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In Above the Fold, we spotlight individual members of Coroflot's vibrant creative community. The idea is to take you behind the scenes and inside the minds of talented Coroflot members who we think are doing exceptional work. Coroflot was created by designers, for designers, and Above the Fold is the place where we can talk to creatives about work that we not only love, but think you'll love too!

This week we are talking with Erik Klemm, a Los Angeles-based industrial designer involved in product, graphic, and design management. If the images above didn't give it away, Erik's main area of focus these days is bikes. He has spent a handful of years now working for Giant Bicycles and in the process he has worn a lot of different hats at the company, ultimately playing key roles in the design and production of mountain and road bikes as well as cycling gear. As an avid cyclist, Erik is able to get inspiration from his personal experience riding, which often translates to sleek, stylish and colorful designs that elevate the bike while staying true to Giant as a brand. If you've stepped foot in a bike shop or on a trail in the last few years, there's a good chance you have seen Erik's work.

Was there a specific moment in life when you realized you wanted to pursue a creative path?

I guess it all started with my love for cars, vehicles, and especially trucks. My mom would take me to dealerships where I would sketch these trucks for hours. Semis, dump trucks, garbage trucks…whatever. It continued into elementary school where I found myself always sketching next to my classmate since kindergarten, Jeff Mokos. He went on to have a successful footwear career and is now Director at Cole Haan. In my sophomore year of high school (1996), we actually had a "Technology" class that focused on orthographic drawings and AutoCAD. Hanging in that room were posters of these cool 3D product sketches done by colleagues of our instructor. When I asked "Chief" (as we called him), he said: "Oh, that's Industrial Design…you should really consider that." I was sold.

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Who are your design heroes?

Growing up (before that technology class), I really wanted to be a comic book artist. The visualization of these artists to captivate an audience is amazing. Like designers, they are telling a story. Guys like Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, and Bart Sears really got me into sketching and storyboarding.

In design school I began to appreciate the work of Dieter Rams and Carroll Gantz and car designers like Tom Matano and Ken Okuyama. Our primary ID professor at Virginia Tech, Ed Dorsa, was a huge influence. He definitely brought out the best in me and prepared us all for what a true design job would be like. He knew what firms would expect from us and made sure we were equipped with the right skills.

Once I got into the real world, though, I learned of many other designers that perhaps aren't as well known as the guys above, but have worked on products we all use and love. Scott Evans (formerly of Black & Decker) runs a small consultancy called Sprocket Studio in Virginia. He really gave me my first start after graduating. To work with him on some small projects was super cool knowing this guy designed the Mouse Sander and plenty of other household items I've used over time. He gave me a lot of advice and confidence moving forward.

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Can you share some details about your most recent completed project?

This summer, we launched a whole range of mountain bikes for Giant. Everything from the ground up was new: geometry, form development, graphic design, component matching, etc. It was an opportunity to manage the entire process, but also lead every aspect of design with a great team around me. We needed some new products that would evolve the mechanics of our suspension and capture back more sales in this segment. It involved working with an amazing crew of ID, graphic designers, and engineers. Seven trips to Taiwan in one year, crazy amounts of 3D work, and lots of interaction on our factory floor. In the end, the retailer and consumer reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

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Are you currently working on any projects?

Absolutely. The product cycles at Giant are always in motion. There might be projects that are updates to existing models, or perhaps a fresh idea that will need nurturing and refinement. In addition, a lot of design work is managing relationships with vendors, travel, interacting or supporting other departments like sales or marketing. In that sense, there is always some type of project happening.

Walk us through some of your process for creating.

Perhaps it's a safe approach, but in the beginning I like to outline some basics: what is the goal of this project, who is the target audience, and what resources do we have? I certainly don't want to limit creativity, but to know some parameters will definitely help use our time wisely. From there it's focused ethnographic research, ideation, and refinement until we nail it!

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What is your favorite project that you've completed and why?

Two years ago, I embarked on aligning our performance products. We had quite a few aesthetic directions, and not much cohesion between road, mountain and gear. I wanted to create a more family look with form, graphics and color - tie stuff together yet keep each product individually exciting. Two years later, demand is high, our sales have increased, and the products look/function better than ever.

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What tools do you find yourself using repeatedly?

Sketching is still my go-to, as I'm sure it is for most designers for rapid viz. Quite honestly, a lot of it is digital, though. I should be sketching more on paper, but I usually resort to the Cintique and Photoshop. For 3D modeling at Giant, we use Siemens NX. It's great for organic surfacing modeling or assembly work. I find myself doing a lot of renderings to "sell" an idea internally at Giant. For this, I rely heavily on Keyshot and have for years. I still remember the days of struggling to set up lighting in a rendering. Hypershot and then Keyshot definitely brought happiness to my life.

Is there any work out there that you've come across recently that you've really loved?

I'm currently in love with my Adidas Ubersonic 2.0 tennis shoes. By far, the best on-court shoes I've owned.

Do you have a ritual for getting in design mode (music you listen to, certain exercise, food you eat) aka a productivity tip?

Coffee, definitely! Recently I've been into a lot of late 80's/early 90's electronic dance to keep me going; Bomb the Bass, Noel, etc work nicely for a "CAD pumping" playlist. There are some great podcasts from Paul Van Dyk and BT…and even some good Soundcloud mixes by Roosevelt and Basement Jaxx that I've been into.

Outside of your professional life, do you have any other creative outlets or hobbies?

I still resort to cycling for a lot of my livelihood and exercise. Working for the world's largest bicycle brand has allowed me to keep that alive and put in quite a few hours a week. Some of my best ideas or design solutions come to me while riding. The problem is remembering them by the time I get back! I'm also a big tennis fan and hit around once or twice a week. And after all these years, I still love cars. I've had my Evo9 RS for a while now, which is modified nicely, that I still tinker with.

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If you're stuck on a desert island and can only bring three tools, what are they?

Ballpoint pen, paper, iPhone.

Do you have any tips for getting the most out of your Coroflot portfolio?

Keep it concise, but show imagery that will captivate the audience. If you were involved in all aspects of the design, tell that story!

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To see more of Erik's work, check out his Coroflot portfolio!

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