Brand Design

"… to be really effective you have to be able to sense the brand. You may

even be able to touch it and feel it. So that it manifests the core idea...." Wally Olins

The concept of branding is intrinsically linked with advertising, marketing and playing on the subconscious aspirations of the consumer.

A brand can be a product, a person or a logo – anything that can be bought and sold, as an idea or artefact, can be branded.

Branding is a global culture fuelled by consumerism and the need for people to categorise their lifestyles, likes and dislikes through buying into particular products.

It is evident that brands possess values that distinguish them from their competitors.

It is interesting to consider why we buy a branded product over a supermarket named equivalent at half the price.  

What makes us believe that the contents of the tin are of a better quality?

No brand can appeal to everyone.

Through marketing and advertising, the image of the brand is identified and sold to the public.

The brand can be defined by analysing its core values through understanding the product, communicating and understanding the right consumer  audience and finally matching the product to the physical environment.

In retail terms, the store is built around the concept of the brand and the products sold within it. The interior emulates the aspirations of the brand values and qualities to enhance the relationship between the space and the  message.

Everything about the brand must be consistent – from the associated colour and graphic style to the product range, whether diverse or focused, and the interior.

This consistency makes the message stronger and re-affirms the brand’s worth.

Although brand stores can be seen throughout the world in different formats, there are particular mechanisms in place for promoting a new concept or to consolidate a brand experience on the global market. 

This usually happens in major retail positions, to allow access to the larger proportion of the world’s consumers.

These mechanisms can be categorised as concept stores, flagship stores and lifestyle stores.

The principles of a BRAND DESIGN can be examined under the following headings:

1.Essence The essence identifies what is at the heart of the business and the nature of the work. These are the most important features of the organisation. (ABC is a computer company)

2.Values The term ‘brand values’ can be explored through what the organisation’s morals and standards are and how they manifest themselves in the brand. (ABC is a computer company that gives free computer to schools)

3.Image The brand image is one of the most important aspects of brand development and is paramount in showing the essence and values of the organisation to the world through visual means. (ABC is a computer company which is innovative and young consumers oriented, it is hip and cool)

4.Big ideas The big ideas demonstrate what the brand sets out to achieve. (ABC is a computer company which distributes free office programs and education related software to students)

5.Cash generator Behind every brand is the ambition to make money. It is fundamental to know how this will happen. (ABC is a computer company which offers four year payment opportunity to students)

6.Strange attractor The success of many brands is in the unknown and the additional offers that can be made under a brand. It is important to question what else people use/need the brand for. (ABC is a computer company which openly supports diversity and manifests this with their non-sexist non-racist commercials and in various other ways)

7.Culture Who is the market/consumer/user and what does it feel like to be part of this culture? (young, educated, free thinking people)

CASE STUDY:
Let's look at Apple Store space design

This exciting, fast-moving, creative industry, commerical design is one of the main areas of interior design.

Thank you for reading.

M.Des. Can Kulahcioglu

Universal Design

Universal design is an approach that aims a designing process with the outcomes of accessible and experiential designs for the largest number of people possible. 

The role attributed to universal design can be summarized as designing products, services and environments that are useable by greatest possible amount of people despite of differences that they might possess.

Timeline of Universal Design

40’s: military engineering

50’s (early period): man-machine relationship – sanitary usage, office furniture usage

50’s (middle period): birth of human factors engineering or ergonomics (the aim of creating optimal configurations of human and physical aspects of the man-made world in order to improve accessibility for people of all ages and across physical and mental abilities.)

60’s: standards developed for environmental design

70’s: first time of involvement of end-users in the process of design

80’s: environmental design in social and economic sense

90’s: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any discrimination based on physical or mental impairment that “substantially limits” human performance is banned which had a deep impact on the design industry.

