Top female designers share the story behind the new Nissan JUKE

Ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8th), Nissan celebrates two women in design - pioneers of the bold new look and feel of the Nissan JUKE.

Drawing on more than 30 years of collective experience, Nissan Colour Manager, Lesley Busby and Nissan Colour, Material and Finish Designer, Carine Giachetti, take inspiration from the world around them, helping them to bring the colour to a masterpiece that was several years in the making.

DESIGNED WITH CUSTOMERS AT THE HEART

The first generation JUKE caused waves in the automotive world, with its beach-buggy looks in a compact footprint, it was ideal for city driving. Despite its unapologetically polarising looks, customers throughout Europe loved its rebellious attitude and fresh approach to the small car segment.

Now, with the launch of the new JUKE, its designers faced the challenge of enhancing the JUKE’s unique design heritage and to elevate its fun personality. The new model reflects customer preferences as well as prevailing trends, taking striking design and fresh personalisation to a new level for buyers.

“Customer expectation for impeccable design has grown over the years,” said Lesley Busby. “With the development of new digital platforms, the world is really at people’s fingertips; they are more in-tune with design trends and information than ever before. It’s really exciting for us to grow with that expectation and rise to the challenge, particularly with the new JUKE. We can offer customers a new level of personalisation and quality to match. That’s incredibly rewarding for us.”

DRAWING ON LONDON’S MULTI CULTURAL SPIRIT

Working at the central London-based car design studio - and the birthplace of the first and second Nissan JUKE - Lesley Busby and Carine Giachetti stand at the helm of driving design and colour innovation forward.

“Nissan Design Europe is right in the heart of London, so we have access to architecture – a juxtaposition of new and old – coupled with modern art and the latest in fashion. All of this sparked the inspiration behind redefining the new JUKE’s appearance. This helped us hone colour options and determine what will remain in vogue for years to come,” said Carine Giachetti.

Offering a new level of personalisation, the N-Design grade package ensures that drivers can make their JUKE their own. Multiple colour combinations for body, roof and interior upholstery are available. Customers can adopt their JUKE style by selecting from 21 premium interior and exterior combinations – the ultimate choice in personalisation.

The JUKE’s range of interior colours and materials gives the inside of the car a premium and grown-up feel. The designers paid close attention to the soft-touch surfaces on the dashboard and door trim, as well as detailed piping on the optional Alcantara® upholstery.

The designers identified three distinctive N-Design grade personalities – Midnight, Urbaniser and The JUKE.

COLLABORATION IS PARAMOUNT IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

“The design process is constantly evolving,” said Lesley Busby. “It encompasses insights taken from different pockets of the business, from engineering and purchasing through to product planning and quality control.”

“Having developed the JUKE’s look and feel from the original to the new model, I’m most proud of our collaborative efforts across the business,” said Lesley Busby.

Carine Giachetti added, “The beauty of our jobs is that we draw inspiration from so many people and places. For the new JUKE, we not only collaborated with Nissan Technical Centre Europe and our colleagues in Japan, but also drew influence from the vast design and art scene in London.”

“When we see the car out on the road, we see all of these different ideas from our internal teams and the outside world carefully crafted in one place. It’s truly a testament to the creativity and diversity of the team and makes us feel really proud to be a part of something so special,” Carine Giachetti concluded.