Sue Magnusson ventured into the world of design slightly later than most. Never intending to find herself working in any facet of design full stop, Magnusson began the transition in her early thirties – and in her words was something of a late bloomer compared to her eventual peers.

From night classes in interior design and architecture; a stint at Designworks/USA – now part of the BMW Design Group – and then the Design Center California, working across various Volkswagen and Audi models, she soon found her niche into the automotive space.

A “beautiful accident” that she describes as winning the lottery eventually led to senior positions at some of the automotive industry’s biggest names, most recently at EV start-up Lucid. She joined in 2015 thanks to a call from one of her former colleagues – VP of design Derek Jenkins no less – as director of CMF design. Car Design News caught up with Magnusson to discuss her leap of faith into the world of car design and how – despite a soft spot for old Porsches – she ultimately designed her dream car in the Lucid Air.

Car Design News: How did you get started in automotive design? Was this the plan or a happy accident?