90’s (late period): 7 principles of universal design:
a) : useful and marketable designs for people of diverse abilities Equitable Use
b) : adjustable designs that accommodates a wide range of individual preferences Flexibility in Use
c) : user friendly designs Simple and Intuitive Use
d) : a communicative design regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s Perceptible Informationsensory abilities
e) : consequences of accidental or unintended actions minimized by design Tolerance for Error
f) : efficiency in usage and comfort achieved by design Low Physical Effort
g) : designed in such a way that regardless of the user’s body size, Size and Space for Approach and Useposture, or mobility appropriate size and space is provided for approach and use

00’s: the growing life expectancy, globalized economy, growing purchasing power and the emergence of consumer economies contribute to the importance of universal design.

World Health Organization (WHO) established the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The aftermath of foundation ICF set the universal design as an undisputable dynamic of design as ICF revolutionized the concept of disability from a lacking of capacity for unfortunate some to a part of natural process in everyone’s life as reduced functionality; aging, farsightedness, back problems, and immobility with the surrounding environment. 

“Disability, therefore, is a universal human experience that depends on the context, time, and circumstances of social and professional practices.” (Erloff & Marshall, Design Dictionart, 2008)


examples:

M.Des. Can Kulahcioglu
kulahcioglucan@gmail.com

D - DOKU

DOKU

bir yüzey üzerinde yer alan üç boyutlu gözlenebilir ve/veya hissedilebilinir hareketler

Doku dünya üzerinde yer alan her yüzeyde var olan fiziki bir durumdur. Cam, metal panel gibi pürüzsüz yüzeylerde bile mikroskop altında bakıldığında bir doku olduğunu görsek dahi biz içmimarların ilgi alanı gözle görülür ve dokununca hissedilen dokudur.

İçmimarlar Dokuyu tasarımlarında neden kullanırlar?

1. İç ve Dış yüzeylerde monotonluğu kırmak, bu yüzey üzerine bir hareket vermek yada odak noktası oluşturmak için
2. Zıtlıklar yaratmak için
3. Optik iluzyonlar yaratmak için
4. Dokulardan oluşan bir desen yaratmak için
5. Zeminlerde kaymayı engellemek için (havuz, spa vb)
6. Işık gölge oyunu yaratmak için
7. Tasarımın estetik değerini arttırmak için

Bir yüzeyin dokusu dokunarak yada gözle hissedilebilinir. Elimizle dokunduğumuzda hissettiğimiz doku gerçek bir dokudur (bir ağacın gövdesi, bir seramiğin dokusu, bir kumaşın örgüsü). Elimizle dokunmadan gözümüzle algıladığımız bir doku ise bizde dokunarak elde edeceğimiz bir hissi uyandırsa bile tamamen sanal bir doku olabilir (bina cephelerindeki ahşap görünümlü kompozit kaplamalar).

Gözümüzle algıladıklarımız ile elimiz ile algıladıklarımız arasında yakın bir ilişki vardır. Pürüzsüz, parlak bir krom yüzey gördüğünüzde, elinizle dokunmuş gibi yüzeyin pürüzsüzlüğünü ve soğukluğunu hissedersiniz. Bilinç altınız size, o yüzey hakkındaki geçmişten gelen bilgilerinizi tekrar canlandırıp sunar. 

Dokunun içmimarideki önemi burada ortaya çıkar. İçmimari insanların sadece görsel algısına hitap etme sanatı değil aynı zamanda duygularına hitap etme becerisidir. Kullanacağımız dokular sadece görsel olarak değil aynı zamanda psikolojik bir etkide bırakmaktadır.
İçmimar bu yüzden dokuların insan üzerindeki psikolojisini düşünüp (hijyen duygusu, doğallık duygusu, sıcaklık/soğuklu duygusu vb) buna göre doku uygulamalıdır. 

Genel olarak pürüzlü yüzeylerin daha doğal ve sıcak bir his verdiğini, pürüzsüz yüzeylerin ise daha soğuk ve yapay his verdiğini söyleyebiliriz. 

Parlak, pürüzsüz yüzeyler ışığı yansıtır, ilgi odağı olur ve göz alır. Pürüzlü yüzeyler ise ışığı yutar, bu pürüzler arttıkça yayacağı gölgeler artacağı için aynı renk ile boyanmış iki yüzey arasında pürüzlü olan yüzey her zaman daha koyu olarak algılanacaktır. 

