About Me.
My name is Kelsi Schmottlach and I'm a graduating senior in the Product Design program at Western Michigan University. I grew up in Wixom, a town known for its lakes and beautiful forested areas, right on the edge of the suburbs of Detroit.
My passion for design started in the field of fine arts, where I pursued an education in drawing, painting, and ceramics throughout middle school and high school. As I grew up, I became infatuated with tiny homes and would spend countless hours sketching layouts and furniture concepts for these make-believe homes on the floor of my childhood room. These interests in art and architecture have melded overtime, and have now become my life-long pursuit to learn how design can shapes lives.
Crossing the Baltic Sea to Oslo, Norway
Me (left) with my family hiking the Grand Canyon
I come from a family that loves being active outdoors, and we spend a majority of our time together going on hikes or bike rides. Hiking with my parents takes a lot of grit- they've never been known to slow down. I owe much of my accomplishments today to them and their belief that hard work always beats talent. Whether it was soccer, snowboarding, or school, they've always encouraged me to do my best and then a little more.
Snowboarding at Vail
Sitting in a chair I built in Copenhagen, Denmark
The head teacher at my university likes to call me Shakespeare because of my ability to turn a design opportunity into a compelling story. I enjoy digging into the experience that encompasses a product, elevating it, and subsequently humanizing it to make the end product more approachable for the consumer. When I'm able to connect with a user to build that narrative, my passion for a project comes easily.