- Can you start with telling us a little bit about yourself?

I was born in İstanbul, in 1965. I was accepted to the department of Industrial Product Design of Mimar Sinan University in 1986. From the second year of my education, I began to do an internship at Pars Mc Cann advertising agency. I continued to work at various advertising agencies during my education. I co-founded Zebra Design Factory with my 3 partners and since then I'm Zebranian.

- You are the founder and president of Zebra Design Factory. Can you tell us about the process, how it all started, and as a brand right now?

Zebra Design Factory is a place established by the common dreams and enthusiasm of 4 people. First days of foundation had been tough. Each partner made different sacrifices. Making ourselves heard and expressing ourselves through our work become true after a year. One of the first exciting works we've made; the posters and the billboard for Radio 2019 were welcomed interestedly by people. Afterwards, we started to work with Hillside Group. The name of Zebra has arisen. Then other clients came along and in the blink of an eye, thirteen years has passed.

- What can you tell about why clients prefer you? What are the benefits of the agency?

At first sight, of course it is the power of our design, that we care about design, that the works we make for our clients create difference among other opponents, that we don't segregate any work as small or big. For us, a business card is as important as a commercial film. Working with this sort of point of view and approaching to all of them with the same seriousness create integrity which is very important for the brands.

- What are your thoughts about the rapprochement where a designer should be young or should have a young thinking system is needed to achieve high performance?

A designer should definitely be able to think younger and more modernistic than everybody. He/she must push himself/herself for it. Because a design must be contemporary. It must be the designer who tells the new stuff to people. A designer must tell the new aspects and the new materials to them. If a designer couldn't captured the young aspect no matter how old he/she is, someone else who does would create designs with newer approaches. A designer can neither be a devotee nor conservative about anything.

- Can we say that maturing the creative ideas is the step where the producing progress needs experience?

Experience is about time. Creating a good design might not demand experience. However, it is needed to be able to foresee the troubles of the design or for the skills to create solutions. A design that is imagined or solved by a designer with no experience can be considerably successful. On the other hand, experience is a very important element when building a creative idea just like every moment in life.

- During the producing progress, do you develop any comments on general opinion of people so that the design takes the target group's pulse?

In my opinion, design is an indirect manipulator. It can change the routines in your life. It makes you more civilised. Generally, the designers should know general opinions of people. However, if he/she starts to design what they might want, he/she loses his/her originality. I believe that a designer should be original. He/she should keep the commercial concerns in the background. He/she should always experience the excitement of creating new things. A designer can change a society's life or the aspects to life. I find the music-graphic-fashion trilogy very relevant to each other. For instance, rock music has its own wearing style, own way of graphic. Likewise, the techno music and the others. Because it's a completion of a manner of telling, a style of expression. The influence you create in people's minds through your design may start to change their preference.

- About this subject, do you receive help from professional individuals who works in the field of psychology?

No we don't. Perhaps we should.

- As an active worker in the sector, what do you think about the general academical conditions in graphic design field?

Actually, I don't know which way the education has been going lately. However, as far as I've seen from the new graduates who applied to Zebra, it's not so different from the times that I had my education. The problem here is the education is not based on conceptuality. In my opinion, the conceptual way of thinking must be taught to the students at schools. Because if we know how to express each thought and each concept, we can use the graphic language more effectively in designs. Beneath each design that is made should lie an idea. Also, market conditions should be told better at schools. A new graduate of graphic designs must gain experience. Perhaps this experience should be provided during his/her education. This can be done with more intense summer practical training programs or with agence apprenticeships during the education semesters.

- What else can universities contribute to the sector besides training designers?

Universities can apply for the publicity works of charity institutions and foundations and the social responsibility campaigns. They can make their students create these works. This way, both the students gain experience and the works they do and the effort they spent mean something.

- There are numerous designers working in Zebra. Is there a hierarchy among them? How is it assigned?

Inside the agency, there is no hierarchy that we placed. However, who is more qualified, who can handle a task successfully with his/her experience is known. I mean there is respect, in a way. A hierarchy might be formed around this respect without talking about it or naming it.

- Some of the works that are produced in the agency were awarded in several design contests. These awards must be bringing extra motivation of course...

Absolutely. We usually send our works to foreign contests. I think we have 8 awards so far. From different works. Recently, we won the 1st prize with Letter among 7000 works of others in the contest that Lappi organized. This is a very significant success. These kind of results bring new excitements, motivations towards our job in the agency as well. As a conclusion, it reflects positively to the works.

- Theme of our 15th issue is 'Love'. What does this word mean to you?

"Love is the reason for the designs that we haven't started yet."


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Interview: Seyhan Boztepe