Doku aynı zamanda renk üzerinde de bir hakimiyet kurar ve renklerin genel kabul edilen psikolojik etkilerini manupile edebilir. Örneğin soğuk bir renk olarak kabul edilen mavi, pürüzlü bir yüzeyde uygulandığında, ışık ve gölge oyunlarının yüzeyde yaratacağı etki ile kabul edilen soğuk etkisini kaybedebilir (Ege mimarisi vb) benzer bir şekilde sıcak bir renk olarak kabul edilen kırmızı, pürüzsüz ve parlak bir yüzeyde uygulandığında sıcaklık etkisi azalacaktır (parlak bir araba yüzeyi, kırmızı parlak lake bir yüzey vb)


Dokulu yüzeylerin bir özelliği ise mekan algısını etkilemesidir. Doku büyüdükçe mekanın alan algısı düşer, yani olduğundan daha küçük algılanır, doku küçüldükçe ise mekan alan algısı yükselir, yani olduğundan daha büyük algılanır.

Doku hijyen konusu ile bire bir ilişkili bir mevzudur. Doku arttıkça temizlik zorlaşır, bakım ve temizlik daha sık yapılmalıdır. Doku azaldıkça ise temizlik kolaylaşır. Ancak şöyle bir durum da vardır. Dokulu bir yüzey kiri daha az gösterirken, parlak pürüzsüz bir yüzey en ufak bir kiri anında gösterir. İçmimarlar zeminde dokuyu belirlerken, bu alanın insan trafiğini ve temizlenme imkanlarını göz önüne alarak karar vermelidirler.

Estetik açıdan dokuların mekanlara bir karakter verdiği kesindir. Ancak mekanı olduğundan daha kalabalık gösterdiği için, sakinlik ve dinginlik aranan mekanlarda dokudan kaçınmak doğru bir yaklaşım olabilir (meditasyon yapılan bir mekan, ders çalışma mekanı, labaratuar vb).
Güçlü dokular en sık ticari mekanlarda kullanılır. Güçlü bir doku ile pürüzsüz bir yüzeyi yan yana kullanarak tezat yaratmak mekana hem dinamizm katacaktır hem de eski bir yapıya çağdaş bir dokunuş yapıldığı mesajını da verecektir. 

Tamamen monokrom (tek renk ve tonları) ile renklendirilmiş mekanlarda monotonluğu kırmak isterseniz farklı dokular kullanmak başarılı bir yöntem olabilir.

M.Des Can Külahcıoğlu

A - AKUSTIK

AKUSTİK

İç mekan tasarımı ile sesi kontrol altına alma bilimi.

Bir akustiğini etkileyen iki ana unsur vardır.

1. Yapısal form
2. İç mekan tasarımı

Yapısal form mimariyi ilgilendiren bir alan olduğu için biz içmimarlar elimizdeki mekanın iç kabuğuna form vererek dış kabuktan iç kabuğu kısmen ayırmaya çalışabiliriz.

İçmimarların ses kontrolünde en etkin yöntemleri:

• Sesi yönlendiren yüzeyler
• Sesi yutan yada yansıtan malzemeler
• Ses ile ilişki içerisinde olacak olan kişilerin konumlandırılması

Sesi kontrol etme disiplini çok fazla dinamiğe sahiptir. Örneğin tasarlayacağınız yer bir stüdyo ise sıfıra yakın ses yansıması (eko) isteyebilirsiniz, bu durumda ses yutucu malzemeleri yoğun bir şekilde kullanmanız (süngerler), ses yansıtan her yüzeyi  (cam, metal, seramik vb) mekandan arındırmanız yada üzerini kaplamanız gerekir.
Ancak başka bir stüdyo tasarımında ise şarkıcı sizden eko talep edebilir. Bu durumda tavanı yükseltmeli, üst kısımlarda sesi yansıtacak yüzeyler yaratmanız gerekebilir.

Bir restaurant tasarımında akustik çok önemlidir. İnsan konuşması, çatal bıçak sesleri, garsona seslenme, şehir içerisinde iseniz sokaktan gelecek bir çok ses mekanda gürültüye ve sesin yansımasına sebep olacaktır. Bu yüzden zeminde halı, tavan ve duvarlarda, pencere kenarlarında tekstil malzemelerinden yada ses yutucu çözümlerden faydalanmanız gerekir.

