KÜME Foundation Area: Design Work

KÜME Foundation Field: The Design Act is the second major event of the Field design ecosystem developed under the Culture Civilization Foundation (KÜME). The event will be held on 27 December 2025 at Haliç University. The program addresses the concept of design within an interdisciplinary and conceptual framework.

^{KÜME Foundation Field: The Design Act event poster. – (}KÜME Foundation⁾

The KÜME Foundation Field: The Design Act event is planned within the framework of the Field design ecosystem developed by the Culture Civilization Foundation. The Field brand was introduced at TEKNOFEST Istanbul with the statement “Field is KÜME’s ecosystem”, promoting the view that design is not merely an industrial or aesthetic activity but also a conceptual and cultural domain. It has been explained that the Field ecosystem offers a framework that treats design as a “civilizational conception” and a “way of understanding life”.

It has been announced that the program’s content structure will examine the codes of life through three main axes:

Under the theme of time design, the modern phenomenon of speed, the concept of “deadline”, and their impacts on creativity, production and daily life will be explored. It has been indicated that discussions will address the possibility of individuals becoming the architects of their own time.

Within the axis of space design, the relationship between the city, architecture and human psychology will be examined. The approach emphasizes that space is not merely a physical environment but a factor that shapes individual emotional states and behavioral patterns. Istanbul’s layered structure, urban transformation and the impact of architecture on the human spirit will be discussed in this context.

Under the theme of flow design, discussions will focus on the digital world’s continuous demand for attention, the guiding role of algorithms and the limits of individual agency. It has been stated that warning systems ranging from street signs to mobile notifications will be analyzed for their role in shaping daily life.

The opening address is planned to be delivered by Abdullah Eren, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the KÜME Foundation. It has been announced that the program will feature a broad spectrum of speakers spanning academia, industry, public institutions and the entrepreneurial world.

Among the confirmed speakers are Prof. Dr. Önder Küçükerman with the presentation “Automobile Design as a Space”, Prof. Dr. Hümanur Bağlı with “Design Literacy”, Dr. Mustafa Özel with “Capitalism’s Inhuman Design of Humans and Society”, and Bager Akbay with “The Difference Between Art and Design”. It has also been announced that Prof. Dr. Muhammed Zeki Durak, President of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, will deliver a presentation titled “From Idea to Market: The Power of Industrial Property”.

It has been explained that the event will not be limited to stage programs but will be supported by interactive applications extending into the foyer area. In this context, “Student-Industry Meetings” aimed at bringing together students and sector representatives, a “Sentence Wall” allowing participants to share their thoughts in writing, and experiential zones for perceptual measurement are planned. The foyer area is designed with the vision of temporarily transforming the Haliç University campus into a “design laboratory”.

In addition, dedicated spaces will be created for participants to engage directly with institutions and brands such as Turkcell, Do&Co, Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Çilek, Bambum, Waxy Design, Todo Pictures, Abe Media and HSVO Design and Software.

The program is expected to conclude with closing remarks by Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the KÜME Foundation, and Board Member Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar. A special session titled “Designing the Future” will address the role of design in shaping the future and outline the foundation’s long-term vision.