Nadia Natale lives in Dormagen and is in her sixth semester of design studies at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld.

In this interview, she talks about her study experiences in the German-Dutch border region.

How did you discover your passion for design?

After secondary school, I first studied media design in Düsseldorf and worked at two agencies. At one agency, the focus was on web design and web programming, at the other agency, we mainly developed corporate identities, logos and flyers. I like to work in the field of drawing, illustration and graphic design. I decided to study design because I would like to develop myself further in this field.

Why did you choose to study at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences?

In this region, people associate design with Düsseldorf, but I found the courses there too large and anonymous. A friend drew my attention to the design school in Krefeld. I immediately felt at home at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. The atmosphere here is friendly and everyone is very helpful. In the selection interviews, the lecturers were also very interested in personal development. The most important thing here is to have the right motivation.

Which main subjects have you chosen within your study?

My specialisation lies in the field of illustrations and drawings, including motion design and animations. I draw both by hand and on the computer. For instance, I have also animated watercolour drawings.

To what extent has the Corona Crisis affected your studies?

I am well equipped at home and do not necessarily need to be at the university for my designs. But I miss the feedback, the creative exchange and the inspiration. It is a pity that I cannot see what the others are doing and that I cannot show my own work directly to the other students and the lecturers. In the webinars that we have, most students unfortunately do not participate very actively. You only get feedback from the lecturers.

Where would you like to spend your semester abroad?

I want to do my semester abroad at a partner university in Milan. My parents are Italian and before Corona we often visited our family in Italy. I would like to experience living and studying in Italy. But I can also imagine going to the Netherlands. I really like the city of Amsterdam and I find the Dutch very sympathetic as well.

Do you want to follow a master’s course after your bachelor’s?

I am very satisfied with my studies at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and I can imagine myself doing my Master’s degree here. But it also depends on whether opportunities arise elsewhere after my semester abroad.

What kind of work do you want to do after graduation?

I can see myself working as a self-employed person. Then I have more influence on what kind of work I do and what assignments I take on. As an employed graphic designer at an agency, you’re often presented the same type of work. I am already asked to do illustrations from time to time, I could expand on that.

How do you like living in the German-Dutch border area?

I really like being in the Netherlands so quickly. I often go to Venlo with friends and I like it very much. I could also imagine myself working and living in Venlo.

Website von Nadia Natale

Instagram-Kanal van Nadia Natale

Foto: private