Her malzemenin ses yutma oranı farklıdır. Genel olarak bir malzeme boşluklar içerdikçe, hava geçirgenliği var ise ve pürüzlü bir dokuya sahip oldukça ses yutma oranı artar. 
Pürüzsüz, sert, hava geçirmeyen malzemeler sesi daha fazla yansıtır.

Örneğin akustik bir sahnede, şarkıcının talebine göre sesi arttırmak için şarkıcının arkasına ses yansıtıcı yüzeyler yerleştirebilirsiniz, yada elektronik olarak sesin yayınladığı bir ortamda (sinema salonu) ses zaten hopörlörler ile dağıtıldığı için ekoyu engellemek adına duvarları ses yutan malzemeler ile kaplayabilirsiniz.

Sadece konser salonu, tiyatro, konferans mekanları değil yatak odası, salon, doktor ofisi, atölye gibi bir çok mekanı göz önüne aldığınızda ses kontrolünün bir mekan tasarımında ne kadar önemli olduğunu tüm içmimarlar bilmelidir.

M.Des. Can Külahcıoğlu

History of Alacati

Alaçatı has been a popular and exclusive place after the year 2005. This little town which is at the Aegean coast of Turkey rise from it's ashes and today i will give you some historical back ground of this old town of "Alaçatı" (Red Roof)

Alacati on Google Map

Alaçatı, historically known as Agrilia is a town that is in the district of Çeşme, in the province of İzmir, Turkey. 
In the antiquity period, Alaçatı was in Ionia, which was an advanced civilization in science, philosophy, art and design.

“Alaçatı, which was located close to four Ionian cities – Erythrai, Klazomenai, Teos and Chios – and known as Agrilia in those times has undoubtedly been affected by this civilization.” (Atilla and Öztüre, 2006 as cited by Dalgakıran, 2008: 3)

Alaçatı was first built by Ionians and the town habitants were always from Greek heritage during the Roman and Byzantine periods. 

Alaçatı has been a gate of foreign trade until the 16^th century.  Just after the Ottomans conquered the Island of Chios in 1556; Genoese merchants, who had been living on the island, moved away which shifted the importance of export and import port from Çeşme to İzmir. In 19^th century the town became popular again.

“In 1810, the Greek community who had migrated from Chios Island came to Çeşme to work in the fields of Hacı Memiş at the south of Alaçatı, and brought its own traditions and way of life, such as wine producing and cattle-breeding. The Greek population had gradually increased during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and the Greek population dominated the others in the 19^th century. In 1881, Alaçatı’s population was 4,122; 78 of them being Turks and 4,055 of them being Greeks. In 1895, total population of Alaçatı and its surroundings was 14,977; 13,845 being Greek.” (Özgönül, 1996: 105)

The dominancy of Greek population had reflections on the spatial formation of the settlement as the residential design included wine workshops in the ground floor. 

In 20^th century after the WWI, the population exchange of Muslims and Christians, which was enforced on communities by the negotiations in Lausanne treatment in which a convention was signed between Turkey and Greece in the year of 1923.

“In fact, it was not only the exchange of population but also the exchange of cultures and life practices eventually leading to a new economic restructuring and spatial pattern in Alaçatı.” (Dalgakıran and Bal, 2007: 406)

This exchange of population brought among the societies of the same empire but with different ethnical background and religion had dramatic social, economical and cultural transformations. 

The Greeks who had to leave their houses and move to Greece, who had been looked down by the society and had been called “the Turco-Greeks” and eventually instead of blending with the society, they created new rural zones such as “New Smyrna – Nea Smyrni” and build replicas of the significant buildings of their ex-hometown in their new hometowns.

Aegean Muslim Turks from the island of Crete, Thrace and Thessaloniki had to move to the city of Izmir and towns in the region such as Seferihisar, Foça, Çeşme and many others including Alaçatı. These people had to submit the official papers that verified the square meter of the lands and houses they own and were given the equal ones abandoned by the Orthodox Greeks.

