This BenchFusion conversation brings together decades of perspective on how jewelry CAD moved from novelty to necessity. In an interview format, we will sit down with Doug to explore what he has seen, learned, and questioned over more than thirty years in the jewelry industry, including his leadership roles with Gemvision, Stuller, 3Design, and 3D printing innovators.

This session looks at a bit of history and the bigger picture. How CAD has genuinely improved precision, profitability, and client communication, and where it has created new blind spots. Doug has worked alongside retailers, designers, manufacturers, and casting houses as they navigated CAD from its introduction to today, giving him a rare view across the entire ecosystem.

Attendees can expect an honest discussion about creativity and constraint, craftsmanship and standardization, training and talent shifts, and the changing expectations of modern customers. We will explore how digital renderings have altered the sales process, how 3D printing has changed production workflows, and how CAD has influenced the balance between art and engineering in jewelry design.

Whether you are fully invested in CAD or always slightly on the fence about its role in your shop, you will leave with a clearer understanding of how digital tools have reshaped the industry, what tradeoffs are worth making, and how to think more deliberately about the next phase of technology in jewelry.