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Here it is: final video for my thesis topic

Long time no see.

So far, I have been working on my first draft of my thesis video and re-editing it. I have shared with class and here’s my list of reflections from last class:

- Use words in video that makes your point clearer.

- If you want to include your survey, make it English and highlight some of the important questions verbally.

- It’s helpful to show some individual responses that points out to your defined issue.

- Think about some initial ideas that might work during process.

- The bridge visuals didnt really work in explaining the situation of designers and companies coming together. It’s because designers are not far from these companies, they are in it and having communication problems in working environments.

- It’s good that you’re coming back to the same visual after a break, it makes the idea more consistent.

- Why Rachel Abrams’ work is there? What’s it that you want to say in this?

- Who are the characters that have the same aim in this situation?

- You can explain more about the best practices in innovative design collaborations. Spend more time on explaining what worked, how and why it worked.

- Try to understand from both sides of the issue. Maybe companies have their own reasons to not to invest in design.

- What’s the constraints about?

- What’s your future state looks like? Who is going to benefit from this? Are you aiming for happier designers/ happier businesses?

I am in the process of rewriting my scripts according to these feedbacks and will share the new video soon.

Possible Thesis Topics vol.3

The new age in design needs to focus on sustainability instead of producing more trash to environment. What are the ways for applying sustainability to the design education so that new designers be more aware of the impact they are making?

During my undergrad education in product design, We were always reminded of the simplicity icon Dieter Rams' good design principles. Our ecole in design was the power of functionality and aesthetics makes the design valuable. Also how technology makes everything possible, is a great inspiration however, can be a flashy blinding factor.

There is nothing that I would change in Rams' principles. A good design needs to be all those at the same time, but what are the priorities in these principles? If all the designers in this community believes in environmentally friendly is the most important goal in this practice; how can sustainability be applied to product design education more effectively instead of just a brief bullet?

Our limited resources in this world can support the material needs but destroys those resources in long term. So we could say the approach that leads to mass consumption of both resources and products is a dead cycle.

The issue is, how do teachers influence their design students not just for the technological possibilities but also how environmental friendly their design can require.

Is the community accessible? New York is one of the best places to do research on this issue. The most inspiring design schools are here, one of them is 2 floors above. Also Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, Parsons could be a great source to learn from.

Is there research to be done? I don't have the knowledge for sustainability education in design schools here, so it would be a good place to start.

Possible Thesis Topics Vol.2

Newly graduated product designers in Turkey are struggled with companies’ unethical design approach.

There are 21 Industrial Design Programs all across Turkey and hundreds of young minds graduate into a space where the true value of design is undefined or misunderstood. This space creates its own rules without considering how Research & Development can help their business. This space is occupied by the mindset of “new product development is risky” and it results in cherishing copying design from other national/international companies. These companies are scared to produce and market their potential with new -risky- designs because of the possible obstruction of their business in Turkey’s fragile economy.

There are too many questions if you consider each side’s points. How can designers and companies sit on the same table and strategize new product development? What are the ways for businesses to understand and apply the ethical design knowledge to their strategies? How can designers value their work more efficiently? Do designers really need companies for their design’s production? Maybe craftsmanship is more approachable than businesses to reveal product design’s dignity?

These questions address a wide angle to work on and needs to be more focused. But the problem lies within the interdisciplinary collaboration.

Is there research to be done?

Yes, I would interview with a lot of young product designers and the companies they work with -if there’s any- and see what the mainstream issues are.

Is the community accessible?

There are a couple of organizations in Turkey that focuses on addressing the innovation potential among young designers. I might look for ways to collaborate with them for any research and implementation overseas.

Possible Thesis Topics Vol.1

Our relationship with smartphones impairs the physical connection with realities in our surrounding.

The new age of technology propels our daily life to be online all the time. We need to be faster with responding to emails or any kind of work tasks. It makes sense for using your time more efficiently but the reality is that we are using these facts as an excuse to be attached to our smart devices. We can’t help ourselves checking our emails in every 5 minutes, or socializing in virtual platforms. The idea of being connected all the time broke off our active presence in environment that we are physically parts of. It’s not hard to recognize all the people around us are playing with their smartphones now, in subway, in boredom, waiting on traffic, standing in the line.

