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Under The Hood: Automotive Storytelling
October 31, 2025

Why truck design needs empathy: CMF Innovation at MAN Trucks

- Carolin Schütt, MAN Trucks EP25

Behind every automotive innovation lies a human story. Hosted by Stéphane Lagresle, founder of The Storytelling Tribe, this podcast reveals how industry leaders translate complex technologies into compelling narratives. Through conversations with automotive executives, discover practical frameworks for making automotive innovations relatable and meaningful. For executives, product leaders, and marketers transforming mobility through better communication.

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The Truck Cabin Revolution

In this new episode of "Under the Hood: Automotive Storytelling" from The Storytelling Tribe, we connect with Carolin Schütt, Lead CMF Design Manager at MAN Trucks and Buses, who brings along two decades of automotive design experience from BMW to commercial vehicles, to explore how storytelling transforms engineering into emotional experiences that drivers live with, not just operate.

Key
Insights

  • Passenger Cars vs. Trucks: The Empathy Gap

    Carolin reveals how truck design requires a deep human connection – drivers don’t just commute, they live in their cabs for days – and how storytelling bridges the gap between technical specifications and the reality of life on the road.

  • The Polygonized DNA Strategy

    Discover how MAN transformed Bavaria’s topography into a design language that spans interior, exterior, and digital services, creating a cohesive brand story that elevates CMF from styling to strategic storytelling.

  • From CMF to CME: Designing for All Senses

    Learn how the industry shift from Color-Material-Finish to Color-Material-Experience represents the future of automotive design, where every surface tells a story and creates a holistic emotional journey for drivers.

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Practical
Takeaways

  • Brief with Context:
    When pitching, work with clear storytelling – save everyone’s time and get better results
  • Design as Theater:
    Create presentations that move people emotionally, not just inform them – if they remember one thing at day’s end, make it yours
  • Leverage Diverse Perspectives:
    Build teams with different genders, ages, and cultures – homogeneous teams produce limited, predictable outcomes
  • Connect Engineering to Emotion:
    Use storytelling to translate technical requirements into visible customer value – specifications don’t sell trucks, experiences do
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Where Technology Meets Narrative

Under the Hood: Automotive Storytelling uncovers the human narratives driving innovation in an industry that impacts lives worldwide. Hosted by Stéphane Lagresle, this podcast explores how the power of storytelling ultimately connects technology to humans

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