Lending shape to emotions. A portrait of Domagoj Dukec.

Domagoj Dukec has headed up the Exterior Design Team BMW Automobiles since August 2013. After 13 years and various stints at renowned design studios in Barcelona, Paris and Sao Paolo, the Frankfurt-born Croatian ended up at BMW – where he had always wanted to be. One thing the passionate designer has never lost sight of is the sheer enjoyment of his work.

Career path: Focus on the goal.

By the age of 13, Domagoj Dukec had already decided on his career path. His father would regularly take the schoolboy to Pforzheim, where he presented his sketches to the university’s School of Design. The commitment he showed made a lasting impression and, as a young guest student, he was introduced to the basics of automotive design. After taking his school-leaving exams he officially registered at the School of Design and spent his entire vacation time as a trainee with various car manufacturers. This taught him an early lesson: as a designer you are responsible not just for the aesthetic and functional execution of a product, but for its commercial success as well.

Ideology: creating poetry in functionality.

Good design has the power to make people’s lives more pleasant, and for Dukec this requires the ideal combination of emotional desirability and functional use. Enriching the world with beautiful things is the mission to which he has subscribed. Today Dukec analyses and assesses the works of some 40 exterior designers. He never ceases to be fascinated by the balancing act between progressive thinking and respect for the traditions of the BMW brand, a force field within which the entire product portfolio continuously evolves. What he finds particularly exciting in the design process is the moment when ideas take on form. When a design draft is turned into a 1:1 clay model, the quality and potential of the composition can be clearly recognised. Before Domagoj Dukec took up his current position as head of Exterior Design for all BMW models as well as concept studies like the BMW Vision Future Luxury and the BMW Hommage 3.0 CSL, he was mainly responsible for front-wheel-drive vehicles such as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and new BMW X1.

On a personal note.

Domagoj Dukec describes himself as an emotional rationalist. With each new assignment he adheres to the purpose of the product, apprehending it at a cognitive and intuitive level. Dukec admires Michelangelo’s artistic understanding as much as his work and is particularly fascinated by the way he renders tension and by his profound sensitivity of expression. What he admires about fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld are the intelligence and individualism of his work. One of his greatest sources of inspiration is “La Dolce Vita” – life itself. And that includes spending time with friends as well as indulging his culinary skills. Hailing from southern Europe, Dukec loves the summer, the sun and the outdoors. He likes to spend his free time next to the water or up in the mountains.