The 38-year-old African-American design manager for Ford Motor Co. has a strong passion for product. But more importantly, he recognizes the need for consumer input during the initial design process of a vehicle.

Interfacing with the market, said Lucas, is critical to pulling off a vehicle like the new Taurus.

"When you talk about Taurus you have to think about how the Taurus has connected with the public in the past," said Lucas. "It is going to connect and resonate with people and fit their lives. We are trying to rekindle its spirit from its past."

Lucas, who has also worked on the design of the Ford Flex, Ford Edge, Ford F150, 2003 Lincoln MK X, and the 2000 Navigator, said the marketing research involved in the design of the new Taurus was unprecedented for the company.

Many of the styling cues for the sedan, such as the wheels, and the custom grille that changes depending on the trim level, were a direct result of market research, Lucas said.

"There was a greater cooperation from other disciplines to assist the studio to get what we needed," he said. "We did a lot of market research studies with this vehicle. We interfaced with the customer directly.

This type of interaction helps the studio frame the types of product we will bring to the table."

Over the past decade, one of the most decisive factors in the downfall of the Detroit Three has been the loss of U.S. market share and plenty of it. Since 1990, the American automakers' overall market share in the U.S. has declined to less than 50 percent from close to 70 percent.

From 1998 to 2008, General Motors' U.S. market share declined from nearly 30 percent to under 20 percent. Ford's market share dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent during the same period. Chrysler's market share dropped to a dismal 10 percent in 2008 from 15 percent in 1998.

That's a long way from the Big Three's heyday when GM alone owned more than 50 percent of the U.S. car market.

Crystal L. Windham, GM, director of General Motors North American Passenger Car Design and the first African-American female to hold the position, said market input is more critical now in the design process than it has ever been.

"It is more important now because we want to make sure that the customers are there to actually buy our products," said the 35-year-old Windham, who served as the lead designer on the interior of award-winning Chevy Malibu.

Noted Windham, "We have a number of processes set up where we interface with potential customers and existing customers where we can understand their lifestyles and how they like the vehicle, but more importantly as we develop the vehicle we sit down with focus groups and we expose them to our potential design and get feedback in the design process."

The Detroit auto show, which opens to the public Saturday, Jan. 19 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 27, features a number of new GM vehicles like the 2010 Buick LaCrosse influenced by consumer input, noted Windham.

Tim Hartge, a Marketing Faculty lecturer with University of Michigan Dearborn with extensive automotive industry experience, said the Detroit Three have had a number of challenges in trying to appeal to consumer tastes.

"In the past, the designers have been given these platforms, and the platforms never suit a design that's sparked any interest among consumers," said Hartge. "They've had these great designs at the auto show, and the actual product doesn't come out. They have to give people what they want and try to figure out a way to use product that they have with the cost constraints."

Perhaps nowhere is there a stronger sense of that with the Detroit Three than Chrysler, with criticism that over the past few years the automaker's products have failed to live up to consumer expectations in a number of key areas.

Ralph Gilles, Chrysler's VP of design, said it's an issue the company is fully aware of as the automaker works to turn things around.

"We have been reviewing what's gone wrong, what's gone right," said Gilles, who won international acclaim as the lead designer of the award-winning Chrysler 300. "Now the focus is on what the customer wants from inside the company, getting second party involvement early. We are gathering all the data we can before we even sketch a vehicle."

One of the best examples of that to date, said Gilles, was the new redesign of Dodge Ram truck.

"The vehicle basically didn't have enough luxury goodies," he said. "With the new truck we focused on where we located the outlet plugs, enough storage - every part of what the customer expects. We actually developed a seat that was heated and cooled because a lot our customer base for the truck is in the South.

"You create these factors that anticipate the customer," said Gilles, "simple things like putting the access handles where they expect them to be. We looked at a number of people getting in and out of the truck. There is a point and time when you can point blank ask them what they want. Then there are other times you can watch them."

The Ram box storage areas, said Gilles, was a direct result of consumers' need for dry storage space.

Future Chrysler vehicles, said Gilles, will be more focused on meeting consumers' needs in areas such as functionality, convenience, quality, technology and ecological elements, in addition to styling and overall value.

"You are going to see vehicles that hit on many emotional strings," said Gilles. "The modern consumer wants products that hit on everything."

As designers all under age 40, Lucas, Windham and Gilles represent a key market segment for carmakers in connecting with younger car buyers and penetrating key markets on the West and East coasts - longtime trouble spots for the Detroit Three.

The carmakers' ability to connect with consumers in big city markets is critical to the future of the Detroit automakers, said Hartge.

"Some of the key elements are already there with Detroit car companies - quality, technology features like the Ford SYNC," he said. "But they are going to have to focus more on those lifestyle elements that connect the vehicles to people on a more personal level in all facets of design."