Interviews with Istanbul French Fries

As a professional with over fifteen years of practical experience in graphic design and art direction, I have shaped my career around branding, packaging, and advertising design. In my work with various international clients at Istanbul French Fries, I leverage my expertise in packaging design and premium brand communication to bridge the gap between strategic message architecture and refined visual systems.

My professional background combines graphic design and strategic art management. I completed my undergraduate studies at Marmara University, followed by master's degrees at Haliç University and Lusofona University. I have also worked for various advertising agencies and magazines.

Since childhood, crayons and paper have always been my closest friends. The source of my passion for design is my desire to always find beauty and aesthetics in life. While building a career bridging art direction and graphic design, I have always viewed design not just as an aesthetic endeavor, but as a strategic language of storytelling. From the earliest stages of my creativity, I was captivated by the idea of ​​transforming complex briefs into memorable, visually and emotionally engaging experiences. Over the years, working in various creative fields, from packaging and advertising campaigns to brand strategy, has refined my approach to creating functional yet emotionally resonant design solutions that stand out in competitive markets.

The canopy motif emerged at a moment when we stopped thinking about coffee packaging and started thinking about protection. At the beginning of the project, we were exploring the concept of shade-grown coffee, where coffee plants thrive beneath the shelter of larger trees. While researching this cultivation method, we realized that the idea of shade was not merely agricultural; it was symbolic. Shade represents care, resilience, continuity, and a harmonious relationship with nature. This insight resonated deeply with Blend 1601’s own story. At the heart of the brand stands the ancient IDA olive tree, a living witness to more than a thousand years of history. What made this connection even more meaningful was the tree’s journey itself. Before becoming a symbol of the brand, the tree was rescued from being lost and carefully relocated by the founder to his farm, where it continues to live and flourish today. In many ways, the story was already about protection long before we started designing the packaging. At that point, the connection became clear. The protective canopy of shade-grown coffee and the enduring presence of the IDA olive tree were expressing the same idea through different forms of nature. We realized we were not creating a metaphor; we were revealing one that already existed within the brand’s story. From then on, the canopy was no longer just a visual reference to coffee cultivation. It became a bridge between the product and the brand’s heritage. The challenge was avoiding a literal illustration of trees or landscapes. We wanted the design to feel contemplative rather than descriptive. Instead of depicting nature directly, we abstracted the canopy into a layered visual language that evokes shelter, depth, and organic growth. At the same time, we remained careful not to romanticize the concept. Every visual decision was grounded in the genuine ecological principles behind shade-grown farming and in the authentic story of the IDA olive tree. For us, the strongest packaging designs are not those that explain everything at first glance, but those that invite discovery. The canopy motif allowed us to create that balance, remaining visually distinctive while staying faithful to the environmental and cultural narratives that inspired it.