Amanda Products Releases Part 2 of the Road to SEMA 2014 Story

Amanda Products is pulling back the curtain on its unique design process that was used to develop automotive aftermarket prototype parts for the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three-part story at http://amandaproducts.com/sema2014/offers exclusive photos and interviews with designers, executives, engineers and product developers.

INSPIRATION – part 1 of the Road to SEMA story – documented Amanda Products’ search for exciting new off-road products after winning a Global Media Award for SpeedHook™ at SEMA ’13. That journey took them in search of real-world feedback – from Ultra4 and Dirt Riot races on the west coast to Jeep Beach on the east coast where – for the first time – they met off-roaders who prize appearance as much as function. Those enthusiasts suggested SpeedHook™ be built into a “cool new bumper;” and the next concept was born. But what does “cool” look like?

In DESIGN – part 2 of 3 – we follow Amanda Products’ unique creative process from great idea to cool new products. Amanda Products and Amanda Manufacturing are part of the Deshler Group; executive, engineering and manufacturing from all three came together to work with a hand-selected design team. M3D experiences guided the process from initial critique and brainstorming to incubation, illustration and selection.

One of the designers explained the process this way. “The biggest thing I liked was Amanda Products didn’t really take the automotive approach, which is very competitive. From the beginning they took a product approach – got everybody together and did two full days of brainstorming, writing everything down on sticky notes and pasting on the wall. The facilitator prefaced it with – ‘there is not one bad idea here; if you have an idea we will put it on the board.'” Agreement on design direction was easily reached.

Part 3 – PROTOTYPE – will explain the decisions and challenges involved in giving shape to the design. Follow the Road to SEMA 2014 at http://amandaproducts.com/sema2014/, keep up with the latest news on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AmandaProductsUSA, and learn more on the Amanda Products website:http://www.AmandaProducts.com.

Amanda Products is the off-road marketing brand of Amanda Manufacturing, an original equipment supplier in Logan, Ohio. The company produces more than 300 quality metal formed parts for automotive manufacturers, including hood-prop rods, hood/door/seat strikers, muffler hangers, fender braces and manual shift assemblies.