Harley Davidson’s Electric Future
Interior Design, Environmental Graphic design
Workshop lead by peter stocker of mg2 Seattle
Collaborators: Wynter Thorne, Chancellor Gardiner, Ennis Johnson
Prompt
Can E.G.D. and the showroom experience welcome younger, millennial, and more female consumers into Harley Davidson’s rough and tumble brand?
Problem
The dominant lifestyle associations with Harley Davidson do not resonate with younger audiences.
Concept
Among many misalignments between Harley Davidson and younger audiences, this brand reflects a rebellion that is rooted in nostalgia. Millennial and Gen Z folks understand where these notions of rebellion are rooted, but they are not authentic to their lived experience. Today’s rebellion is much less about wearing leather and having tattoos. We aren’t fighting strangers in bars, we are fighting against the systems that oppress us and to rebel today, is to be empowered.
Purpose
Since the lifestyle associations with Harley Davidson are so deeply rooted, our team decided to take a more dramatic shift with the brand, making this version entirely for the young audience, similar to a Carhartt vs. Carhartt WIP relationship. Our space, in addition to function as a Harley-Davidson retail location, is also a starting point for this brand to empower its consumers. We want to remind people of their own power, to inspire them to make movement. Our rebels are visionaries shifting communities and culture toward a better future, the Harley allows you to be light, agile and cut through all the noise—what’s left is for you to decide: where are you going?
As the location sits among other retail businesses, the main draw of the exterior is several massive storefront windows, but instead of looking into the space, they are glowing with a slowly moving gradient, giving the outside spectator of hint of what they will find inside.
Just as you walk through the front door what draws you in is a glowing ramp leading you upwards to the showroom.
As you walk upward, you are full immersed in James Turrell inspired light that gradually moves upward toward the showroom, as you progress you must pass through translucent sheets with questions like: What challenges will I have to overcome? Who will I become along the way? The questions end with: How will I get there? Allowing people contemplative space outside of the noise of everyday life, and some time to reflect.
At the end of the ramp, you find yourself in a showroom full of lush greenery and test bikes concealed in pods for more privacy. At this point the hope is folx are in a different state of mind, perhaps thinking about what they need to change in order to move forward.
The pods give more privacy, especially for young folx who may have never rode a motorcycle, don’t know what to do and are afraid of looking awkward. We want to welcome growth and changes in perspective of what Harley Davidson once was, in whatever way feels comfortable for the user.
Floor plans
Main Floor
Ramp upward to showroom
Second level showroom