• AMG: Consciously Beyond Concept (2019)

  • Bringing performance luxury into the digital world with AMG. 

  • Visual Design, Concept Work

  • Project Background

  • During my tenure at SinnerSchrader, I was part of a small team responsible for pitching for Mercedes-AMG GmbH. More commonly known as AMG, this high-performance division of Mercedes Benz independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles

     

    In essence, the pitch brief we received focused on the business switch from ‘Driving Performance’ — the core of the AMG brand — to ‘Performance Luxury'.

     

    This shift was not only required to be implemented strategically, but also to become fully tangible on the home page and corresponding product pages.

     

    In collaboration with another senior product designer, strategists and user-experience designers, my role was helping to introduce this newfound strategic approach into the existing AMG brand, and subsequently producing the visual output as requested in the pitch brief.

  • Concept

  • Ultimately, our strategic approach towards Performance Luxury focused on the connection between the product and its user. In this context, self-realisation becomes the central differentiator. Expensive and high-quality objects no longer automatically become ’luxurious’.

     

    Therefore, these products must succeed in connecting with the unique lifestyles of their target demographics. Their desirability would be confirmed only when the users found themselves in the products, as evident in the personas we captured

  • For an authentic digital appearance, we sharpened the brand’s design using three defined pillars:

  • 01

    High-end

  • 02

    Strength

  • 03

    Individualism

  • We also constructed mood boards during the research phase to help inspire and identify different visual trends, specifically but not limited to the luxury sector. We analysed the existing visual guidelines of AMG and used their ‘differentiation features’ to help us shape our newfound strategic approach and the corresponding design pillars.

  • Visual language & artefacts

  • We developed a compelling visual language to convey the superiority of AMG, based on the elegance of the Mercedes DNA. The style incorporates ample white space, high contrast, and reduced elements for a straightforward and elegant look. Sculptural staging with detailed elements glorifies the product in specific areas. Human elements in appropriate contexts highlight different vehicles, while direct language, inspiring images, and clear tonality create a more personal connection with the brand.

  • "Sophisticated and modern, the identity acts as a framework to showcase the world of performance luxury that AMG inhabits, and allows their products, content and imagery to remain centre stage."

  • After analyzing the current home page, we identified two key purposes: presenting vehicles and strengthening the AMG brand. To meet the user requirement of easily accessing vehicle information and images, we simplified the vehicle selector on the home page. The interactive module displays three vehicles at a time, categorized by classes or designs, allowing users to find their desired model more easily. Dynamic videos are included for a preview as the user scrolls.


    Furthermore, the home page effectively showcases the facets of performance luxury. Alongside vehicle staging, editorial teasers provide a diverse, emotional, and personal impression of the new brand positioning. These teasers focus exclusively on performance luxury and lifestyle, while also catering to content for AMG owners and fans.

  • We aimed to create a captivating and immersive story on the model page featuring the iconic GT Coupe. With only 500 units produced worldwide, the focus was on performance luxury.


    To achieve a highly immersive experience, we showcased characters and traces of special journeys while emphasizing the intricate details of the vehicle. The page design prioritized large-format images and staged typography to encourage scrolling and engage users.

    The user is immediately immersed in the story through images and typography, conveying the essence of the GT-model family and its connection to the user's living environment.


    A gallery module with scrolling images creates tension and dynamic engagement. A soft configurator and sculptural product staging guide the user through multiple viewports, transitioning from exterior shots to exploring the vehicle's interior. This captivating shift in color and image style adds intrigue and leads to different example interior configurations, similar to the exterior chapter.


    After showcasing the interior, the page presents technical details, including a stunning engine rendering that glorifies the object once again. The story concludes with a teaser for a local dealer, linking to related content found on the home page.

  • Applied Methods

    Visual design

    Animation

    Prototyping

    Strategic development

  • Partners

    Design

    Alberto Zanotto

    Johannes Veith

    Management

    Philipp Kafkoulas

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