Most of these houses that have faced a user profile change are still remaining in Alaçatı and the other locations as a residential space or commercial space. The regulations by the municipalities enforced on the owners of these buildings are the main reasons for the survival of these century old houses. 

The Greek people of Alaçatı who had to move away to other parts of the world under the Lausanne treatment build up new towns called Nea Alatsata, in Crete, in Athens, in Boston and in Australia. 

As Dalgakıran (2008), has mentioned the aftermath of this exchange was a cultural richness that influenced the lifestyle and design language of the region. Dalgakıran further more stated that the spatial pattern of town significantly contributes unique identity of Alaçatı as Caserta and Russo argued (2001) the cultural assets inherited from the past are irreproducible and highly specific to the local historical context and culture and identity.

Gezgin (2007), talks about the recent history of the town in his studies. He stated that Alaçatı is a town that received municipal status in 1876, which had faced dramatic changes during the period of Hacımemiş Ağa. The governor charged him with a duty. Alaçatı was a marshland and he opened the canal so that the marsh of Alaçatı was drained. In those years very important maritime transports of the world were made from here such as wine and grape, which was a time when fourteen thousand Greeks were living in Alaçatı.

Balkan immigrants began to move to Alaçatı in 1914, which was followed by a vast exchange of population. Populations were exchanged between Greece and Turkey in the framework of the Lausanne Treaty after the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). During this exchange of minorities, Turkish refugees from the Balkan countries settled in the houses emptied by the Greeks. As Gezgin (2007) stated these houses still remain in Alaçati as an attraction for people to restore and convert into tourism investments.

The ethnical transformation of the town also led to a transformation of the economic structure of the town. The new inhabitants coming from the Balkans preferred to grow tobacco instead of grape and olive. This ended in unsatisfactory economical situations for the people of the region. The climate was not the best preferred climate for tobacco as well as decisions taken by the government hammered the economical benefits of the tobacco production year by year. As Gezgin (2007), mentioned until World War II the harbour, which is about two kilometres south from the town centre, was an export port of İzmir. 

By the year 1980’s the population of Alaçatı went down as the new generations migrate to Çeşme town or İzmir city for an advantageous economical opportunity. By the year of 1990 the towns rising popularity by means of tourism reversed this migration.

“The natural features of the coastal area that enable the windsurfing activities has undoubtedly been the determining factor in the rebirth of Alaçatı through tourism. The success achieved in a very short time by a boutique hotel and two restaurants opened in the settlement in 2001 has attracted the succeeding investments. By the end of 2007, 39 small hotels, each having 5 to 10 rooms and numerous café and restaurants exist in the settlement providing elegant accommodation and dining facilities.” (Turizm Haberleri, 2007 as cited by Dalgakıran, 2008: 4)

The immigrants who moved from Balkans to Alaçatı were placed in the vernacular buildings. These very buildings had risen in real estate value after the year 2000. Most of the local people sold or rented their houses to investors and move to Çeşme or İzmir. Some preferred to stay in Alaçatı and integrate into the tourism industry as the managers of their own businesses such as small shops, selling their regional hand made products, bakeries, cafés and restaurants as well as art galleries. 

The decision process of the owners ended up with these buildings being converted from residential to commercial spaces such as boutique hotels, restaurants, and art galleries.

A century later the very immigrants who settled into the genuine owners of the buildings were replaced with investors and people from other parts of Turkey in favour of Alaçatı lifestyle. 

As Dalgakıran (2008), mentioned the population changes seasonally as it becomes five times more crowded in the summers compared the winters. The total population in winter had reached up to 15.000 by the end of the year 2011 while in summer season this number of population is multiplied by more than five as most of the houses in the town are used only for summer and vacant for the winter and the numbers of these houses are rising. 

The popularity of Alaçatı is attracting many construction companies for mega projects as well as the government has Alaçatı on its agenda for projects even from 90’s.

At the year of 2018 the popularity of Alaçatı rise to it's peak as well as it became one of the most luxurious holiday spots in Aegean Turkey.

Thank you for reading.

M.Des. Can Kulahcioglu