. “One of the biggest transitions in mobility is happening with the future of autonomous driving,” he said. “This transition is going to influence our behaviors. That’s what good technology does. The kind of discussions that we’re having now have necessarily become much more about the total experience. No matter how advanced technology may be, for us it’s about how artfully it can it be integrated into your life.” 

For more design insights – including Simcoe’s experience driving the Cadillac CELESTIQ, and Nesbitt’s story of his father’s ‘63 Corvette Sting Ray, check out GM News. While you’re there, take a peek at the Advanced Design California Corvette concept. Fresh out of GM Advanced Design Pasadena, this concept car reimagines the Corvette with a futuristic, Southern California twist. It’s the second of three Corvette concept designs that will debut this year, as GM’s global design network envisions the future of the automobile.

-- Bob Sorokanich, senior editor, GM News