I would like to state that i’m not against technology in any sense. But the ways that it occupies our time, needs to be redesigned in order to enhance our connectivity in real life. Connectivity that uncovers our presence and activates our expressions. Technology brought us the connectivity in virtual reality, but it became a distraction from what’s around us.

There is a new project called “Bored and brilliant”, a pledge that makes you question your relationship with your smartphone and assigns you with daily tasks such as “delete the most addictive app you’re using for one day.” or “photo free day”. Their focus is to make people realize how smartphones blocks the boredom and so creativity.

Im not sure how I could address this situation, but I believe it’s a solid social problem needs to be addressed and the awareness around this issue needs to be increased.

Thesis Nugget: Solar Power and Equity

Solar Power is not just an environmentally friendly way for energy consumption but also a profitable method for low-income communities. As solar panels’ prices decreasing and market for solar roof panels are booming, the article reveals that misinformation and conjecture blur the conception for Solar Power’s effects.

“We need real, unbiased data and analysis on the costs of solar to customers and the grid.” Even though there are many scientific researches that show solar energy’s win-win situation for both consumption and money wise; it is still not proven with a working project. Furthermore, the market needs more lobbying to reach out more policy makers and to be accessible to a broader audience for efficiency. As explained in article: “... These and other policies can create access and affordability for people who otherwise could not join the clean energy revolution - and we need to get these policies right.”

Is the community accessible?

Yes, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is already doing a project called “Community Solar Program”. Focused on mostly low-income communities, they are trying to attract more low income communities for installing solar panels.

Is there research to be done?

Yes, and there are two areas for research to be done. One is diversity and efficiency of solar panels so that the benefits can be communicated to attract broader low income audience. Second one is the life habits of low income population. It’s because solar power’s productivity can be measured when it is activated by its users. Solar Power needs to fit low income citizens’ living conditions, economic affordance, attitudes, and perception.

(inspired by "Let's talk about Solar Power and Equity" article on Huffington Post. )

link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorge-madrid/lets-talk-about-solar-power_b_6724808.html?utm_hp_ref=green

aybengulerim

What I have been reading

For full list: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/40455475/History%20-%20Sheet1.pdf

What I would take to moon? The Documentary: Home

Home

Home is a documentary by Yann-Arthus Bertrand who is a photographer and journalist. It’s the movie of earth. Earth we claimed 200.000 years ago and are digging since then. 90 minutes of astonishing shots from all over the world, he discusses the beginning of life and how it ‘evolved’. All the stories we know about earth merge in this story. His perspective is beyond biological facts. He adds all human stages of life, moving forward with how every stage uses its resources. With that, the main point is the destruction we caused. How massively our capitalized ‘needs’ keeps ruining our limited resources. To the end, you disgust yourself. You disgust from all unconscious choices you make. Seeing the result of our individual selfish norms about what we need, puts you a face to face conversation with mother earth. Faster and faster. The facts of damage we made, strike the viewer continuously. However, he ends the movie with a hopeful tone. It says, “It’s too late to be pessimistic”. The new projects, even prototypes of renewable energy sources are shown. The message was clear; “ Enough already!”

I choose this movie because it represents my past. If I am going to moon to never come back, I would need a story that reminds me how I evolved and how I brought the end to the life on earth. If I could have kids in moon, I would make them watch and say: “This is what we caused. So, don’t be the same. Be responsible to the people and space/moon you live in.”

Another reason is that I am very interested in possible green solutions and its applications. For example, the sea snakes that produce energy from the waves in oceans. These ideologies serve for alternative solutions and create a mind shift on the way we used to live. My favorite quote from the movie is: “ The cycle is never broken. The engine of life is linkage. Everything is linked, nothing is self sufficient.” This not just about water systems or forests. It’s also about the tremendously blended relationships on earth. From the primitive colonies, to the megalopolises. From blue-green algaes, to the oil based chemicals. They all affect each other, and so far not good. Moreover, Western Civilizations occupies a big part in that picture. And unfortunately, humans of under developed countries are taking the burden of that part. That part of the bigger picture needs to be reframed again.

