A message from Diane Allen, design manager for Nissan TITAN

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I'm Diane Allen, design manager on the next-generation Nissan TITAN here at Nissan Design America (NDA).

We are part of an international team, receiving regular input from Nissan's global design headquarters and our Senior Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer, Shiro Nakamura, on everything we create. But for this truck, it was important for much of the aesthetic work to take place in the U.S.

Generally speaking, Nissan recognizes the value of tapping into local expertise to push products that are indigenous to certain regions. Given that most full-size pickup trucks are sold in of the U.S. and Canada, it therefore made sense for this to be an American-led project.

In order to build upon the existing Titan, we explored the roots of the truck's name in Greek mythology. The new "TITAN" logo we've devised resembles the mask of a warrior of antiquity, minus the nose plate.

As for the rest of the vehicle, we quickly determined that the domestic pickup manufacturers own "cowboy," so our look had to be a little different. Being a challenger brand, we have to stand out a bit from the herd with a vehicle that embodies the spirit of hard work and tough jobs, while still demonstrating capability.

Our designers at NDA brought in power tools, truck parts and all kinds of other things for inspiration. Fortunately for us, we already had a great foundation to build on. The original Titan wasn't just a scaled-down Peterbilt, as many of the competitors were back in 2003, but a full-size with its own identity.

But the inherent challenge in designing a pickup truck is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable without straying too far from the utility and practicality of the segment.

We recognized these qualities in sketches drawn by our talented design team members here at NDA in San Diego. Once the initial sketch was green-lighted, we worked quickly to get this project completed. One of the benefits of this streamlined approach is that TITAN has remained a pure design statement.

Pickups are complex vehicles, and given the variety of different cab configurations, bed lengths, trim levels and, in the case of XD, even frame choices, we had to turn most of our studio over to truck design. With the numerous clay models, inspirational work tools and industrial gear crowding our workspace, NDA really took on the persona of a true "truck studio."

While some might see full-size pickup trucks as a departure for the Nissan, we've tried to honor the form language of our brand, albeit on a bigger scale. We think we've built a truck that's still "Nissan" while also being undeniably full-size.

Growing up in Detroit, as I did, passion for all things automotive seeps into your blood. I have enjoyed a 30-year career at Nissan that has allowed me to design some iconic and uniquely American vehicle types, including the Nissan 350Z, the Nissan Armada, and the first, and now second, Nissan TITAN.

I can't wait to have one in my driveway . . .

Diane

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