Designer Interview: Davide Nicosia and Ian Carnduff
NiCE Ltd.
NiCE Ltd.’s sketch of the Dunhill Pursuit bottle was done prior to 3-D modeling. The finished product is pictured below.
Although 3-D modeling helps NiCE Ltd. work faster, hand-drawing is still key.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorNiCE Ltd. has been using 3-D design technology ever since its principal, Davide Nicosia, founded the design firm in 1993. Today, the team designs shapes for bottles and other objects while meeting one of the biggest requirements for delivering package designs—speed.
Some of the software the team employs includes programs such as SolidWorks and Alias Wavefront. These programs allow the designers at NiCE to quickly create 3-D computerized models before proceeding with building a physical model. “This allows the client to get an understanding of the final look of a product very quickly,” says Ian Carnduff, the product design director who leads the structural design team. “Plus, we are able to quickly change materials and colors to test out various versions of any design.”
Davide NicosiaToday’s design technologies provide a range of benefits, says Nicosia. One is that they allow designers to quickly see what parts of their designs can be feasibly engineered, and which parts can’t. For instance, for the recently launched Dunhill Pursuit fragrance bottle, “the software was used to quickly model the parts with the correct volumes and to check that the parts would fit together with the right wall thicknesses,” says Carnduff. Nicosia adds, “Whenever we design bottles, we keep in mind many factors such as the volumetric expansion of the glass so that we’re sure of what can be manufactured.”
Ian CarnduffWith 3-D renderings, all parties can look at the same drawing in real time. “The CAD process has helped us communicate with our clients, mold makers, and manufacturers in order to quickly swap files and design ideas,” Carnduff says.
“A vendor in China may look for changes the next day, and that is now possible.” He adds that the company is currently installing a fused deposition modeling (FDM) machine, which can print out 3-D images within hours.
Nicosia says that his decision to invest in such technologies put NiCE Ltd. ahead of the game early on. “We were presenting 3-D renderings when people were still doing hand-drawn drawings,” he says.
However, there is still a place for traditional model making. “A 3-D model in the computer is never the same on-screen as it is in reality,” says Carnduff. “NiCE is fortunate to have technology that can help render images that look very close to the real thing. But in-house, we also have a mini workshop for craft skills such as sculpture, clay modeling, wood turning, etc. However, technology is just another tool. Design is a collaborative process. Putting pencil to paper is still the best way to share ideas and think through concepts. I doubt that will ever change.”