To achieve excellence and respond to the technicals and esthetics expectations of our clients, our workrooms have created a Design Studio, real innovation in our upholstery profession. The role of this Design Studio, composed of several designers in Lyon, New York and Rabat is to analyze each project with precision in order to propose the best technical solutions to combine aesthetics and optimal comfort. Our collaborators draw by hand and in 3D, using CAD, the most audacious creations while respecting the proportions, the quality of the finishes and the comfort of the furniture. Today, we'd like to introduce you to Eric, Furniture Designer for Jouffre USA.
« Jouffre celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship and offers a close working relationship across multiple departments. As I learned more about Jouffre, I realized I had just as much to gain as I had to give to the company. »
"My name is Nakassa Eric and I’m Furniture Designer in the Jouffre New York Office. Throughout my design education, I became very interested in the history and fabrication of furniture. I wanted to work closely with skilled artisans and familiarize myself with the technical design process. After graduating from the Industrial Design program at the University of Washington in June of 2020, I moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia in hopes of starting my career in New York City. I applied to the furniture designer position at Jouffre and made it far in the hiring process. Although I did not have enough experience to qualify the full time position, Taylor saw my potential and created a design internship position just for me. After 6 months of training and growth, I was offered a full time position.
Jouffre celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship and offers a close working relationship across multiple departments. As I learned more about Jouffre, I realized I had just as much to gain as I had to give to the company. In my job, I work with designers, project managers, and artisans to turn client specifications into workable shop drawings. I create renders and 3D prints to help visualize specific pieces prior to fabrication.
A successful draftsman should have great knowledge of technical design. They should be able to reference pieces worked on in the past and adopt new techniques to improve the efficiency of the design and fabrication process. The ideas must be presented clearly and effectively, so visual and verbal communication skills are essential.
It truly helps to be passionate about the field you’re working in. Designed objects are all around us, so continue to stay curious and ask a lot of questions. If something piques your interest, find out why and look for opportunities to bring new inspiration into your practice. Most importantly, the craft wouldn’t be there without the people. So love the people and love the craft. »
- Eric Nakassa