Parla was thrilled to be part of an exciting project this “spring semester” at Bilgi University, as our designers Seda Yetkiner, Berrak İlkcan and Gizem Arpacı wore their lecturer hats for the Furniture Design Studio Course intended for third-year students completing their Industrial Design undergraduate degree.
Delivering two lectures a week over the semester, the aim was for students to design a seating unit for either a hotel, restaurant or cafeteria as well as redesign Parla’s Tofu coffee table for their midterm. This collaboration with Bilgi University came with a twist: As part of their study abroad programme, industrial design students from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, USA, came to Istanbul and studied alongside Bilgi students.
This meant that Wentworth students would also be benefiting from Parla’s know-how and would become part of the project for the redesign of Tofu.
As an introduction, Wentworth students visited Parla’s factory, where they had the opportunity to interact with our craftsmen, observe their work and witness the manufacturing process step by step. Their eagerness and enthusiasm to get the most out of this visit made us even more proud to share Parla’s 115 years of history and accumulation of knowledge. Being part of this cultural exchange was truly fascinating.
Next came the preparation stage for the redesign of Tofu. Seda Yetkiner, the designer of Tofu, presented her product and its creative process to students from both Bilgi and Wentworth. After the presentation, the students interacted with a life-size Tofu table to further inspect the materials and the meticulous design- followed by an in depth Q&A session.
After gathering all the information necessary on the Tofu table, it was time to start redesigning!
First, the students got to work on their table mock-ups, giving us an exciting first look at their creativity as they each designed detailed and original miniature versions of Tofu. Once the mock-ups were ready, they were presented to the lecturers for feedback. Both Bilgi professors and our designers, Berrak and Gizem, shared their thoughts and constructive comments on each of the tiny Tofus.
Next came the exciting part, which is bringing the life-size versions of Tofu to life! Each group pushed the boundaries of creativity, experimenting with different materials to completely reimagine Tofu’s design. Of course, working with materials like PVD, solid wood, glass, and ceramic called for expert hands. So, the students took a trip to the Grand Bazaar, where they met master craftsmen specialising in silver, copper, and brass. They even took part in a special copper workshop from Mert Onur, a Bilgi University graduate, who shared both his skills and insider tips with them. Mert is a well-known alumnus of the university, as he has won various awards and is the creator of the handcrafted homeware brand MOD Editions.
After the hefty process of handiwork, it was time for all of this hard work to come to fruition, which means time for the judging and the reveal of the final products! The final presentations- here each group had 14 members, 2 of them from Wentworth- took place on June 12. The classroom was buzzing with nervously excited students, getting their presentations and products ready for judging, while lecturers showed up with great anticipation. Yasemin Soylu, Assistant Professor at Bilgi University, said this project had so many aspects to celebrate.
“The students from Boston visited historic places of Istanbul, one of them being the Grand Bazaar, where they interacted with lots of local artisans and craftsmen.”
When asked about Parla, she thanked our designers, Betül İnci, Berrak İlkcan Şener, Seda Yetkiner and Gizem Arpacı for another year of great collaboration, as this was our second time working together.
Carlos Villamil, Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Wentworth, accompanied his students at Wentworth for this trip to Istanbul. He mentions the welcoming nature of Parla and also of Istanbul.
“The factory tour made us feel very welcome. All of the students meshed together really well, and none were isolated. Istanbul is also vibrant, and exploring it made it helpful for us to understand the architecture better. Overall, our experience was very positive.”
At the end of the judging, our designers, Gizem and Berrak, also had comments on their teaching experience and the final products:
“Teaching was a struggle at first. We had to adapt to the different learning styles of each student. Also, we have our way of communicating, a jargon, at the office, but that obviously wasn’t fully understandable during the lectures. So we had to adapt to that as well. For the duration of the semester, it was enjoyable to get out of the office for a change and experience a different routine. In the end, at the final presentations, we encountered products way above our expectations.”
As we reflect on the past, this project not only challenged the students to push their creative boundaries but also allowed Parla to witness fresh perspectives on design through the eyes of young talent. It was a reminder that when craftsmanship, education, and curiosity come together, the results can be truly inspiring. With the addition of the student exchange from Boston, witnessing this rich exchange of ideas, cultures, and knowledge has been rewarding, and we’re excited to see what this collaboration leads to next!
© M. Tahir Akkurt
