My internship took place within the Color and Trim (C/T) CMF team at Škoda Auto Design. The CMF department is responsible for defining the material strategies, surface qualities, colors, textures, and finishes used throughout the vehicle interior and exterior. This includes plastics, textiles, leathers, coatings, decorative elements, and functional surfaces, as well as how these materials interact visually, tactually, and acoustically.

The CMF team plays a key role in shaping the perceived quality and identity of Škoda cars. Their work directly influences how customers experience comfort, trust, and brand character. CMF design at Škoda, beyond surface styling, focuses on material-first thinking, combining aesthetics with technical constraints such as durability, safety, sustainability, and large-scale production requirements.

The team works closely with multiple departments, including interior and exterior designers, sound engineering, material suppliers, production engineering, and marketing. This interdisciplinary collaboration ensures that CMF concepts are aligned with both brand storytelling and technical realization.

As an intern in the CMF team, I am integrated into ongoing design research and development activities rather than performing purely supportive tasks. The internship environment encourages exploration, concept development, and critical discussion, while also exposing interns to professional evaluation processes such as internal reviews, feasibility assessments, and cross-departmental feedback loops.

The CMF internship provides a context in which material research, visual storytelling, prototyping, and digital visualization are combined. This environment aligns strongly with my background in industrial design, material research, and computational design, while also allowing me to develop new competencies in CMF methodologies, automotive material systems, and sensory-driven design at an industrial scale.