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Mobility design

DesignWanted awards Junu Kim’s Instagram-inspired car concept at Pininfarina’s “New Dreams for a New World” competition

Korean designer Junu Kim looks to Instagram to inform his vision of mobility, which includes a dedicated display unit in the passenger area of a futuristic solo-seater.

Taking inspiration from Instagram, Korean designer Junu Kim has created a futuristic car concept promoting self-expression. Called “EGO GALLERY”, it incorporates a dedicated display for users to exhibit objects that communicate their personality.  

The “EGO GALLERY” was chosen by DesignWanted to receive a special award as part of Pininfarina 90+1: New Dreams for a New World, a global design contest held by Italian automobile and design company Pininfarina.

Junu Kim - shoes display
EGO GALLERY incorporates a dedicated display for users to exhibit objects that communicate their personality – ©Junu Kim

The competition brief invited students from 15 prestigious international schools to reimagine “what human experiences will be like in the New Normal.” The competition was initiated in October 2020 to celebrate the company and its 90th anniversary. 

The mobility concept is designed for solo drivers, which might not have practical applications when it comes to sustainability but the concept of an Instagram-inspired car is incredibly unique. After all, consumers are increasingly hungry for products that are personalised and say something about their person, so it kind of makes sense that it is intended for one person.

“I started with the idea to create an open and empty space that can contain someone’s identity, desire, and personality in mobility,” explains designer Junu Kim. “To achieve this, the overall exterior design has neutral and minimal design language to draw attention to the content in the frame.”

“I believe people who enjoy exhibiting their personality on Instagram will love this concept too. It could be a space for artists and creators who can exhibit their work wherever they want to go.”

“I imagined an individual mobility concept which prioritised storytelling in the future,” Kim says. 

Discover more mobility concepts, don’t miss Mini’s Vision Urbanaut concept car is more than a lounge-on-wheels.

Junu Kim - in the city
The EGO GALLERY car has all the markings of a Pininfarina icon- ©Junu Kim

It reminds us of Toyota’s e-Palette robot shuttle concept, which the company released back in 2018 as a versatile and customizable multi-passenger vehicle that could be made into anything from a hotel room to a mobile advertisement. 

Kunu’s concept is similar in that it builds on the inevitable electrification of mobility with a concept so superfluous it could only be possible in a world where cars don’t damage the planet.

Junu Kim - skateboards display
Junu Kim - interior closeup
Junu Kim looked at Instagram to inform his vision of mobility, which includes a dedicated display unit in the passenger area of a futuristic solo-seater – ©Junu Kim

The car has all the markings of a Pininfarina icon, which can’t have been difficult for Kim who currently studies Automotive and Transport Design at Coventry University in the UK. His own Instagram is decorated with car concepts that demonstrate his knowledge of automobile styling and form.

As a result of winning an award in the Pininfarina 90+1: New Dreams for a New World competition, Kim will receive a 6-month internship with Pininfarina’s design studio, and we can’t wait to see the designer help shape the future of the automotive industry.

Find out more about incredible mobility designs, don’t miss Dromos promises high-volume mass transit with electric autonomous vehicles.

Junu Kim - different decorations
Junu Kim created the futuristic car concept EGO GALLERY to promoting self-expression – ©Junu Kim
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