HuffyDesigner

[Daddyar]

Nice! I especially like the chainguard.

 

[blkjak]

hello ... blkjak :mrgreen:

 

[Fastfix]

Second on that chainguard.

 

[greg66]

cool bikes . :lol:

 

[emanon]

The Deluxe is the sharpest contemporary Huffy I can recall. Are you responsible for the color combo on the Newport? Also some nice work.That gold reminds me of a late '50's Chevy color & the faux pinstriping recalls certain bikes from the late '50's-early '60's. Now when are you going to do a repop of the Rail? I'll take mine in purple & make it a 26" :wink:

 

[Galtbacken]

That Deluxe is properly named, looks good! I like the colour combo, and the chainguard and the rear carrier are really nice!
And since I haven't said welcome yet...welcome!!

 

[HuffyDesigner]

Thank you for the comments. The Deluxe's turned out really well, I'll try to remember to grab a picture of the womens and post it as well.

emanon, yes I did do the Newport's (they were the first cruisers I got to do). I based the colors for them off of a beautiful 57 Chevy that I saw at a car show in Cincinnati that was gold and cream. I am also responsible for the current Cranbrooks at Walmart.

I am actually getting started on a spin off of the Deluxe's for Walmart. Hopefully we can get them in to stores. Thanks again for the positive comments and I'll put in a good word for reintroducing the Rail.

 

[Markm]

looks cool! Maybe(?) a bigger seat... :mrgreen:
X2 on the Rail 2010

 

[gravediggerjason]

Welcome ... are you hiring (will work for bike parts) ... no seriously I would!

 

[emanon]

I think I speak for most of us here in asking: How did you get this job & what is your background?

 

[HuffyDesigner]

Well I guess I will tell a little more about myself. I am 27 years old and am a Miami University (Oxford, OH) alum. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design. I have always been a big car guy, drawing a lot of inspiration from there for my design work. After school I bar tended for quite awhile, while looking for full time work. I freelanced for various people and had a short contract position with a software company. It was about then that I really got into the rat rod style.

A close friend of mine that I graduated college with on the other hand found a great job with a design firm straight out of school (I was very jealous). It just so happened that the firm that she worked for was the very same that Huffy was outsourcing all their design work to (I was even more jealous).

Then about two and a half years ago Huffy decided not to renew their contract with the firm and bring design back in-house. Huffy offered jobs to the four designers at the firm who worked directly on their product (including my friend). Lucky for me only three of them excepted the offers. My friend let me know that they would be hiring a designer to fill the position, so I hounded her and the design manager for a couple of weeks. In October of 2006 they asked me to come in and freelance for awhile, then in December I was brought on full time. Its been a wild ride ever since.

I would be lying if I said I don't get frustrated with work from time to time, but on the whole I love my job!

Now that I have written a small book I'll post a couple of photos.


The Woman's Deluxe

Thanks again for all the interest.

-HuffyDesigner

 

[Anonymous]

i am diggin the earthy matte combo. the gold seems funny. prolly just me.would have to see it in person.. do you do a test market kinda thing to pick colors?

oh yeah one more right on for the rack being part of the bike :mrgreen:

 

[Markm]

really diggin the built in rear racks....

 

[deorman]

Huffy started looking pretty sad there for a while, but this is looking pretty good. Hope you all can keep it going.

 

[Daddyar]

To quote my wife on the women's Deluxe:"OOOH, cute!

 

[bikeriderx]

Welcome friend! I like your work! The welded on luggage rack is cool...

 

[XXXBMX]

When Huffy designs, say a new frame, do they design it here in the States and actually build a prototype here? Or..... do they CAD the idea, then FAX it to one of your manufacture`s and ship it back to the States for your component and paint scheme ideas? That may be an odd question, but I wonder if your big company does silly stuff like my big one does . By the way.... that`s a great looking pooch you got there!


Up the Irons Mates

 

[HuffyDesigner]

XXXBMX it varies a lot between models. I'd say 90% of the time the product manager will take an existing frame drawing and make alterations to it. It is then emailed to one of our factories to make the samples, which are shipped to our office in Dayton. Sometimes we may go through a round or two but normally we can get it in the first round. We also have a model shop in-house to make paint and component changes.

However, in the instance that we are doing something really out of the norm (ie. the extendeable rack on the Deluxe) we will make a prototype sample here in the states and send it over to be replicated. This happens a lot with the our kids products like trikes and scooters.

Oh and thanks, Guinness is a fantastic dog, couldn't ask for a better one.

-HuffyDesigner