Race Natta is graduating this spring from the Western Michigan University (WMU) Product Design Program and is searching for an opportunity to use his strong work ethic and design skills in the community. Race is interested in a variety of industries and loves to design anything that can evoke emotion. One of his passions is designing watches, because of the limitless possibilities and the complex mechanics involved in the process. Learn more about how Race could be a perfect addition to your team by reading his full feature below.
What is the best lesson you learned from your classes, an internship, an instructor, or a mentor?
Never stop designing. Many times, in my product design classes, my professors seemed to never be satisfied with my work. Once I completed one thing, there were five more things they thought I should add. It wasn’t until my latter years of school that I realized that they were just trying to push me to be the best I could be. Now in every project I do, I apply that mentality—I can always improve something.
What is the strongest skill you bring to an employer?
I have an excellent work ethic, I am very punctual, and I always try my best to push my projects to the next level. I enjoy a challenge, so I am happy to put in extra hours and learn new skills. I try to do more than what’s expected of me, I am constantly working on ways to improve my design skills through both my classwork and personal projects.
What type of project or industry interests you?
I am very interested in a variety of industries. I am actually happy to design anything that can evoke emotion. However, I have a strong passion for designing wrist watches. A great watch takes immense skill and countless hours of design. Not only are there limitless possibilities for the aesthetic of a watch, but the mechanics and features of a watch movement can be as complex as one has the skill and daring to create it.
What project in your portfolio are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my Legacy Watch project. I inadvertently began the project by sketching for fun while I was on a flight. At the time I was a freshman in the product design program. I rediscovered the sketch as a junior and decided to revise the design and bring it to life through computer-aided design (CAD) and rendering software.
What/who is one person, place, or experience that had a positive impact on you during your time at Western Michigan University or in the Kalamazoo community?
Being in the studio was once my temple. The product design studio has just about everything a designer needs to do their best work. Over the course of my college career, I have spent countless hours in the studio being in class, doing work, hanging out, or simply meditating. Unfortunately, since the pandemic began, I haven’t been able to spend as much time in the studio, but that hasn’t stopped me from doing great work.
Legacy Watch
Shisei Posture Adjustment
