Interviews with Ibrahim Fatih Satilmis

As a child I was forever drawing and re‑imagining my toys. A degree in Industrial Design Engineering, followed by a Master’s in Product and Furniture Design in London, turned that curiosity into a profession.

My priorities are:
1. the psychological relationship between people and products
2. material honesty and quality
3. modularity and manufacturability.
The workflow is rapid model → CAD → physical prototype.

First sketches bring curiosity and adrenaline; fabrication requires patience; switching the light on for the first time gives a calm thrill.

Anatolian craft heritage taught me patience; the multidisciplinary culture in the UK broadened my outlook; professional life honed my people skills.

I aim to launch new lighting collections and create decorative furniture. At present I’m developing a large‑scale lighting installation.

Don’t fear prototyping, find mentors, stay interdisciplinary and document your journey.

Keep your process transparent, place sustainability at the core and share knowledge with the community.

Morning: coffee and email. Mid‑day: workshop and CAD work. Evening: exercise and sketching—structured yet flexible.

I follow design and interior‑architecture journals, fairs and biennials. I keep an eye on trends but always prioritise timelessness.

A design is good when function, emotion and manufacturability are in harmony; longevity and cultural resonance reinforce that harmony.

If further tweaks start to dilute the core idea, the design is finished—though I always leave the door open for future refinement.

The Crackdown collection, which merges light and texture poetically and has earned international recognition.

Mimar Sinan—he fused timeless beauty with engineering mastery.

I live simply yet meaningfully, rooted in heritage and tradition. In aesthetics I favour values that are timeless and enduring.

My practice rests on discipline, clarity and solid foundations; I strive to consider every detail, create lasting value and execute with meticulous care.

I volunteer as a mentor for design students, supporting their development free of charge.

The award boosted my global visibility and reputation, connected me with an international design community and gave me fresh motivation.

My priority was interaction: the object should respond to both user and setting, igniting a warm ambience the moment light is introduced. Crackdown therefore becomes an experience, not just a fixture.

I am prototyping a desk‑top edition and experimenting with recycled metals and tinted glass to widen the collection.

Seven weeks from initial research to final render.

The project was self‑initiated; the tactile contrast of cracked glass and cool metal sparked the concept and drove the process.

I am negotiating with several Istanbul manufacturers to launch limited runs and explore licensing for broader markets.

I sought to dramatise light’s emotional potential through fractured texture, adding narrative depth to functional lighting.

apandi minimalism—its calm lines and material honesty—guided the aesthetic.

Hotels, contemporary offices, galleries and design‑driven homeowners seeking statement lighting.

Crackle glass is structural, not ornamental; every crackle glass a unique pattern, while the modular frame adapts from floor to pendant with a single core component.

‘Crack’ reflects the fractured surface; ‘down’ hints at taming glare to reveal subtle glow—light emerging from rupture.

SolidWorks, Shapr3D, AutoCAD, KeyShot and Adobe CC for modelling, rendering and presentation.

A shared module strategy lets multiple product types be produced with one tooling set, reducing cost and waste.

The project was realised solo; I handled research, design, and visualisation myself.

Laser‑cut panels, CNC metal and efficient LED engines deliver precision, durability and low energy consumption.

User–architect interviews defined lighting needs; material testing determined optimum crackle density for glare control.

Balancing emotional mood in renders required countless texture‑light iterations; engineering fine tolerances for modular joints was equally demanding.

A close friend encouraged me; the award offered global visibility and professional benchmarking.

I refined my texturing workflow and learned how meticulous modelling directly affects believable light behaviour in renders and prototypes.

Every component is specified for disassembly and recycling, aligning the project with sustainable, minimalist principles.

Design grew from a desire to improve human‑object relationships; childhood curiosity evolved into an academic and professional path.

Becoming a designer was entirely my choice—early experiments with materials cemented that passion.

I design lighting and furniture; I aim to merge these fields with emerging fabrication technologies.

Document your process, stay curious across disciplines, and embed sustainability from day one.

A great designer makes the problem invisible and weaves cultural meaning into the solution.

Longevity, manufacturability, material integrity, emotional resonance and cultural context.

Good design adds sustainable brand value—an investment that outlives trends.

Furniture and accessories for regenerative ecosystems.

Prototyping my own furniture line remains a dream I’m actively pursuing.

Rapid prototyping: I model ideas quickly, test them early, and iterate without attachment—speed exposes flaws before they fossilise.

Mimar Sinan for spatial poetry; Dieter Rams for honest form; Jony Ive for humane tech.

