Case Study: North Design Works achieves lightning-fast, production-ready Game of Thrones mask design with SolidWorks

Design for Game of Thrones With North Design Works

North Design Works, a multidisciplinary design studio, was tasked with rapidly digitizing and refining a handmade costume mask for HBO’s Game of Thrones under strict secrecy and a tight shoot schedule. They relied on SolidWorks (SOLIDWORKS 3D design tools) as their main platform to blend high‑level aesthetics with design‑for‑manufacture needs, handling comfort improvements, scaling, and outputs for stereolithography and vacuum casting.

Using SolidWorks, the team 3D‑scanned the original piece, applied an origami‑inspired woven texture via surface rendering and 3D sketching, then thickened and merged surfaces to create manufacturable parts—enabling fast previews and a lightning‑fast turnaround. The SolidWorks‑enabled workflow produced the final “Sons of the Harpy” mask that aired to 6.82 million U.S. viewers on first broadcast and contributed to a Primetime Emmy win, while significantly reducing lead time and preserving the design’s aesthetic quality.

North Design Works

Jonny Patty

Director