Hello there and welcome to my website!
My name is Natalie Crenwelge, and I am an Industrial Designer. When it comes to design, my philosophy is to create products that can spark joy even in the smallest moments. Any problem I can solve is one less moment of stress or grief for the consumers using my product. Therefore, some of my favorite things to design are products people use every day and products that impact people’s lives on a larger scale. I founded NEC Designs Ceramics, a small handmade pottery business, which I operate while being a full-time student. My ceramics business ties into my design philosophy, as I create functional products that bring people joy every single day. As a ceramicist, I do not simply approach the craft with an artistic stance. I take the approach of iterating, testing, and creating functional pieces of pottery that target a specific market, and this relates directly to my role as an industrial designer. I do not have any one problem I want to solve. I like to go where the problems are and design in a range of disciplines from home goods to power tools. My professional goal is to help create better humans by solving the problems that stand in the way. With the pursuit of a Master of Fine Art (MFA) degree in Design for Sustainability, I acknowledge that I have a responsibility to the planet and all creatures who live on it to care for it. As a designer who put new products out into the world, I have a mission to ensure I am not contributing to its diminishment of resources and downfall of ecological systems. In my studies relating directly to sustainable materials, processes, and overall systems thinking, I am very well equipped to responsibly design new products that improve peoples’ lives without harming, but rather helping, the planet and those who rely on it for survival. |
Enjoy a collection of my first products that inspired me to be a Product Designer.