Henri Schmidt

This is a photo from my final collection of commuter wear for the Soft Goods Intensive course I took during spring term 2021. I designed and sewed the shirt, vest, pants, basket bag, and hat over the 10-week term.

Degree: BFA in Product Design, minor in Entrepreneurship

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarship
Tinker L. Hatfield Scholarship in Product Design

I Am Originally From Eugene, OR

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
Choosing to go to the University of Oregon was an easy decision for me because I am from Eugene. I have always really liked the area and environment, so it made sense to stay and be in a place I already was in love with. My favorite aspect of the College of Design is the community of students all working long hours on unique projects and helping one another solve problems and refine what we were working on.

When I learned about the Product Design major at UO, my decision to stay in Eugene was solidified. Throughout my life, prior to college I really enjoyed making things and improving things in my life. This made the design program an obvious fit.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
Before coming to UO I had cultivated an interest in outdoor sports such as mountain biking, long-distance bike touring, backpacking, climbing, and other activities that could be done near Eugene. I paired this interest with my desire to create my own bags and gear to do these activities. I mainly started making my own outdoor gear out of frugality but really became int4erested in the user experience and making things that work well. This gave me a lot of basic skills that could be improved on throughout the Product Design program.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
Many of the instructors in the Product Design program are wonderful and helped to foster my interest in design, but the most influential instructor I’ve had is Tom Bonamici. I ended up taking a few courses with Tom throughout my studies, and during those classes not only did he teach the really useful skills to design things better, but he also taught me what kind of designer I want to be in the grand scheme of the design industry. He helped me see that the duty as a designer is to design useful items that will last a long time and also be made in a way that isn’t solely about profit but also about maintaining the environment, be that through domestic production, local suppliers, or repairability.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Since my first year at UO, I worked as a bike mechanic for the UO Outdoor Program (OP). While working at the OP I was able to have a direct impact on the lives of students around campus by being a resource to help them learn how to maintain their bicycles and promote sustainable transportation. Beyond that, it’s also allowed me to be involved in an ever-changing community of people with a love of the outdoors.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
It’s difficult to choose one single learning experience that stands out above all others. Ultimately, each Product Design classes taught me how to use various tools to actually take what’s in my brain and create it. Each new skill I learned built on the skill I learned previously, such as perspective sketching, CAD modeling, 3D printing, using the woodshop, and becoming more proficient with sewing soft goods. I will be bringing all of these skills with me when designing products in the future.

AFTER GRADUATION
After I graduate with a BFA in Product Design I hope to gain a position in a small product-based company within the outdoor industry. Ideally, the company will align with my values of sustainable design, environmentally conscious manufacturing processes, and domestic production. I want to be able to use my degree and associated skills to grow the company by designing genuinely useful products.

YOUR GIFT
By being awarded this scholarship I feel as though all the hard work I have put into my design courses during these past three years at UO is being recognized. It feels really good to see the long nights spent on projects every term actually result in this award. I obviously have a lot left to learn as far as design goes, but this feels like an affirmation that the work I am doing to progress my skills in the design field is indeed the right direction.

I was really excited to learn that I’d been selected to receive this financial award from the Tinker Hatfield Fund. I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to receive this award. Your funding is going to ease the financial burden of pursuing my final year in my BFA in Product Design at UO’s Portland Campus. Thank you, Wilson Smith, for your generosity and support of my academic pursuits.