“The State of Design” studio at Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Industrial Design realised in collaboration with FRAME Magazine Academy Program as a part of the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial.

“The State of Design” studio, in collaboration with FRAME Magazine Academy Program, is based on the idea of creating practice which merges academic work with different communities outside of the campus.

The studio gave the design students a chance to have a multitude of opportunities for involvement in and out of the classroom, also encouraged students to discover new aspects in the creative industry and be a part of it.

The State of Design aimed to rethink the ever changing working culture and methods of today’s designer within the framework of academic and professional dynamics. Studio hosted juries and seminars throughout the semester at ALT Art Space, bringing the sector’s professionals together to raise awareness for interaction design, exhibition design, interdisciplinary production and co-working spaces.

“The State of Design” students first worked on 6 different unit design to exhibit Frame magazines within an interactive approach for Design For A Phygital World Part II panel series organised by Frame and istanbul-in-between as a part of the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial’s Parallel Events Program on 26th and 27th of October 2016.

Led by Assistant Professor Simge Hough, Lecturer Dilek Öztürk and Research Assistant Berilsu Tarcan, the studio questioned how an event/exhibition space is related to the product and its consumers, and how the space functions within the dynamics of the Istanbul Design Biennial and any additional practical issues that need to be addressed.

The panels included Exhibition Design and The History of Exhibiting by Assistant Professor and the head of the department Can Altay, The Evolution of Tool, Method and Creative Thinking in Art&Design by Osman Koç, The Contexts in Between Physical&Digital Scape by Candaş Şişman, Creative and Critical Use of Complex Networks by Burak Arıkan, The Power of Collaboration by Salih Küçüktuna and Akif Yağız Saraçlar, Work Space as Lived Space by Mehmet Kütükçüoğlu, Designing for Interactions by Engin Ayaz, Atmospheres: Intensities Within The Space by interdisciplinary art collective Yoğunluk, Curated Communities and Transdisciplinary Design Practices by Tuğçe Karataş, Ahmet Alpat, Ömer Hacıömeroğlu and Semih Ozdemir and Lab Fever: On Laboratories, Art and Design by Jussi Parikka.

The students projects were exhibited during the panels on 26th and 27th of October at ALT Art Space, presented a bridge between physical and digital worlds by interacting with the panel speakers and audience.

Ephemera

Can Küçük, Güneş Arısoy, Kıvanç Sert, Selin Karcı Photo credit: Fevzi Ondu

“Ephemera” is the physical response of a cabinet’s exploded visual image in the digital world. The horizontal surfaces stand as shelfs by carrying the magazines.The vertical surfaces has various patterns remaining from different time periods representing the cabinet culture, which are only visible with a flashlight. Thus, the users are encouraged to search for different patterns taking place on the cabinet.

The idea of the product is based on the digital visualisation tools such as rendering. The user interacts with plain white surfaces allowing various pattern possibilities. The patterns left on the surfaces become the traces in our memories and may remind us our grandma’s cabinet.

Gather Like Pixels

İzel Demirhan, Zübeyde Gümüşer, Pelin Işlak Photo Credit: Fevzi Ondu

The starting point of this project is Pixel, a physical point in a raster image. The idea of the project is based on human as the fundamental element of society.

A person is the basic element of a group, and one person needs another to create a society. Pixel, in the other hand, carries information and the image is only created when pixels come together. The exhibition unit represents the idea that one person is not enough to make a system work.

The transparent panels has two tablets on both sides. When you slide the key lock, yo see “You cannot find the password alone” caution on the screen. When two person stands face to face, a password pops up from the back side of the unit. When you enter the password, you reach the online version of Frame Magazine.

Shortcuts

Mine Güvenç, Berat Bayrampınar, Gizem Öztürk Photo Credit: Fevzi Ondu

The project aims to transform the shortcuts we use in the digital world into manual mechanisms.

The unit consists of 5 different sections representing five letters of Frame. Each section shows a physical shortcut gesture while exhibiting magazines on the back side. When the user manually applies the shortcuts, the Frame word on the screen changes at the same time.

The italic shortcut shown on the first section can be manually changed and the reflection can be seen on the screen. Two frames interpenetrating each other represent the bold shortcut. The transparent mechanism represents the select all shortcut by expanding like an accordion

Till it's gone

Elif Cansu Kayıkçı, Gülbüke Susaruğur, Nadir Mert Çetin, İlkem Sözbilir Photo credit: Fevzi Ondu

The idea of the project is based on analysing the manufacturing history of the exhibition site, Bomonti neighbourhood, from 1900s to today.

The project team aimed to create an awareness on the ever changing production dynamics in the neighbourhood. The project is mapping the production scene of Bomonti neighbourhood and showcasing the missing craft ateliers and the changing structure of manufacturing.The project team designed an exhibition unit using the wasted cloth materials from the textile ateliers around Bomonti. The unit represents the history, today and the future of the neighbourhood by using three different textile layers, hanging on the wall with different patterns and colours. The students printed the production cycle of Bomonti on these curtains.

The students also documented the project process by interviewing each atelier in the neighbourhood on the manufacturing history of Bomonti.

Compagum

İkra Kılıç, Su Tius, Eilf Deniz Gülay, Deniz Gizem Gökçe Photo credit: Fevzi Ondu

The project team focused on the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial’s theme: “Are we human” by working on a system which mimics the joint parts of human body.

The joints are not only a part of human body, they also became a part of robots. They can be seen as mutual elements between human being and robots. The project team aimed to merge the body structure with robot structure by using metal arms and legs. The body is represented with wooden prisms and the metal arms are acting as living organisms as well as items to exhibit Frame magazines.

Missed Behaviour

Ezgi Ataylan, Ezgi Büyüktuncel, Selin Işıldar Photo credit: Fevzi Ondu

The main idea of the project is to experience the gestures we used in the past and we lost with the improvement of technology.

Some gestures we used in the past response to other actions in today’s world. The project focuses on the movements we don't use anymore, like; opening the car window, using the typewriter and turning the phone buttons. These gestures took time to realise one specific action in the past. The user interact with the exhibition unit by turning the shelfs, sliding the light fixture, waiting and reaching the magazine.

About Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Industrial Design
Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Industrial Design, founded on 2010, is based on creating accessible and observable contexts. The head of department Ass. Professor Can Altay mentions that an education idea beyond the industrial based mass production approach, must be shaped through the changing dynamics of the world as well as the production techniques. Thus Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Industrial Design stands out with its elective design studio model realised as a first in Turkey, the traineeship program in collaboration with Made in Şişhane project, partnership with NABA providing two diplomas and being a part of the Laureate International Education Network.

The State of Design Team:
Within the partnership of Frame Academy Program and 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial,
Studio tutors: Assistant Professor Simge Hough, Lecturer Dilek Öztürk and Research Assistant Berilsu Tarcan
Studio Archive and Documentation Assistant: Hazal Alıcıgüzel
Photographs: Fevzi Ondu
Location:ALT Art Space