Home is a beautifully shot flashback for earth. Each scene is like a postcard, showing how rhythmic and cumulative the nature is. Even with the devil facts, scenes become even more impressive, like it is smashing you in the face. Its form delivers the message. From now on, it’s up to us. What are we going to do after this point? We will see.

Resources:

http://www.homethemovie.org/en

http://www.yannarthusbertrand.org/en/home

What I would take to moon?

Seeing

A singular novel from the author of Blindness.

“On election day in the capital, it is raining so hard that no one has bothered to come out to vote. The politicians are growing jittery. Should they reschedule the elections for another day? Around three o’clock, the rain finally stops. Promptly at four, voters rush to the polling stations, as if they had been ordered to appear.But when the ballots are counted, more than 70 percent are blank. The citizens are rebellious. A state of emergency is declared. But are the authorities acting too precipitously? “

“A police superintendent is put on the case.What begins as a satire on governments and the sometimes dubious efficacy of the democratic system turns into something far more sinister.” *(1)

This is the book for the moon, because its a reminder of a very personal milestone in my life. The story reflects the memoir of the summer 2013 to me. I've read this novel last summer although, can't say that I regret for not reading it before, because it was just in time. When a huge uprising for protesting Turkish government that decided to destroy one of the oldest public parks in Istanbul to turn into a luxury residential and shopping mall complex. I was an apolitic by choice back then, yet still complaining about the current state of democracy. It was the revolution of apolitic citizens, resulted in a higher ailment with the government. Maybe the outcome didn’t satisfy everyone’s expectations, but the park was rescued and empathy between different opinions got more explicit, which can be identified as an impact. The nature of both demonstrations was sharing a characteristically mutual concern about how politics ignored the power of crowdsourcing (ironically the same resource that made them representatives of people). Moreover the mutual concern is followed with a rightful response from citizens. It is hard to define what exactly drives them to protest, but we can say the discontentment from government creates its silent vibe that cumulative response in both cases.

As many reasons for choosing this relates to as many facts about how personal yet universal complications affect my worldview. Shedding tears was my first reaction to the book, because how Saramago structured the story was a flashback of Gezi Park protests. It reflects a time, that every citizen was aware of the dangers in the streets caused by police and yet courageous enough to shout out in the streets, defending for their rights. Moreover, the online media was more efficiently useful than the govern-owned media, in order to gather the credible news and act upon. Due to the fact that it was moving both online and physical, citizens could find a platform to stand up for their voices to be heard collectively. Why? Because, a new leadership form needs to be emerged so that governments would empathize all its’ citizens equally. I know this sounds funny with respect to the moneywise actions are in favor of officials’ private ownerships, but citizens can not take this anymore, thanks to the age of information. This is what Saramago explains in his Nobel Prize Speech: “"The apprentice (himself) thought, 'we are blind', and he sat down and wrote Blindness to remind those who might read it that we pervert reason when we humiliate life, that human dignity is insulted every day by the powerful of our world, that the universal lie has replaced the plural truths, that man stopped respecting himself when he lost the respect due to his fellow-creatures."*(2)

The protests in Turkey can be considered as an example of Occupy movements, Arab Spring or Hong Kong protests in 2014. Out of many, they all are unique examples of how those outrages caused by governments fail to be suppressed. Tear gases, violence of police and governors’ repression do not mollify these indignations but raise the level of anger and complicates the possible reconcilement.

Resources:

1. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47667.Seeing?ac=1

2.http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/apr/15/featuresreviews.guardianreview16

Intro to Thesis Historical Timeline for Bottled Water

Resources:

http://www.black-blum.com

http://www.connox.com/categories/spare-parts/black-blum-binchotan-active-charcoal.html

www.davidtucker.me

http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-bottled-water-industry-2011-10?op=1#ixzz3QZ3hnGTy

http://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Pottery/

Intro to thesis_5 Whys and other questions.

