Designer Interview
14 questions
I studied industrial design in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul. Before that I usually kept my art to myself, as a hobby really. It wasn't anything close to industrial or product design though.
Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I studied industrial design in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul. Before that I usually kept my art to myself, as a hobby really. It wasn't anything close to industrial or product design though. It was actually cartoons, comics and games. But even when I drew those, I would think and actually design the details on a hero or monster or whatever. And when I learned about industrial design I felt that was the path for me. Also nothing stopped me from going back to my other drawing and design habits.
What is "design" for you?
Design for me is sometimes ease of a daily chore, sometimes safety of a work, sometimes personal connection and sometimes just having fun.Most of the time it makes you say "I never thought of that.". It is improving experience and life quality. That is how I will explain it.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I like designing products that have a different experiences injected to them. Like an electric vehicle that can be ridden like a horse just for the fun of it. It may be utopical but it is those kinds of works I like designing most.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
Functionality mostly. This comes from the way I was educated too. To me form should follow function.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
I feel satisfaction when a design gets just right. I feel frustration when you sleep on it a bit and it doesn't seem so good anymore.
What makes a design successful?
Meaningful usage scenarios, function that is useful in those scenarios, well thought technical details and a form compatible with those details.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
I consider if it would actually be used by the target audience.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I love getting inspired from nature. Biomimicry and biologically inspired designs are my best sources for inspiration. I feed my creativity with knowledge of the world around us mostly. Thus it is easier for me to make a connection between what I know and how I can be inspired by that knowledge.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Creativity and the wanting of knowledge. Also the ability to transfer ideas to other people.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Design can sometimes get really stuck and sometimes you can just solve it in minutes. I find this has a lot to do with the stafe of mind and morale. So management of time can change a lot really. Sometimes I sit and think about a project the whole day and nothing comes up. Sometimes it just comes.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
A finished design that I do only with my qualifications usually takes around 3 months.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
I would love working with an electronic devices company where I can really get deep into designing user interface and experience and use latest technologies in my designs.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
Mostly myself.
How can people contact you?
I can be contacted by my email adress: usecgel@gmail.com and also by other social networks like LinkedIn.