Sinan’s Selimiye Mosque balances light, scale and serenity; Braun SK4 and iPhone show timeless minimalism; Iris van Herpen’s “Voltage” proves fashion can be sculptural tech.

The Akis light collection—because it harmonises reflection, user interaction and spiritual narrative.

Cross‑read, join craft workshops, sketch daily—continuous, hands‑on learning is irreplaceable.

I would probably explore material science—still driven by how matter behaves.

Design is a psychological interface between people and objects.

My family—unconditional belief and critique in equal measure.

Openness to critique and the discipline to iterate fast.

Limited resources and widespread misinterpretation of minimalism.

With a clear narrative arc and transparent process visuals—story first, slides later.

A kinetic lighting installation exploring reflected motion—launching 2025.

Maintain a sustainable personal collection that positively affects users’ psychology and space.

What people expect from you
Innovative, sustainable and aesthetically refined solutions.

Thoughtful design improves accessibility and environmental responsibility.

Prototype tests for the kinetic installation’s reflective panels.

Akis—because I handled every phase from concept to exhibition.

Fully circular materials and transparent supply chains.

Toward bio‑based materials and deeper interdisciplinary collaboration.

Anywhere from two weeks to two years—brief dictates pace.

Problem definition and user scenario mapping.

“Interrupt me only with better ideas.”

Design sparks trends; societal needs refine them.

Technology accelerates making; design gives it meaning—inseparable duo.

SolidWorks, KeyShot, AutoCAD, Adobe CC, a calliper and good lighting for sketches.

They set psychological comfort and stage the experience.

“Which manufacturing methods did you choose and why?”

“I wish I’d thought of that,” then I study its manufacturing details.

A materials scientist—co‑design amplifies innovation.

My family—constant, candid feedback.

“Materials Matter” and “Japandi Living” reshaped my material philosophy.

On‑the‑job learning, workshop practice and design competitions.

Mimar Sinan—to discuss light and architecture.

They motivate, but quality remains the true focus.

Colour → Orange; Place → Kayseri; Food → İçli Köfte; Season → Winter; Object → Shoes; Brand → Paşabahçe.

In a student critique I froze, glared at the jury, then realised nerves were my real opponent—now I laugh at it.

Sweet desserts and a finished prototype—they both open new horizons.

Yes—my Lego and cardboard models were early clues.

Bio‑materials and radically inclusive design ecosystems.

Sustainability is my compass; I’ll keep telling stories through light—thank you for following the journey.

tudio Soldout is my Istanbul‑based freelance practice, offering industrial design, engineering, brand identity and digital design. Every project blends minimal aesthetics with cultural context.

Design is a psychological bridge: people articulate themselves through the objects around them.

Lighting is my greatest joy since my MA, followed closely by brand identity projects.

Quiet minimalism—few materials, strong emotion. Pinning it to one product would understate the idea.

In 2018 I designed a home‑use medical microscope for a local start‑up.

Wood and metal: I enjoy the dialogue between warmth and cool precision.

At peak workload—pressure sparks unconventional solutions.

Balancing aesthetics with manufacturability.

Curiosity, a flutter of excitement, and the thrill of problem‑solving.

Touching the finished piece still makes my heart race.

Authentic first reactions from users and peers.

If it reaches an effective solution quickly, its impact endures.

Create value without depleting resources—sustainability is non‑negotiable.

More circular and interdisciplinary than ever.

Last: London, 2021. Next goal: a solo show in Istanbul by late 2025.

Urban textures, light–shadow interplay and Anatolian craft heritage.

Quiet minimalism with tactile surprise: “less material, more emotion”.

Istanbul’s cultural collage constantly feeds my work—rich but occasionally chaotic.

Define scope clearly, run iterative prototype–feedback loops.

Look for active listening and transparent process management.

Research → concept deck → CAD & engineering → prototype → production

Pieces I designed myself rank highest.

Mornings: emails & production checks; afternoons: CAD and client sessions; evenings: gym, quiet sketching.

Seek hands‑on experience and learn from masters.

Lifelong learning, – constant shortage of time.

Challenge conventional manufacturing limits.

Empathy and rapid comprehension.

SolidWorks, KeyShot, AutoCAD, Adobe CC—and a trusty calliper.

Notion for task tracking keeps projects organised and on schedule.

Two weeks to two years—whatever is needed to meet the brief meaningfully.

“Can we make it cheaper without changing the look?”

Every minute at Tepta Lighting shaped my approach to light.

Tepta Aydınlatma aracılığıyla oteller ve özel üretim talep eden müşteriler.

Lighting, because it marries design intuition with rigorous engineering.

Launch new lighting collections and furniture.

I design solo but rely on honest feedback from family and designer friends.