I will try to answer some questions for my 10 things list here.

What would the Phonebloks project need in order to become widely used?

I would say, the project initially needs to convince potential users to start with their phone. Perhaps using their old phone’s parts and using them in the new phone base could be an attracting point. But this could be too utopian.

The answer might be that it is still called a project, not a product that is sold in market yet. They want to enter to sector with breaking the walls and show that it is a killer-working product. I’m not sure if this can be solved with more partnership, or more funding, or more publicity; but they should not show it like a student project anymore. The production cycle is missing in their website, so it’s not right to say it’s being mass produced now. Maybe that’s what’s missing to expand their message.

WHY are you more fascinated by their process than the solarbottle product itself?

Because their progress is a surprising path with struggles and discoveries.

WHY?

Each trial gives a new direction and development to the project. Discoveries follow each other.

WHY?

The project needs to perform right for its purpose: which is to help carrying water more easily in underdeveloped countries.

WHY?

The reason of being for this project is totally about the need and functionality. It would be dispensable if they designed a regular water carrying system. That’s why they are trying till they get to the right result.

WHY?

Because only with the human centered approach, the product can solve its problem.

How did you learn about Make Works and Maker Speed Dater and why are you "suspicious" of them?

I found this project on the online magazine on product design, called core77. the link is here: http://www.core77.com/blog/events/what_is_maker_speed_dater_and_is_it_coming_to_a_town_near_you_28168.asp

What makes me suspicious of them is that because im not very sure about how effective these dates can be.

WHY?

These dates can work great on paper, but the companies can lose the interest in designer’s projects after first date. (Unless the designer acts fast with the project)

WHY?

Because I have lived that situation before; first, businessmen are amazed by your idea/ product; but when it comes to reality they realize new product development is tad costly and takes time.

WHY?

Businessmen would prefer money flowing as it used to be, instead of investing on a risky product.

WHY?

Traditional businesses do not plan to allocate their budget for research and development.

What about whenyouliveinthebul are you most struck by? How does it teach how to be local?

The posts on whenyouliveinthebul are coming from one person, and all the judgement is made by him. So it’s good to say that the blog might not attract every Istanbuller. Furthermore, some of his posts address a newly moved foreigner instead of a local.

It shares gifs as the expressions for several situations that might occur to you in Istanbul. These gifs are taken from other websites and represent a certain feeling. For example the gif for the moustache post, exactly shows to thank you with your gestures when someone says your new moustache looks good on you.

How did Horribly Beautiful make you question the purpose of jewelry in your daily life?

When I first saw it, I didn’t get the function and thought that ‘I would never wear this’. But it was aesthetically pleasing, obviously, the form follows the face in a creative way. After when she explained that her statement is to address the beauty norms set by society, I began to think about why I thought: ‘I would never wear this’. What was the purpose of the jewelry that I had already bought and put on? The answer is definitely not to make me look prettier or more glamorous but to its own beauty, in my sense of aesthetic. At that moment, I remembered that this piece seemed pleasant to me too. Also with the fact that I respected the purpose of work, which is beautifully represented, points out a social issue; shifted my mind.

I wish I created Vol.10: Log Jammer by Allison Burtch

Put that phone away and enjoy the woods!

http://www.allisonburtch.net/log-jammer/

Log Jammer is an activist project by Allison Burtch when she was residental artist in Eyebeam. She explains the work as: “The log jammer provides a safe space in the woods, a right to be alone. What a relief to have the right to say nothing, because only then is there a chance of framing the rare, the thing that might be worth saying.”

One of my personal interest is the smartphone addiction, drives me mad the connectivity to internet all the time disconnects us from the life and each other. This is a great reaction to this issue. At least, when you are in nature. Why would you prefer to be distracted by your smart gadget for the time you can relax your mind with the stillness in woods?

Nazlı

I wish I created Vol.9: SOLAR BOTTLE

A bottle that purifies water naturally

http://solarbottle.org

I had the chance to watch Italian designer Alberto Meda in a conference and was amazed by the story of designing his project solar bottle. The process was full of discoveries, struggles and so on. I would highly recommend to see his TED Talk.

