'5+1' with Camille Audra – CMF Designer at Volvo Cars

At ellectric, our team possesses extensive knowledge in Fashion Technology. We have a profound appreciation for the details and materials employed in car interiors. In our latest article about Volvo’s EX30, we delved deeper into the interior and materials being used. Thus we are very happy to welcome Volvo’s CMF Designer Camille Audra in today’s edition of our ‘5+1’ interview to learn even more about Volvo's dedication to environmentally-conscious design. Get to know more about Camille’s job as CMF Designer and how the team ensures that the choice of colours, materials and finishes align with Volvo’s design philosophy and commitment to safety and sustainability. In addition, we are getting deeper insights into the concept and materials being used in the Volvo EX30. Last but not least, Camille is sharing her experience building a career as a woman in the mobility world, Volvo’s efforts towards promoting gender equality and diversity, and her view on the role of CMF design in the coming years.

1. You are CMF Designer at Volvo Cars. What does a typical day on the job involve? What are some exciting aspects of it?

What I like the most about my job is that every day is different: one day we collect inspiring materials and products, the next day we collaborate with studio engineers, interior & exterior designers to develop materials and shape together to achieve the best sustainable product possible. A typical day starts with reviewing samples from ongoing developments with our different suppliers. For example, when we develop a colour, we give a lot of attention to the combination with other materials and textures in the car. We are always making final evaluation outdoors with natural light and inside our cars. We also explore a lot: how this new material should look? What colour for this fibre, to give premium expression? Our modelling and trim are experts to experiment and make our own samples when we create our concepts together with material specialist designers. Most of my job involves teamwork, and it truly energises me.

2. Volvo is renowned for its Scandinavian design philosophy. How does the CMF Design team at Volvo Cars ensure that the choice of colours, materials and finishes align with this design philosophy and the brand's commitment to safety and sustainability?

Our aim as CMF Design team is to bring a premium experience to our customers, making them feel safe and calm. As a Scandinavian brand, we are always inspired by our surroundings: bringing light tones, natural materials in part of the Volvo DNA. We believe our materials should be honest. A recycled plastic should look like a plastic, a natural wool fabric should look and feel like wool. As an example, the inspiration for the EX30 came from our Scandinavian Design principles, nature, and sustainable fashion. We also looked at new consumer ways, innovations as well as long-term development on sustainability. Then we started with collaborative workshops with our Strategic and Brand Design team to define what this car needs, who is the target audience, where the market is, what sustainability steps we need to take. We have achieved a big step forward with the EX30, by introducing 25% recycled aluminum, 17% recycled plastics and 17% recycled steel, to fulfill our mission of being a carbon neutral company by 2040. 

3. With the EX30, Volvo created four distinct interior ‘rooms’ and with it, pushes the use of recyclable and renewable materials forward. Can you tell us more about the concept and the materials being used? 

The brief for EX30 was to make a car with the smallest carbon footprint of any Volvo car to date. This sustainable thinking, as well as guiding the placement of many of the components, also extends to the materials we use in the interior. 
We have created four interior rooms to choose from, each with different inspiration from nature, fashion & sports. Mist and Pine rooms are inspired from nature and forest. Seat upholsteries are made with woolblend fabrics, made of 30% wool and 70% recycled polyester. In combination we selected woven Flax for the decos, a natural renewable fibre from Linseed plant that brings a natural, warm Scandinavian touch to the interiors. Breeze room influenced by an active lifestyle. We have used an innovative knitting technique inspired from shoe industry, to produce our Pixel knit textile, which allows us to play with a nice gradient pattern. This nice modern textile gives an airy feeling inside Breeze room. It is made from 100% recycled polyester. The Pixel pattern is matching the deco, showing recycled plastic freckles coming from recycled window frames and shutters.  The last room is Indigo, inspired from fashion. We found a creative way to give second life to an old pair of jeans by collecting the short fibres during recycling process. We used them for our denim deco that gives an elegant look to the charcoal interior, in combination with other colour-matching details in functional areas. Each room is carefully designed with combination of colours, textures, materials and attention to details. Our customer can choose which one will fit best with their personalities.

4. As a woman in the mobility industry, could you share your experience building a career in this field and discuss Volvo Cars’ efforts in promoting gender equality and diversity?

I think there is space for women in automotive industry. But it is challenging, women are still a minority in automotive industry, including design. My background is in Textile Design. I felt attracted by CMF Design in automotive. Therefore, I chose to study Transportation Design, to experience and understand the Interior & Exterior Design processes even though my heart was always for CMF. The goal was for me to have stronger knowledge so my skills would not be questioned as a woman in male-dominated industry. Now working at Volvo, I really can feel there is gender diversity in most positions. I value the importance of giving a chance to young women to join this industry. That is why I give a part of my worktime to interns recruitment process, with a small team when we strive for gender diversity from the starting point. They are the future automotive designers.  

5. How do you anticipate the role of CMF design evolving in the coming years? Are there any trends or developments in CMF design that you think will be particularly influential?

I think the importance CMF design is growing and evolving a lot. It is not only about making variants so customer can choose, but also bringing new stories to the car. New challenges with electrification and sustainability need to be explored, but still people will need a comfortable interior, functional and beautiful. Bringing recycled content in our car is just the first step towards sustainability. There is so much more to explore and develop.

And the +1 question from Camille to you:

“What is sustainability for you?”

We appreciate your participation, Camille, in this enlightening '5+1' interview.
If you desire further insights from the numerous inspiring women in the industry, we encourage you to explore the '5+1' section of our magazine.

Pictures: Volvo Cars