Developing a new lighting installation exploring kinetic reflection.

info@ibrahimfatih.com / info@studiosoldout.com • LinkedIn & Instagram @studiosoldout

Here’s to a brighter design future—thank you for reading.

The brass-plated socket was chosen as a visual and emotional counterpoint to the cool clarity of the crackle glass. Its warm, golden tone subtly recalls sunlight, reinforcing the idea that the fixture is not only a light source but also an interpretation of natural light. In the context of Japandi aesthetics, this combination is deliberate: the glass brings a crisp, textured delicacy, while the brass element introduces warmth and a crafted, timeless feel. Together they keep the design minimal in geometry, yet rich in material expression, which is very aligned with Japandi’s balance of simplicity, nature and quiet boldness.

From the beginning, Crackdown was conceived around the tension between solid structures and voids. The metal body provides a clear, architectural frame, while the openings and glass volumes act as “breathing spaces” for light. Through research and experimentation, the proportions of these solids and voids were refined so the piece would remain visually calm and minimal when off, yet become bold and expressive when illuminated. This balance ensures that the fixture is never visually heavy; instead, the interplay of structure and emptiness allows light and shadow to become active design elements rather than secondary effects.

Designing Crackdown as both a floor and a pendant lamp meant that the same design language had to perform under different structural conditions. For the floor versions, stability and weight distribution were critical: the base and vertical profile were engineered to remain slender yet secure, without compromising the minimalist silhouette. For the pendant, the challenge shifted to suspension, cable integration and the even distribution of weight along the longer horizontal element. Across all types, the modular hardware had to be robust, easy to assemble and visually discreet so that the engineering remains invisible and the user experiences only a sleek, continuous form.

Finding the right light diffusion was a gradual process of testing different crackle patterns, glass thicknesses and LED outputs. Early prototypes either produced too much glare or lost the intricacy of the fractured reflections. By refining the glass texture and pairing it with energy-efficient LEDs, the design reached a point where the light softly fills the glass while still revealing the characteristic crackle lines. This nuanced diffusion was a key factor in Crackdown’s recognition with the Bronze A’ Design Award, as it demonstrates that the fractured surfaces are not merely decorative, but an integral optical layer that shapes the ambience and visual comfort.

The satin-finished metal was selected to complement, rather than compete with, the textured glass. A high-gloss finish would have introduced strong reflections and visual noise, while a very rough surface might have made the piece feel heavy or industrial. The satin treatment offers a soft sheen that quietly picks up ambient light and harmonises with the glow of the glass. Tactilely, it feels refined and pleasant to the touch, supporting the idea of Crackdown as an object you live with every day, not just look at from a distance.

In Crackdown, the control system was designed to feel as calm and unobtrusive as the rest of the form. Instead of a visually dominant mechanical switch, the aim was to create a simple, intuitive on/off interaction that could be triggered with a light touch. This approach supports the minimalist philosophy by reducing visual clutter and keeping the user’s focus on the light and materials rather than on hardware. At the same time, reliability and ease of use were prioritised, so the interface feels natural from the first interaction and remains consistent across the different configurations of the collection.

The two main heights, 1200 mm and 900 mm, were developed to respond to different scales of contemporary interiors. The taller version has a more sculptural presence and is ideal for spaces where the lamp becomes a vertical accent – for instance beside a sofa or in a circulation area. The 900 mm variant sits lower and feels more intimate, working well in smaller rooms or in compositions where multiple pieces are used together. For the pendant, maintaining a similar total height creates a visual dialogue with the floor versions, ensuring that, regardless of configuration, Crackdown reads as part of a coherent family in the space.

My professional experience in decorative lighting, including work with established lighting companies, directly informed the technical decisions behind Crackdown. Familiarity with LED optics, driver selection and thermal considerations helped to position the light source so that the crackle glass is evenly illuminated without excessive heat build-up. The use of energy-efficient LEDs and carefully chosen components reflects a mindset shaped by working in environments where reliability and performance are non-negotiable. This background also encouraged a modular, serviceable construction, making Crackdown not only visually refined but also robust and suitable for long-term use.

Crackdown’s principles point towards a future where decorative lighting is both emotionally engaging and responsibly engineered. The use of energy-efficient LED sources, a modular construction and compact, eco-friendly packaging already sets a foundation for reduced environmental impact. Going forward, I see these ideas evolving into even more adaptable systems – families of luminaires that can be reconfigured, repaired and upgraded rather than replaced. The emphasis on timeless forms and durable materials also supports sustainability: when a piece continues to feel relevant in different interiors and over many years, it naturally reduces the need for frequent renewal.