What the Tesla Cybertruck Means for the Future of Design
The power — and danger — of our AI-fueled historical moment
Last week, I got my first chance to see Tesla’s new Cybertruck up close and personal.
To say that this vehicle has an unusual design is a gross understatement. Autoweek called the Cybertruck’s dramatic lines, sharp corners, and shiny stainless steel panels “a prominent middle finger to everything that has gone before it.”
I agree with the principle of that sentiment. But Autoweek’s take doesn’t capture the long history behind the Cybertruck’s design — or its coming impact.
In reality, the Cybertruck is far more than a childish F you to good taste— it’s a reflection of an emerging, tech-driven design aesthetic that will fundamentally change how the world looks over the next few years and decades.
This emerging style has deep roots in another design school that emerged about a century ago at a similar technological and social moment — and that ultimately led to disaster.