I was fascinated mostly by their process than the product itself. Their initial brief was to design a water carriage for the women in Africa that provides an easier journey. Research process showed them how keeping the water under sunlight purifies the water %99 within 4 hours. That discovery led them to a wider surfaced bottle that is reflective on one side in order to purify water as women carry them back. This made me so satisfied with my profession because the design purposes for a healthier function and uses the behavioral process.

As they move, they realized they should use a different material than regular PET, because PET contaminates water under the sunlight. So they tried with glass, but it was a huge struggle because the bottle became so heavy and fragile. When I listened his presentation they were trying to figure out different materials that is not breakable. But as I followed their website I could see they found another material and this time it seems to be working.

As I said, the product addresses the issue purposefully, but I love the process more than the product itself. Ability to watch the process via their website step by step, makes me more hopeful about it. This is a great way to show their progress, being transparent about your product development, showing it to the world that it is working! I wish I could be a part of it.

Nazlı

I wish I created Vol.8: Ankara's bugs blog

How urban planning fails can be shown for laughter

https://www.facebook.com/AnkaraninBuglari

Ankara is the capital of Turkey, yet it faces too many urban planning errors. A facebook group called ‘Ankara’s bugs’ started to curate those errors by posting pictures and writing tragicomic stories about them. With time, it became a crowdsource blog when people started to share the errors they realize in the city. The blog sometimes asks questions like ‘how many of you slipped by walking on sidewalk?’ to collect data to show how urban planning fails to bug it’s citizens lives.

I love this blog so much because it certainly addresses the issues around the city with the urban planning errors. And what I love the most is that it curates a laughter to those problems. Ankara’s mayor is unfortunately watches out his own profit from the cities enterprises such as building new shopping malls or destroying the biggest forest land in the country to build a Capitol Palace (which resulted by spending 615 million dollars: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/06/globalpost-turkey-erdogan-palace/18583857/ )

Despite the fact that people protested for so long for some of those ‘decisions by government’ the blindfolded target who votes for them is still standing by their side. Politics is a really tough issue to discuss with people, even your friends or family members may feel disturbed. I believe humor is a good way to start a conversation and it opens up a space in your laughter. The pictures in the blog are not about the political situation in Turkey, it represents the bad urban planning. And if you can not make fun of it, you can not criticize its credibility.

Nazlı

I wish I created Vol.7: When you live in the bul Blog

A guide that teaches how to be local in Istanbul

http://whenyouliveinthebul.tumblr.com

Oh well, this is something way too local but I will try my best to explain this. When a Spanish guy moved to Istanbul, he realizes how difficult to understand the secret codes in his new habitat. So in his blog, he explains certain situations and how he reacts to them by using gifs.

I know I would never be able to explain such things like it’s from a foreigner’s point of view. But this blog gives me some sort of pride, because I’ve lived in Istanbul for 6 years. The hectic life in Istanbul seems so ridiculous to live there, but you love it anyway. Not just for it’s pride, it makes it easier for some people to understand how it’s like to live in there. So I can say that it’s a map, a cultural map that guides and prepares you to the incredible things that can happen in Istanbul.

Nazlı

I wish I created Vol.6: Clever Little Bag by Puma

How to reinvent the shoe box: Clever little bag by Puma and fuseproject

This shoe box was my favorite product design for a very long time. I wish, I could do such an impactful product one day. Puma collaborated with a successful product design firm, Yves Behar’s team called fuseproject to design the regular shoe box as we know it. But they ended up with a sustainable evolution of regular boxes. It is more intriguing than the shoe itself!

According to their website this clever little bag needs %65 less paper and %60 less diesel to produce and ship the product. It also uses less space than the traditional shoe box. Its structure is a folded one piece of cardboard and fabric, which can be used as shoe bag afterwards.

I love this product for so many reasons, material is more environment friendly, the form and structure of the bag purposes well, and the usage cycle is attached to the package itself. This means, your effective ‘cover’ or ‘packaging’ can function for your life and your environment efficiently.

Nazlı

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