Interview with Ibrahim Fatih Satilmis
İbrahim Fatih Satılmış is a multidisciplinary industrial designer with a Master’s degree in Product and Furniture Design from Kingston University and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design…
Designer of the Day Interview
3 May 2025
I have five years of industrial‑design experience and three years in lighting. At Tepta Lighting I contributed to more than 65 projects and have also completed numerous freelance commissions.
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.
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.
Interview about Crackdown Decorative Lighting Design Interview
Design Legend Interview
3 May 2025
I hold a BSc in Industrial Design Engineering from Erciyes University and a full‑scholarship MA in Product & Furniture Design from Kingston University London.
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.
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.
Designer Interview
3 May 2025
I earned a BSc in Industrial Design Engineering at Erciyes University, then an MA in Product & Furniture Design at Kingston University London. Since childhood I have dismantled objects to understand how they speak through material and form; becoming a designer was the natural outcome.
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.
Interview about Crackdown Decorative Lighting Grand Interview