„Gold“ for driver’s workplace of the new MAN Truck Generation

– Gold for the new MAN Truck Generation driver’s workplace in the German Design Award 2021
– Practice-oriented display and operating concept im-presses the jury in the Excellent Product Design category
– With the Gold Award, the display and operating concept in the new MAN Truck Generation has won a further re-nowned design prize

“The Gold Award of the German Design Award is the highest distinction awarded for excellent, comprehensive and innovative design work. As lead-ing trailblazers, “Gold” title holders provide crucial stimulation for entire in-dustries,” according to Lutz Dietzold, Managing Director of the German De-sign Council. The German Design Award is the international premium prize of the German Design Council and is one of the most recognized design competitions worldwide.

Dr Andreas Tostmann, Chairman of the executive board of MAN Truck & Bus, underlines the special significance of the new award for the truck series launched at the beginning of 2020:

"The new MAN Truck generation provides our customers with maximum sup-port in their daily work. Our drivers know best what the perfect workplace must look like. That’s why we listened carefully and designed it according to their ideas. We are all the more pleased that numerous design experts are now honoring the new driver’s workplace. This shows us that we are on the right track!

Driver’s workplace with excellent driver orientation

In the course of developing the new Truck Generation, MAN involved more than 700 truck drivers in various types of model, driving simulator and test track studies and integrated their experience into designing the new work place.

This is determined by three independently operable systems: firstly, the instrumentation; secondly, the media and navigation system with a display of up to 12.3 inches in size and the innovative MAN SmartSelect control element; and thirdly, the internal remote control for controlling comfort and entertainment functions from the bunk area. Each system has its own truckspecific control logic, which, at the same time, is integrated into the holistic interaction concept.

This enables the driver to intuitively operate the numerous assistance and comfort functions of the new MAN Truck Generation and thus to drive the vehicle safely and efficiently. All the operating elements have been designed so as not to distract the driver’s attention from what is happening on the road. The display and operating levels are separated from each other so that the visual information is as close as possible to the line of sight to the road, whereas the control elements are within reach from a comfortable seated position. The MAN SmartSelect, for example, with its turn and press function, minimises the need to look away from the road when operating the infotainment and navigation menus. Another major benefit of the new driver’s workplace is that every driver is offered the same high level of operating comfort quickly and in a self-explanatory manner, regardless of age, professional experience or technical affinity. With these features, the new MAN Truck Generation makes a lasting contribution to simplifying the increasingly demanding everyday working life of truck drivers.

About the German Design Award:

The German Design Council has been operating since 1953 as a centre of expertise for communication and knowledge transfer within design, branding and innovation. Since 2012, the internationally renowned German Design Award has been presenting awards for products and communication design services according to their design quality in the "Excellent Product Design", "Excellent Communications Design" and "Excellent Architecture" competition categories. The international jury of design experts name one or more recipients for the Gold Award for each category. The winners of the German Design Award 2021 will be published in the winner’s gallery from November 2020. The festive awards ceremony will take place in February 2021.

Further information can be found at: https://www.german-design-award.com/