In their graciousness, they let you moan about it. Wayne is exactly the opposite. He establishes goals, and he lets teams determine how to do it. Unlike his predecessors, who thought they knew better than customers what they needed, Cherry believes passionately in research as a foundation for good design. Pontiac designers, trying to determine how far they could go, asked clinic participants who they thought would drive the cars in the pictures they showed.
Research can have a major impact on the vehicles.
When its minivans were under development, Chevrolet didn't want a long van or one with a second rear door on the driver's side. Some, like Chrysler's vice chairman, Robert Lutz, argue that all the surveying ties the hands of creative artists, but Cherry sweeps aside the notion. The architect can design the house only if he understands the client's needs. Besides, GM officials say, one reason Chrysler's minivans are so successful is that Chrysler does excellent research. GM's van designers admit that they spent a lot of time in supermarket parking lots looking into Chrysler van windows to learn what owners put in the vans and where they put it.