As a Footwear Innovation Designer in Residence I function as a footwear designer, creative director, and innovation researcher. My primary role is to design innovative and market-conscious footwear leveraging novel manufacturing techniques and inventive aesthetics to elevate ongoing client work and attract prospective brand partners. Additionally, I assist the current design team with creative direction when needed, and co-manage all other creative projects, including web and 3D design. The rest of my time is spent researching footwear manufacturing methods and materials in line with my personal goals and ongoing projects.

For W. L. Gore & Associates' Gore-Tex brand I have designed multiple footwear concepts and footwear tools to develop and demonstrate cutting-edge Gore-Tex material applications for industry education and promotional use. My responsibilities include footwear design, tech packs/factory communication, and aiding in the development process. In addition to this, I am currently researching footwear material innovation for The Woolmark Company as a part of their Woolmark Performance Challenge, prototyping and working with partners to create manufactured material samples.

Helping product design students create innovative projects in a cutting edge prototyping lab equipped with an array of professional sewing machines, 3D printers, heat presses, vacuum forming machines, laser cutters, molding equipment, and more.

I helped students and faculty safely realize their fabrication goals. I was also instrumental in helping improve the fabrication lab experience for future generations.

I provided REI customers with the guidance and support they needed to be outfitted with the utmost confidence and excitement for their outdoor passions. I focused on fitting footwear, with some apparel and general softgoods experience as well.

I incubated ideas, designed and tested early concepts, created and compiled media, and built visual and functional prototypes.

Provided student supervision, assistance, advice, remote printing services, and shop maintanence in both the wood shop and digital fabrication lab at MICA's Dolphin Design Center.

Assisted the Creative Machines team with collaborative design and prototyping tasks ranging from detail explorations to final designs.

Assisted the Creative Machines team with collaborative design and prototyping tasks ranging from detail explorations to final designs.

I spent two months at Nortwest Outdoor Science School's Camp Westwind volunteering as a wildlife photographer developing a field guide for the Salmon River Estuary. I also helped with counselling and staff duties part-time. After my two month stay I spent the next month editing my field guide and sending the finished laminated copies back to the camp for educational use in the field. You may view the results of my work at the bottom of this page: https://danieljcarhuff.design/photo