Emilio Cassani is an award-winning designer, educated in Milan Italy. We invited him to speak to us about his background and education, his creative process, and how he uses various design tools to achieve consistently high quality industrial and product design.
The Interview
Anthony Frausto-Robledo (AFR): Emilio, can you tell me a little about what led you into industrial design as a career? Did you grow up always wanting to design objects and things, or did you have other ideas about what you might do when you grew up?
Emilio Cassani (EC): I always wanted to design objects and things since I was a kid. My first desire (when I used to play Lego) was to become an “engineer” for Lego products. Then I entered mechanical engineering when I went to university, but I soon realized that it wasn’t my real desire. By chance I then saw the advertisement of Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan underground trains. I visited the school and I realized that industrial design, which I had never heard of before, was my real interest.
AFR: Going to school in Milan would have put you in the center of action in the design world, what influences did Milan play on you as a young designer in college?
EC: Milano is the center of the world when you speak about design. I started meeting people from all over the world since my first day at the design school and I liked it a lot: attending to lessons with students from very different cultures was a continuously stimulating experience.
AFR: You began collaborating with Isao Hosoe Design in Milan very early after graduating from college, what did you take away from that collaboration and how has that contributed to your success being on your own?
EC: I first entered Isao Hosoe Design in Milano on an internship during summer vacations before the last school year. I then continued frequenting Isao’s studio during the last school year so I started my full time collaboration the day after my final exam and it lasted for seven years. I then made a few projects as an external consultant for IHD. Again the most important aspect was the international pattern that led me to work with people from all over the world enriching my experience. That collaboration was fundamental to create my whole ability of designing.
AFR: You have won several design awards for your industrial design. How important are design awards for obtaining new work in the field of industrial design?
EC: I am afraid I must say very little. Company owners and managers are very practical people that judge on their own the quality of the project you show to them.
01 - The BRIO is one of Cassani's most noted industrial designed products. Milan-educated, Emilio Cassani works across a range of industrial design segments but enjoys industrial machinery the most.
AFR: You involve yourself in many parts of industrial design, such as packaging, lighting, appliances, furniture and industry. Do you have a favorite activity? And have you ever been interested in car and transportation design, for example?
EC: My favorite activity is industrial machine design as often it is a completely virgin territory for design and the designer has the chance to really improve the quality of the products in all design aspects: ergonomics, usability, communication and so on. I faced car design only in a school project, unfortunately, but I found some of my unripe ideas implemented by other designers the next years. At Isao Hosoe Design I was part of teams to design twisting seats for Japan Rail West and a concept of car interiors for Fiat.
AFR: Your work on the BRIO, QIK and FBP are really quite fascinating. How would you describe your challenges and successes with those projects? Those systems seem very complicated compared to designing a table or light, how does that complexity change the design process or your way of thinking and working?
EC: I made these projects as an external consultant at Isao Hosoe Design for SACMI group which is a modern and very positive company that gave me the maximum support a designer can desire so I cannot remember these projects as challenges but as the pleasure to give my contribution to the development of new products. The complexity of those systems requires more designing time as all aspects must be cross checked but my design process and my way of thinking and working are always the same when designing a table, light or a complex machine.
02 - solidThinking rendered view of Parmisan cheese holder.
03 - solidThinking render of innovative Napkin holder.
AFR: We understand that you use computer-aided design tools for your industrial design. How important are these tools to your overall design or creative process? Do you start with such tools or do you just end with these tools?
EC: I usually use computer-aided design tools (solidThinking) to express my ideas from creative sketches, which I propose to my clients as renderings, often to the final 3d model for milling the moulds required for the production of the same products. These tools are very important to my overall creative process as they let me verify and express my ideas.
AFR: Can you describe a typical design process for a project you do? How do you start? What typical phases do you go through and when do you get detailed with work on the computer?
EC: First of all I meet clients to better understand their requirements. If something related to the project (a previous version or a competitor product) already exist it is very important for me to see it. After collecting all the possible information I need time to digest them, thinking of them at any time (even while sleeping or taking a shower) but without tracing a single line. Then, as ideas start appearing in my mind I start the hand sketching work. It is very short and often based on constraints drawn in CAD. I get detailed very soon (often immediately) as some technical aspects, the draft angle for example, have a strong impact on the aesthetics of the product and cannot be ignored at any time.
04 - view of solidThinking screenshots showing The Handle guitar.
AFR: We understand that you use solidThinking on the Apple Macintosh for your design work on the computer. Why do you use these tools versus other tools?
EC: I mainly use solidThinking as a modeler and renderer in the preliminary design because of its unique curve surface aesthetic qualities which cannot be reached by other software. Also, solidThinking has a construction history that is very userful to tests different shape solutions in a short period of time. Its interface is easy and comfortable and it has a very good ability in data exchange. I still remember how I was astonished when I first saw a solidThinking demo.
AFR: What is it about the Mac that appeals to you as an industrial designer? Is Apple itself a role-model for designers in the ID world?
EC: I started using Mac in the early 90’s at Isao Hosoe Design and it wasn’t hard to appreciate the differences from DOS computers. I then considered many times to use Windows based computers mainly to save money, but as I saw its interface I simply didn’t like it. The Mac is more stable, there are less viruses. Being someone who is trained and theoretically could design an interface I think the Mac is more logically organized.
05 - View of the QIK.
06 - View of The Handle.
AFR: What are some of the exciting things you are working on today?
EC: Today I am developing new projects for warm air hand driers and hospital beds. I am also partner (shareholder) in XOX Audio Tools, among other things I have made the 3D computer modeling with solidThinking for one of the world’s most advanced and innovative electric guitars: the Handle.
The Handle is a perfect example of what can be done with solidThinking: look at the fluidity of its contours and surfaces. This 3D model is completely history-based and can be modified at any time by implementing new components. That is the strength in solidThinking.
AFR: Emilio thanks so much for talking to me about your industrial design, your process and your work with solidThinking on the Mac.
EC: You are welcome.
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