“The 2nd Design Week” Has Started at IZU

The “Design Week,” organized for the second time this year by students and academics of the Visual Communication Design Department, has started with the theme of “pioneering future.” Throughout the week-long events, industry professionals will meet with students, and the present and future of design will be discussed from multiple perspectives.

The “2nd Design Week,” organized by the Visual Communication Design Department of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, began with the opening program held at the Abdullah Tivnikli Conference Hall. The opening program of the events, which will be held this year with the theme of “pioneering future,” was attended by IZU Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Küçük, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Erhan İçener and Prof. Dr. Nihat Erdoğmuş, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Köktaş, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department Prof. Dr. Mete Çamdereli, academics, and students.

ÇAMDERELİ: “DESIGN IS A PRACTICE OF CONSTRUCTING MEANING”
In his opening speech, Prof. Çamdereli stated that they set out to reflect together on the structure of the visual world and pointed to the transforming meaning of visual design in today’s world. “Visual communication has turned into a cultural, artistic, and ethical field that produces meaning, guides, and determines decision-making processes,” said Çamdereli, emphasizing that technology alone is not sufficient, and added, “Technology that does not produce thought does not produce meaning; it only produces speed. Design is fundamentally a practice of constructing meaning.”

KÖKTAŞ: “SCIENCE MAKES THE FUTURE PREDICTABLE”
Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Köktaş, in his speech, drew attention to the connection between the historical journey of humanity and today’s forms of production. “The distance between the drawing of the first human on a cave wall and the point we have reached today indicates the journey of humanity. At the core of this journey are curiosity and the desire to produce,” said Köktaş, pointing to the function of science and stating, “We engage in science to foresee tomorrow. Making the future more predictable gives us the opportunity to determine our direction.”

KÜÇÜK: “ART IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HUMAN TOUCH”
IZU Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Küçük emphasized that the human element is indispensable in the relationship between technology and art. “Artificial intelligence has begun to replace many fields. However, art is different. The spirit that humans add cannot be provided through computers. Producing art is not possible without the human touch,” said Küçük, advising students to engage more with nature. Küçük continued: “A good scholar is someone who reads nature well. Make good use of the opportunities you have and become individuals who guide societies and make positive contributions.”

TONGUÇ: “DESIGN GAINS MEANING THROUGH STRATEGY”
The opening speaker of the “Design Week,” award-winning designer Zeynep Tonguç, shared her industry experiences with students. Stating that design gains meaning through practice rather than theory, Tonguç said, “We also need to talk about what happens in real life. Design is a delicate profession that requires thinking about many things at the same time and showing patience.” Referring to the dynamic nature of design, Tonguç added, “Design is something alive; it constantly changes and develops. Even the texts on packaging communicate with the consumer.”

Within the scope of Design Week, which will last for one week, students will have the opportunity to gain both theoretical and practical knowledge by meeting professionals from different sectors through talks and exhibitions.