Logan Bedell
Degree: BFA in Product Design
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022
2021-2022 Scholarship
Peterson Family Scholarship
Tinker L. Hatfield Scholarship in Product Design
I Am Originally From Portland, OR
WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
Simply put, I was confident that product design was what I wanted to study and it made the most financial sense to attend UO because I’m an Oregon resident. I learned about the College of Design my senior year of high school and applied soon after. My favorite part about the program is being around so many other people who share my interest and excitement for making things and creative endeavors as a whole. Access to resources like the Millrace Buildings and Olive St. Studio is something I am incredibly thankful to have in this program. While touring the school it was something that really caught my eye and as a student, it is something I frequently use and enjoy.
In high school I knew I wanted to design and make things for a living but had thought engineering would be the best route to this goal. It was only after barely passing pre-calculus and realizing that I loved to draw did I realize there was a better path for me. I got off the advanced math track I was on and took creative courses that I genuinely enjoyed instead. I filled my free time with creative pursuits as well and so when I learned about the University of Oregon’s Product Design program I was very excited to apply.
UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
Earlier this year I was diagnosed with ADHD. Part of what this means is that I have a difficult time focusing on things that don’t interest me, but just as prominent of a symptom is my tendency to hyper-focus on things that do interest me. When I discover I have a fascination for a new hobby or subject it is the primary thing I will think about for weeks at a time. I receive incredible motivation from seemingly nowhere to obsess over and acquire new knowledge. I’ve experienced this phenomenon largely in artistic practices, including charcoal sketching, digital drawing, photoshop, ceramics, and computer modeling (The list could go on). But it also happens with seemingly random subjects such as blacksmithing, skateboarding, building computers, collecting records, and so many more. Each phase I go through contributes to what I feel is a beautiful collection of interdisciplinary knowledge. The vast and diverse quantity of this knowledge is what shapes my designs. It is my bank of inspiration and how I express myself through my work.
MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
The most influential professor I have had is Hale Selek, Assistant Professor of Product Design. She has taught me the importance of discovering and following my personal design process and has encouraged my growth. In the classes I’ve taken with her there is emphases on both having a design process and gaining as much fromthat processt as possible, in the most (to us) interesting ways as possible. This makes projects so much more fun to work on and makes for great, inspired designs. Finally, The critique sessions I have with her are always valuable and make me excited to work on improving my projects and growing my skillset. She is amazing at seeing what is exciting me about a project and pointing me in the direction of where to go with it next.
MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I am currently the event planner for the University of Oregon chapter of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). ISDA is a national organization that promotes the education of design and offers networking opportunities between students and professionals. While we have not been able to host many events this year due to Covid, IDSA has been an important part of my role as a design student. It is one of the few things that connects upper classmen to new students, it encourages the pursuit of design as a career and how to make that dream reality, and gives opportunities for students to see what design looks like in a professional setting. I joined because the IDSA events I went to as a freshman and sophomore made me so excited about the industry and what my place in it might look like. I want to give other students that same feeling.
MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
My first junior studio last fall was my greatest learning experience. It was the first time I saw what it takes to have a good idea and turn it into a physical good. Dureing junior studio, we are given a prompt and spend the term designing and prototyping a single product to fit that prompt. We had followed a similar process in an “intro to studio” course but it was the training wheels version, so my first junior studio was when I really spread my wings. Apart from learning new physical skills like computer modeling and prototyping in different materials, I am especially proud of learning how to schedule and follow a design process. This experience taught me accountability, how to continuously meet deadlines, and how to be efficient but still have fun.
AFTER GRADUATION
My dream design job would be to work in a studio creating unique and personal goods. This could mean working for someone else or opening a studio myself. The important thing to me is that everything I create is worth existing and goes to a place where it is valued. Additionally, and although I don’t know exactly what this looks like, I want to work in an environment that fosters creativity and inspires never before seen ideas.
YOUR GIFT
This scholarship is important to me because it allows me and my family to enjoy my education and what I gain from it with much less financial stress. Especially considering my Mom was recently laid off due to the Pandemic. This scholarship also allows me to do more things outside of the classroom to develop my designs, for example, looking into manufacturing more realistic prototypes. I am so thankful that I was selected for these scholarships and look forward to an opportunity to express my gratitude to the donors.
It is an amazing feeling to see my work being recognized in this way and gives me so much motivation and pride to keep growing and learning. Thank you so much!