IDEA Conversations 3 - Kunter Şekercioglu & Dr. Engin Kaptın

Third of the IDEA conversations was realized with Kunter Şekercioğlu, Keystone Design director under the moderatorship of Dr. Engin Kapkın. Şekercioğlu who said; “When we are setting our targets, we can take the advantage of inquiry ability we gained during education. Where for reaching to the targets determined by us persistency and continuousness are important”, in this conversation shared his experiences while he transfers sector focus tips to young professionals whose education continue in this department and who have recently completed their education. You can access whole conversation on ETMK YouTube channel.

Engin Kapkın: What must one hold to in order to succeed as a designer? Do you have any suggestion?

Kunter Şekercioğlu: I can say that, when I was a student, I started persistently relating to the area of profession. Inquiry abilities we obtained at the university can also be used for determining how we want to progress in the area of profession. Where do I see myself, what I do best and what are things I need to improve? In short, progressing by making swot analysis can be a method. It is required to identify our goals and take a step for these goals. Digital tools are developing fast and by trying to understand its reflection on the profession, persistency is important for refreshing ourselves and for being up-to-day. Specific to profession, we start to know ourselves, describing what we want when we are students, therefore continuing to learn the requirements of the profession falls on us. After graduating, in year 1996, there was no person taking intense industrial design service. Persistency and continuousness were the values that ensured me continue producing after my graduation aimed at the area of profession. Whatever our age, no matter how high our experience it is important to be up-to-date. Today conditions are different from 20 years ago. The profession is more well-known. There are companies receiving more design services or employs designers. I suggest them to proceed by observing beginning from the first day and increase their own knowledges and skills, find out their competences and be persistence.

Engin Kapkın: Definition of the profession changed, services presented by the design companies also have varieties; from product design to user experience design. How does this change reflect on the professional life?

Kunter Şekercioğlu: The changes are tools used, new tools are added on the tools used. To access data, it is important that you have the right tools in your bag. This is sometime using a trick and sometime ability of knowing a drawing program. The responsibility of the designer in the matter of keeping them up-to-date is high. Changes in technology ensure persons to have part in different areas as designers.

Engin Kapkın: I wrote a thesis on design description; it was not easy at all to understand the definition in the design. What is the case in professional life?

Kunter Şekercioğlu: The description method of the necessities of the firms in different scales is changeable. Habits of the large-scale companies that have their own design department or small-medium businesses differ from each other. Here, when the designer determines the design description, they must give direction in the subjects of strategical decisions about brand. Even though it is not expected from us as a role, we definitely address a requirement or disharmony that we notice. We don’t encounter ideal design descriptions prepared by instructors in schools that much in professional life. Mostly we hold additional meetings for being able to define the right product, get involved in their strategical moves in subjects such as sector players, user trainings, marketing survey.

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