Modu Ta'avale a le Aai by Daniel Henneh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Uʻamea in Mamanu Ta'avale Competition Category.

UʻameaTa'avale· 2025

Modu Ta'avale a le Aai

by Daniel Henneh

Client: Modu

A' Design Award Uʻamea Winner in Ta'avale Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #171148

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Modu Ta'avale a le Aai

O le Modu o se ta'avale a le aai fa'apitoa mo femalagaiga i totonu o taulaga. O le ta'avale ua fausia i vaega e mafai ona suia ma fesuia'i. E tutusa moli i luma i le itu agavale ma le itu taumatau, ma e faapena foi fa'ata, pa'u i luma ma tua, faiga fa'aola (drive system) ma le fa'avae (chassis). O lenei auala e fa'aitiitia ai le aofa'i o vaega, tau o le gaosiga, ma le malosi e fa'aaogaina i le gaosiga. O le tino o le ta'avale e faia i papa alumini ua tipi ma punou i le leiza (laser cut) ma anodized, fa'atasi ai ma se faiga eletise (electric drivetrain), afi i totonu o uili (in-wheel motors) ma se faiga fa'amalu ea (air suspension). E fa'atulaga le ta'avale i luga o le initoneti pe a fa'atau, ma e mafai ona suia vaega i se taimi mulimuli ane pe a suia ni mana'oga.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Uʻamea

O le A' Design Award Uʻamea na manumalo ai Modu Ta'avale a le Aai, o se faamaoniga mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu lelei e faataunuu ai manaʻoga faapolofesa ma pisinisi e faamoemoeina mai galuega ua mamanuina lelei. O ē manumalo i le Uʻamea e faaalia ai le tomai tele, le faapitoa maualuga, le malamalama o tagata poto ma le mafai fatufatuaʻi o ē na faia. E faamoemoeina Modu Ta'avale a le Aai e avea ma mea ua matuā vivii, mataʻina ma pelepelea e aogā ma fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Uʻamea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili o le pisinisi ma e iai uiga faatekonolosi mafai ua fesoʻotaʻi ma le poto ma le taleni. Ona o lona faatuatuaina, e tatau ai Modu Ta'avale a le Aai ona faaaloalogia ma ua mamanuina e tuuina mai ai faaleleiga o le olaga e fesoasoani e faia ai e le lalolagi se nofoaga e sili atu ona lelei.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Modu is designed around modularity and interchangeability of components. It can be configured both at purchase and later as the need changes without buying a new vehicle. Modu introduces the concept of interchangeability, for instance, the left and right headlights are identical, the driving mirrors, the front and back bumpers, even the drive system and chassis system. This significantly reduces the manufacturing cost, energy and subsequently a smaller environmental footprint.
Dimensions & Packaging: Modu is modular so the dimension will vary base on the configuration. Minimum configuration 1.8m length x 0.85m width x 1.5m height
Electric drivetrain, In-wheel electric motor, air suspension, laser cut and bent anodized aluminum body panels.
Tags: Modular, City Car, Urban Mobility, Sustainable Design, Electric Vehicle, Interchangeable Components, Lightweight, Innovative, Compact, Energy Efficient, Flexible
Production Technology: The design of Modu was made possible through Design Thinking. Early ideas were captured via sketching, white boarding and sticky notes to capture critical features. These ideas were then refined through peer interviews and feedback. Iterative sketches led to CAD modeling in Siemens NX, with FDM 3D printing to validating key technical features. Realistic renderings in Keyshot and composition in Photoshop were used to visualize the vehicle and its potential use cases.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was combining complete modularity with aesthetics and structural integrity, a tough balance since these often conflict. The inspiration for Modu's exoskeleton design is from military vehicles, this simplified the design and reduced part count. Additionally, making the parts interchangeable was a challenge but crucial, for instance the left and right headlights are interchangeable, even driving mirrors, the bumpers, the drive system and many other components.
Research: Extensive academic research on urban mobility trends, material options, and advanced manufacturing, combined with user-centered design principles, drove Modu’s development. Informal interviews and digital prototypes captured local transportation insights and spurred iterative refinements. This research and feedback validated the need for a sustainable, adaptable vehicle, guiding design choices toward superior modularity, energy efficiency, and operational versatility.
Inspiration: I grew up in Ghana, West Africa where transportation continues to be an issue. Seeing first hand the potential of a highly optimized vehicle to impact lives, I was inspired to design a brilliant yet affordable solutions. Modu is designed to give the customer absolute freedom to configure the vehicle at the time of purchase and even later as their need changes without needing to buy a completely new car.
Project Duration: Project started in August 2024 in San Jose California and finished in January 2025
Operation Flow: The unique experience of this vehicle to starts right with the purchasing experience; The customer will configure the new Modu on an online platform where key elements such as size, specific modules and intended use can be chosen.
the vehicle is then delivered after a few days due to the ease of customization.
Operating Modu will be extremely easy with the ability to use the smartphone as a dashboard hence all the users music , frequently visited locations, contacts, etc all comes along for the ride on seamless experience.