Happy Hump Day Obots!
Today’s featured designer is the first African American female designer for General Motors!
Crystal Windham
Crystal Windham, GM’s and the industry’s highest ranking African American female car designer, has managed to squeeze her way through the door of today’s design studios, holding her own and bringing a perspective that men just don’t have.
In fact, while researching new trends in luxury purses such as Louis Vuitton several years ago, Windham came up with the award-winning two-tone upscale interior for Chevy’s hot-selling Malibu, which has been praised by the industry and customers alike.
Windham, who has a bachelor’s in industrial design from the Center for Creative Studies and a master’s in business administration from the University of Detroit Mercy, has been pivotal in GM’s turnaround.
Among the accolades that punctuate her illustrious career portfolio, Windham boasts awards for helping to construct the 2008 Car of the Year with the Chevrolet Malibu and the 2007 Car of the Year for the Saturn Aura (just before GM consolidated its automotive lineup). Her acute ability to inaugurate dynamic designs that create lasting emotional connections with car consumers led to Windham being named the first African American female director of GM’s North American Passenger Car Design.