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INSIDE:“A Look Inside of GM Design”

By John Shettler, former Co-Director of General Motors Innovation Zone

Throughout its 116-year history, General Motors has been recognized as a pioneer of transportation and a leader in automotive design, with innovative industry firsts and award-winning styling and performance. Its cars and trucks have been admired for their beauty, style, and grace on the road.

Now, for the first time, GM’s vehicle design process is the star. “A Look Inside of GM Design”provides the first in-depth look at the inner workings of GM’s secretive Design Studios. Seen through the eyes of a key leader who spent nearly 40 years with GM Design through its most exciting and turbulent years, it takes an insider’s look into the various personalities, challenges, and successes that took GM to the pinnacle of automotive greatness and the hubris and mismanagement that nearly brought it to its knees.

John Shettler was an executive and chief designer of GM’s Interior Design Studios from 1968-2001. His nearly 40-year career spanned multiple roles in engineering, design, and purchasing, giving him tremendous insight and a unique perspective into the company’s inner workings. Throughout his career, he was chief designer for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and GM’s truck interior studios. He established the team that developed the GM Sunraycer, winner of the first international solar-powered vehicle race across Australia, and the Impact, the foundation for GM's first electric vehicle, EV1. A true Renaissance Man, he collaborated on the 1977 NASA/AMES Summer Study on Space Industrialization on the feasibility developing satellites to provide solar energy to cities on earth; with Disney Imagineering as Chief Designer of the first GM World Of Motion working with Disney Imagineering; with George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic Co. on advanced imaging for automotive design, and with the Los Alamos National Laboratory on the development of alternative material sources for zero vehicle emissions.

John experienced the highs and lows of leadership in the world’s largest multinational industrial corporation in its prime. He dealt with narcissists, sycophants, and the exceptionally good-natured, brilliant leaders whose vision and drive kept the company in its leadership position for decades.

He suffered through the mistakes and mismanagement of some of his superiors and reveled in the talents and courage of others. Through it all, he kept his focus on designing and innovating the most stylish, safest, highly functional, and appealing vehicle interiors GM could deliver. His goal: to delight GM’s customers by ensuring their driver and passenger experiences kept them coming back to GM time and again.

For John, his time at General Motors was more than a career. It was a roller-coaster of excitement, frustration, and achievement – and far more fun than any one person should enjoy in a lifetime.

“A Look Inside of GM Design”tells his story, reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations—both serious and comical—and shares lessons that will help future leaders avoid similar errors, create the future, and enjoy career success.

A 39 yearJourney starting, How an industrial designer starting as an interior car designer car artist in1963 developing Into Visionary Transportation designer/idea manThrough my 14 assignments to become co director of the gm innovation zone culminating with being awarded General Motors 1999 “Chairman’s Honors”.