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Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Mehmet Emin Gülşen (MEG) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Mehmet Emin Gülşen by clicking here. |
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Interview with Mehmet Emin Gülşen at Monday 13th of May 2024 FS: 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? MEG: While I initially trained as an industrial engineer and later specialized in cryptography, my journey into the world of design was driven by both necessity and passion. As the founder of a digital agency that specializes in mobile applications, particularly in the photo and video category, I quickly recognized the critical role of design in creating impactful user experiences. Although I did not start with a traditional design education, my engineering background provided me with a systematic approach to problem-solving and an analytical mindset, which are invaluable in the design process. Over the years, our agency has grown and evolved, and so have my design skills, which were honed on the job through practical, real-world applications. This hands-on experience in design, combined with my technical background, allows me to approach app development from a unique perspective, ensuring that our products are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and secure. This blend of skills has been essential in driving the success of our projects and has solidified my passion for design as a powerful tool for innovation. FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio? MEG: Founded in 2017, our digital agency specializes in designing and creating innovative mobile solutions, with a strong focus on the photo and video categories. Our applications are crafted to empower content creation and enhance digital marketing efforts, enabling users to produce high-quality, engaging content directly from their mobile devices. Over the years, we have dedicated ourselves to understanding the evolving needs of content creators and marketers, which has allowed us to develop apps that are not only user-friendly but also equipped with advanced functionalities to meet the demands of modern digital landscapes. Our portfolio includes a variety of apps that cater to diverse creative needs—from amateur photographers looking to enhance their photos to professional marketers seeking efficient video editing tools. Our approach combines aesthetic design with practical functionality, ensuring that each product we develop not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our users. By continuously integrating feedback and staying ahead of technological advancements, we strive to offer solutions that are relevant, reliable, and revolutionary in the field of digital content creation. FS: What is "design" for you? MEG: To me, design is the art of solving problems within constraints, a means through which functionality and beauty are harmoniously integrated to serve a purpose. It’s about understanding the user at a fundamental level and crafting solutions that not only address their needs but also enhance their interactions and experiences. Thus, design is not just about how things look, but how they work, how they feel, and how they are understood by users without explanation. It’s about creating products that are intuitive and inclusive, ensuring that anyone, regardless of their tech-savviness, can benefit from the digital tools we create. In essence, design is the voice of our products, speaking directly to the user in a language they can understand immediately. FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most? MEG: I really enjoy working on problems that haven't been solved yet. I like finding issues that other people might not notice and coming up with new solutions for them. This kind of work is exciting because it lets us be creative and lead the way in making new kinds of mobile apps. When we design for these new challenges, we get to learn a lot about what users need and what they might want in the future. It’s about thinking differently and trying to solve problems before they become big issues. This approach is what makes our work stand out and keeps us excited about what we do. It feels great to create something new that makes things better or easier for people, especially when it’s something they didn’t even know they needed. FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it? MEG: My favorite design is a camera app specifically made for taking photos at night. What makes this app stand out is how it combines advanced photography techniques with a user-friendly design. Night photography usually requires special skills and equipment, but our app simplifies this process, making it accessible to everyone. We developed the app using computational photography techniques, which help enhance photos taken in low light conditions. This means that even if you're using just your smartphone, you can still capture stunning night-time shots that are clear, bright, and full of detail. The interface of the app is designed to be intuitive, so users don't need to be experts to use it. They can easily adjust settings to suit their needs and get great results every time. This project is my favorite because it merges technical complexity with ease of use, opening up new possibilities for mobile photography at night. FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company? MEG: The first thing I designed for a company was a real-estate showcase application. This app allows users to take 360-degree photos using just a standard mobile phone equipped with a fisheye lens, mounted on a rotating platform. The idea was to make it easier and more affordable for real estate agents and homeowners to create virtual tours of properties. Before, taking 360-degree photos often required expensive equipment or professional photography services. Our app simplified this by enabling the phone to capture wide-angle images as it rotated, stitching these images together to form a seamless panoramic view. This design was particularly challenging because it involved both hardware and software components—we had to figure out how to synchronize the phone’s movement with the photo capture and stitching process. But it was also rewarding to see how it transformed the way properties were presented online, making the process more accessible to our users. FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology? MEG: Nowadays, I am exploring visual scripting tools and using visual scripting, I’ve been able to bridge the gap between design and functionality more effectively, crafting more interactive and responsive applications. It’s a powerful way to build and refine ideas, and it’s a technology that has profoundly impacted how I approach problem-solving in design. FS: When do you feel the most creative? MEG: I feel the most creative when I'm faced with a new challenge or when I'm brainstorming solutions for unique problems. These situations push me to think outside the box and explore ideas that I might not consider under normal circumstances. FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing? MEG: When I design, I prioritize three key aspects: sustainability, maintainability, and ease of adoption. FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design? MEG: When I design, I feel a mix of excitement and satisfaction. Designing is like solving a puzzle, and each challenge brings a new opportunity to create something meaningful. I'm excited by the possibilities of what can be created, and there’s a real thrill in figuring out how to make those ideas come to life. FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized? MEG: When my designs are realized, I feel an incredible mix of joy, pride, and sometimes relief. Seeing a concept that started as just an idea in my mind become tangible is deeply rewarding. It's exciting to watch something I've worked on being used and appreciated by others. FS: What makes a design successful? MEG: A successful design often inspires. It should provoke thought, evoke emotions, or push boundaries, encouraging users or viewers to see things differently or consider new possibilities. FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first? MEG: When judging a design as good or bad, I first consider its functionality, usability, aesthetics, sustainability, and level of innovation. FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment? MEG: A designer’s responsibilities include creating solutions that are socially beneficial, environmentally sustainable, and ethically produced. FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design? MEG: The design field is evolving towards greater integration of technology and sustainability, with a future that emphasizes user-centric, environmentally conscious solutions enhanced by digital innovations.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers. Press Members: Register and login to request a custom interview with Mehmet Emin Gülşen. |
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Good design deserves great recognition. |
A' Design Award & Competition. |