When Nokia’s new flagship N9 hit the news last week it made quite a stir. We’ve got the Nokia N9 model for Solidworks and in STEP, if you fancy :)
Industrial design has always been Nokia’s strong side, this one’s no exception. There’s a great interview with the lead designer of the project, Anton Fahlgren over at Nokia’s official blog. Here’s a quote I liked:
What makes the Nokia N9 unique?
Above all, it’s the continuity that you feel from the shape of the glass continuing to the side profile. It just feels right. The basic concept is that seamless continuity of the form, and I think it was something we refined with the UI. It’s just something nice about interacting with a device that has a gentle curvature. Once you have something that’s more continuous in your hand, it’s just more pleasant to interact with it, all the way to the edges. Try to swipe stuff on other phones, and you’ll soon see that the edges will bother you.
When you see it in three dimensions, there’s not a single straight surface on the product. It’s actually really difficult to model in CAD. It’s almost like a pillow. In concept, a pillow is a simple form. It’s not hard to understand. But if you have to build those surfaces on a computer, you’ll realize how complicated they are. So the concept is simple, but as a piece of geometry, it’s quite elaborate.
So, download the Nokia N9 CAD model (and build an accessory or two) and read the rest of the interview: Nokia N9: the designer’s story
