From Global Vision to China|Anthony Lo on Shaping Brand Identify Through Design
As the automotive industry advances towards electrification and intelligent mobility, design is becoming a key differentiator. As technologies and features converge, how can a vehicle stand out and a brand build a lasting identity?
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For Anthony Lo, Vice President of Global Design and Chief Design Officer at BAIC Group, design goes beyond styling. It defines a brand's direction and identity.
Global Experience, Opportunities in China
Lo’ s passion for automotive design began in his youth. His first transportation design project, a future London bus at Ogle Design, marked the start of a career spanning leading international automotive brands.
He later held senior design roles at leading global automotive brands. Working across cultures and brands shaped a central question: How can design give each vehicle its own character?
In 2024, he joined BAIC, inspired by the pace of China's automotive industry. As technological differences narrow, he believes design will become increasingly important in building distinctive brands.
His "Faster but Better" philosophy brings design into the earliest stages of development, aligning user needs, brand values and future direction. His ambition is to combine global expertise, Chinese aesthetics and BAIC’ s innovation to create lasting brand identities.
Concept Cars: Defining the Design North Star
Great design should not only meet today's needs, but also define tomorrow's direction. In 2025, ARCFOX and Beijing Off-road unveiled two concept cars, ARCFOX 77° and ELMT Max, reflecting this vision.
For Lo, concept cars serve as a design North Star, exploring future possibilities and guiding production vehicles.
The ARCFOX 77° embodies the "ARC-FLOW" philosophy, through fluid proportions, intuitive digital interactions and an adaptable cabin to connect technology with people.
Rooted in Beijing Off-road's heritage, the ELMT Max expresses the "ELEMENTAL" philosophy through modular body components and a bold exoskeleton, bringing functionality, exploration and individuality together.
Two distinct design identities, one shared vision: defining each brand's character rather than following market trends.
Chinese Automotive Design: Setting Its Own Benchmark
Design homogenization remains a challenge in China's fast-growing automotive market. Lo believes strong brands must establish a clear identity rooted in their heritage, values and ambitions.
True differentiation is not about being different for its own sake. It is about knowing where a brand comes from and where it wants to go.
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He also warns against relying on existing benchmarks, which may be outdated by the time a new vehicle launches.
BAIC is therefore integrating advanced design and research earlier in development, aiming to shape future direction.
Designing the Future: Designers and AI Working Together
AI is reshaping the automotive industry and opening new possibilities for design. At BAIC, AI supports early concept exploration, design validation and visualization, improving efficiency and expanding creativity.
For Anthony Lo, AI drives efficiency while designers lead innovation. Combining creative thinking with AI helps teams identify and analyze design elements, accelerate development and bring ideas to life. Together, AI's capabilities and designers' expertise, aesthetic judgment and understanding of users create more innovative and engaging experiences.
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From global experience to Chinese practice, Lo’ s focus remains on shaping distinctive brands through design.For BAIC, this means turning brand heritage into lasting design identities and establishing its own voice on the global stage.
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