Prof. Dr. Hümanur BAĞLI

Department Chair

Industrial Design can be defined as the combination and result of functional, visual and technological decisions made at the point where products interact with users. Today, the profession and concept of industrial design encompasses not only traditional, mass-produced, tangible, three-dimensional products, but also areas and approaches such as experience and service design. The diversification of areas in which designers can be effective, particularly in this age of developing technology and digitalisation, has also given rise to these requirements.

The World Design Organisation (WDO) defines Industrial Design in a way that supports this approach: ‘Industrial Design is a strategic problem-solving process that drives innovation, builds business success, and leads to a better quality of life through innovative products, systems, services, and experiences.’ (https://wdo.org/about/definition/)

In this problem-solving process, a number of different concepts come to the fore, such as function, perception, manufacturability, materials, cultural/historical factors and aesthetics, which also represent the fundamental educational criteria of the design profession.

An industrial designer plays a significant role in every field where production and innovation are necessary. Industrial designers can work in a wide range of areas, from white goods to furniture and automotive, from accessory design to jewellery, from game development and interface design to service design and experience design.

The aim of the Industrial Design Department at Marmara University's Faculty of Architecture and Design is to produce graduates who are solution-oriented, creative, positive, sensitive, inquisitive, entrepreneurial, and capable of working in interdisciplinary teams. Ethical and moral values and a sustainability approach, which form the basis of design as with other professions, represent the most important criteria for our department.

The medium of instruction being English is one of the key factors enabling a designer to establish themselves in different national and international ecosystems and to be effective and research-oriented. Therefore, being the 2nd in Istanbul and the 4th in Turkey among public universities to offer Industrial Design programmes in English is a highly valuable position for our department.

Developing original ideas and products that will make a difference in Turkey and around the world for the benefit of society and incorporating design thinking into many different fields are among the main objectives of our department. Considering the needs of the age of technology and digitalisation and the areas where our graduates can contribute in this regard, our department has developed an innovative and up-to-date curriculum and planned its education and academic activities by establishing a competent staff in these areas.

The added value that the design of high-quality products, systems, and services at national and international levels can create, which can only be achieved through design in many different ecosystems, is the main source of motivation for our department.