An event titled "Career and Education in Design" was held by the Visual Communication Design Department of Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Faculty of Communication. Industrial Designer Rümeysa Memiş participated in the event. Memiş, who has worked on important projects abroad, shared the intricacies of building a career in design with the participants and talked about her experiences. Emphasizing the importance of choosing the right department and specialization, Memiş also drew attention to the role of experimental experiences in a design career.
The event, held at the Fuat Sezgin conference hall on Üsküdar Üniversitesi's South Campus, was moderated by Prof. Dr. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department.
There is a search for an identity trying to shape the future…
Industrial Designer Rümeysa Memiş, who discussed modern approaches in furniture design, the contributions of interdisciplinary studies to design, and the effects of traditional Turkish arts on modern design at the event, stated: “While studying Turkish architectural history, I tried to show how all patterns drew from the same source, and I started to solve this through contemporary architectural history theory and also through research at Royal College based on furniture practice. During this time, I used experimental methods. I was curious how the discovery I pursued through manual production would respond. We were able to obtain products that combined manual production with an industrial material using an industrial method. As a result, we can see a search for identity here. There is a search for an identity heavily nourished by today and the past, trying to shape the future. The products emerged this way.”
“When you go abroad, you develop an inward-looking perspective”
Memiş, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right department and specialization and the contributions of overseas education opportunities to professional and personal development, said: “Overseas experiences had a great impact on my designs, academic, and practical research. They still do. I started with South Korea first. When you go abroad, you develop an inward-looking perspective. You start to see problems related to your own country, and at the same time, you begin to question more how different your past is from other nations. This is related to a sense of belonging. It can be a common problem for foreign students, but such situations add very different things than the difficulties brought by new external experiences in life. As I said, mine was also about my identity and why it should be done. Continuing in England after the experience in Korea also made me think that my approach to design needed to be a bit more experimental, but being able to start this in undergraduate studies, meaning in academic life, is actually something that makes you stand out much more.”
“Experimental experiences help you avoid repeating things”
Memiş, highlighting the importance of experimental experiences in a design career, said: “You should also include experimental experiences; even if you spend a few months, it seriously affects your career. Experimental experiences help you avoid repeating things. Because design history is more about looking at ideas, and it's also necessary for you to decide which area you want to progress in. Here, talking with slightly different ideas, meeting different people, visiting places, going abroad, and meeting prominent people in your field, exchanging stories are truly things that push you forward, even if little by little.”
They should all tell the same story as a whole
Memiş, emphasizing that a portfolio should reflect one's personality, said: “You need to advance your portfolio, and these should be things that reflect your own personality and yourself. They should all tell the same story as a whole. Because when you interview with them, they need things that will reveal you. In other words, many people apply because they also have to make a selection. It's a difficult process, which I can call two-staged, but it's not impossible, to be honest. Because when I applied, I decided at the last minute to give it a try. Because it's a challenging process. Doing these things without expectations… Dealing with all these things, whether it's preparing for exams for a year and a half, communicating with professors, or searching for scholarships, can be a bit tiring. The important thing is to be able to continue without giving up.”
At the end of the highly attended event, participants had the opportunity to ask Rümeysa Memiş their questions.
Additionally, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Memiş at the end of the program.