Hyundai Y2K

Problem / Brief

A three-day interview brief for Hyundai/Kia/Genesis: an exterior design proposal that had to take a clear position on where the brand's design language is heading, not just style a new model.

Research

The brief was framed around an experience wheel spanning a full day, Morning, Work, Home, Third Space, Night, each tied to a different emotional register, from comfort to luxury. Moodboarding paired that structure with a Y2K/Gen-Z 2040 reference set, Dreamcast controllers, CD-Rs, early-2000s Nokia handsets, using turn-of-the-millennium optimism about the future as a lens for imagining 2040.

Iterations

The core idea was the interior as a changeable third space: a cabin that reconfigures between a practical seating setup for commuting and a relaxed lounge for resting, rather than staying fixed in one layout for the life of the car. Exterior surfacing followed from that, a single sculpted volume wrapped around a centrally seated occupant beneath a wraparound glasshouse, prioritising visibility and a sense of openness over a conventional dashboard-and-seats layout.

Outcome

A compact, single-volume proposal with a domed glass canopy, tri-wheel stance, and a centrally positioned seat, exterior surfacing kept clean enough to read at a glance as the brand's answer to "what comes after the current design language," while the interior does the harder work of justifying why the car exists beyond transport.