When design enters the battlefield | Robert Walker

When design enters the battlefield | Robert Walker

From Design This Day by Teague

March 2, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 15

About this episode

Devin Liddell interviews Robert Walker about his transition from automotive design to designing tactical vehicles for the military.

Devin speaks with Robert Walker, a senior design leader who recently transitioned from a two-decade career in automotive design into the world of defense. He previously led design for some of Ford and GM’s most iconic vehicles. Now, he’s applying that experience to the radically different challenge of designing tactical vehicles for military use. It’s a dramatic shift – one that raises big questions about how design adapts when the stakes are high. 1:47 Welcome to the defense industry 4:01 The designer's ”curse” 5:13 Humvees and backup cameras 8:44 Success redefined – getting soldiers home 11:38 Humans vs machines on the battlefield 13:13 Leading both design and engineering teams 15:18 Prototyping: build first, get permission later 17:49 Lightening Round Links Devin Liddell on LinkedIn Robert Walker on LinkedIn Teague About the Host: Futurist Devin Liddell Devin Liddell is the Principal Futurist at Teague. With over two decades of experience in innovation and design strategy, Devin has worked with industry giants like Boeing, Intel, and Nike, helping organizations anticipate changes across both near- and far-term horizons to create their preferred futures. Devin is a frequent…

People in this episode

Host: Devin Liddell

Guest: Robert Walker

Topics covered

  • defense design
  • automotive design
  • tactical vehicles
  • military technology
  • design leadership

Keywords

  • design
  • defense
  • automotive
  • military
  • tactical vehicles
  • innovation
  • engineering

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Teague, Ford, GM

Places: military

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