About

Summary

A UX Designer with digital marketing experience. I have been living in Cologne for 5 years, originally from Istanbul. I've worked in digital agencies as an account and project manager. I managed the intersection of customer, user, and team expectations and needs. Throughout my career, I have cultivated the ability to find common ground between different stakeholders and align goals effectively.

In recent years, I've been consulting, leveraging my extensive digital marketing background to assist companies in achieving their strategic objectives. As I progressed in my career, I aimed to cultivate a deep understanding of users, leading me to specialize in UX Design. My ultimate goal is to work in Service Design, where I can master the intricate balance between user needs, business goals, and seamless experiences across various touchpoints.

Skills

User Research    Customer Journey Mapping
Information Architecture Card Sorting
Wireframing & Prototyping    UI Design   A/B Testing
Usability Testing    Accessibility    Digital Marketing
Client Services    Project Management

Figma Miro Marvel Typeform Optimal Workshop Survey Monkey Vidyard Loom Keynote Wix

Empathy Communication Collaboration
Problem-Solving

UX/UI Project

2023 - 2024

UX Designer
CareerFoundry (Training, Part-time)
MigrateMinds: Migrant Counseling Responsive Web App

Applied human-centered design process and mobile-first approach to design a responsive web application to provide immigration counseling to Turkish immigrants in Germany.
Defined user needs and goals through user interviews and surveys and designed artifacts such as personas, customer journey, and sitemaps.
Established a design system from the UI patterns derived from high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes, validated through usability and preference tests.

Work Experience

2023 - 2024

Digital Marketing Consultant
ay-la Consulting (Part-time - Cologne)
Digital strategy development and corporate website re-design

Challenges connecting with immigrants from Turkey to Germany included understanding needs, language barriers, and building trust.
A complete revamp of the company's online presence, including brand identity, digital strategies, and website redesign for improved UX and service display.
Relaunched website saw increased traffic, with social media platforms becoming lively hubs for engaging discussions.

2013 - 2018

Digital Marketing Consultant
Freelance (Istanbul)
Digital Strategy & Social Media Content Dev., Website re-design

Supported clients struggling with outdated digital strategies, low engagement on social media platforms, and obsolete website designs.
Conducted digital audits, crafted approches for brand enhancement, collaborated on content creation, and led website redesign for improved UX.
Re-designs led to boosted traffic. Social media engagement grew with strategic content.

2010 - 2013

Director of Operations
Tribal Worldwide Istanbul (Full-time)
Global Digital Ad Agency: Directed 30+ brands, led 50+ staff team, drove business growth

With the acquisition of Manadigital in 2010, Tribal DDB faced with the challenge of transforming a website development agency into a full-fledged digital services agency. Challenges arose in managing a large team, coordination, project management, customer service, and streamlined operations to ensure the successful execution of campaigns for brands.
Implemented comprehensive strategies, including a thorough assessment of existing workflows, the establishment of clear communication channels and performance metrics, and spearheading the adoption of agile methodologies to enhance team management, client engagement, and project execution.
Tribal DDB quickly became Turkey's leading digital agency that companies want to work with. The agency has executed high-impact digital campaigns for more than 30 brands, including Fritolay, P&G and Unilever, making it recognized as the "Best Agency of the Year" many times.

2009 - 2013

Senior Project Manager
Manadigital (Full-time, Istanbul)
Web Design & Development Agency

The agency had acquired two of Turkey's telecom giant accounts, Türk Telekom and TTNET, and needed a strong team to work on the client and project management side of their digital projects to serve its 24/7 service contracts.
Played a key role in many digital campaign projects, especially in the re-design of TTNET's website, as well as other projects delivered to clients.
Due to successful projects and customer satisfaction, contracts with TTNET and Türk Telekom were repeatedly renewed. The agency's impressive growth caught the attention, eventually leading to its acquisition by DDB and rebranding as Tribal DDB Istanbul. After being acquired, Manadigital was re-purposed and focused on providing website development services.

2003 - 2008

Editor & Project Manager
Sistemsensin (Full-time, Istanbul)
Content & Digital Agency

A dynamic agency that produced over 10 sectoral magazines (printed) catering to various brands like Nokia and Dunlop, alongside a music magazine project. The multifaceted nature of these publications necessitated editors proficient in both writing and photography. Joined as an editor.
Responsible for engaging content reflecting brand identities, in close collaboration with designers. Workflows were improved and regular brainstorming sessions organized for innovative ideas.
In 2004, the agency achieved a milestone by crafting Turkey's first brand-targeted website for Sony-Ericsson, with a vibrant focus on youth. This success paved the way for the company becoming Nokia's youth communications agency. During this period, the agency developed visionary digital projects, including a pioneering community website reminiscent of the early Facebook of the time, and innovative digital campaigns for brands such as Burger King.

Personal Projects

2011 - Ongoing

Founder & Writer
mybeautifulcookbook.com (inactive)
Recognized food influencer in Istanbul

Founder of mybeautifulcook.com, established a digital unique presence in Istanbul's food landscape.
Produced engaging content, including articles, recipes, and culinary experiences, with active engagement on social media.
Built a community of 7k followers, transitioning from hobbyist to professional food influencer, gaining recognition for quality content and entrepreneurial skills.

2021 - Ongoing

Founder & Designer
Çocukla Almanya (Community map)
’’Germany with Children’’: A Padlet Map

A WhatsApp group of 1000 Turkish migrant women in North-Rhein Westphalia looking for suggestions for child-friendly locations to visit in Germany.
The Padlet platform is used to create a collaborative map, where community members pin their experiences to the map, creating a location-based collective resource.
Successful creation of a thematic digital map with contributions from group members, fostering community engagement and sharing of family friendly experiences.

Education & Certifications

2023 - 2024

UX Design Course
CareerFoundry

2023 - 2024

Comprehensive Figma Training
Udemy

2023

Wireframe Training for UX/UI Designers (at Figma)
Udemy

1998 - 2002

Urban Planning (Bachelor)
Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts - Istanbul

Interests

Cooking, reading and talking about food more. Wine tasting.
Literature (Orhan Pamuk, Stefan Zweig), arts (P. Picasso, Rodin, İlhan Koman).
Long walks and yoga.