Simon Ratti

Simon Ratti grew up just three miles from the University of Oregon, but it took him 10

years to get there. Ratti returned to school after a 10 year career in construction and

woodworking. “A good carpenter is a good problem solver; he can find ways to fix

mistakes and adapt to new or better solutions,” explains Ratti, who enjoys both

working with and problem-solving with his hands. He had originally considered

becoming a mechanical engineer, but the artfulness of product design appealed to him.

“I would have an easier chance getting a job as a mechanical engineer but the work

would not be the same. Mechanical engineering is straightforward, but I like the visual

and emotional capacities of design. You can say more with design.”