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Tamer Nakisci

‘Free time! What’s that?’ Says Turkish Industrial Designer at heart, Tamer Nakisci.

The 24 year old believes that every object has to have a soul. This industrious designer keeps the scene out of breath with his striking yet futuristic ideas.

Site: Tamer Nakisci

FMCS: Tamer, it’s great to catch up! Please tell us a few things about yourself and your work

Tamer: I have had experiences in international design environments such as Fiat Advanced Design Concept Lab, which was a breaking point for me. Besides several competitions I was awarded during the past years - I won the Nokia Benelux Design Awards with my Nokia 888 design, which has opened me a lot of doors in the industry and gave me the chance to prove myself to the design world.

FMCS: Where do you currently live and work?

Tamer: I came back from Italy last year and since then I live in Istanbul. I worked in a well respected design firm for a while, until I realized that I want to spend my time on my own projects. So I set up my own firm, where I can freely develop concepts and offer real-life solutions for my clients at the same time. Honestly, I have no free time at all. Because free-time is when you can design for fun! It’s the best part, that’s why I love competitions.

FMCS: How did your great interest in design develop?

Tamer: Well the story doesn’t lead back to the ancient times, but still it’s a long one.

For me design was always there since my childhood in many different ways. Sometimes playing with LEGO stones, drawing perspectives of the rooms, making my own toys, designing 3-floor shelters for my cats outside ( well there were quite a lot ), playing in our wood workshop watching my father, watching the machines operate. My father was also a wood artist, a respectable interior designer. So I was kind of born into it.

Then nature always played a very important role. I was raised in a house with a very natural environment, isolated from the city. I was amazed by all the things around me, I used to spend a lot of time exploring my surroundings.

The lack of distracting elements of the city-life, this peace of mind gave me what I have right now: a clean and an open mind.
So when it came to make decisions about the future, there was only one option for me.

In 2005 you won the Nokia Benelux Design Awards with your innovative design concept – in a few words, please tell us the story behind the ‘Nokia 888’:

Nokia 888 is an exploration of how the future of mobile communications may unfold… Not just a flexible cell-phone…

It is a concept, which introduces new ways of using a mobile device, a new way of communicating. A revolution in the mobile industry as some would say in the Internet.

“Form follows you”

The perfect form doesn’t exist. We create it for each and every function. So I said; why trying to restrict the form of this device to just one shape, instead of giving people the freedom of making it their own shape? That’s how it all started.

Basically it is a mobile device that changes form, according to your needs, to your clothes, to whatever you’re doing. You can also send and receive “e-motions” to another user. It could be a dancing figure while inviting people to your party, or the shape of a heart for your girlfriend… The receiver’s mobile turns into that shape.

I’m also thrilled by the fact that it’s been making people talk about it all around the world for quite sometime. Numberless magazines, interviews, reviews, trend reports, annuals… It completely struck people, it made them excited about the future… they completely loved the idea and embraced it! It made such a huge impact. Everyone keeps asking me questions about when it will be on the market, what the price will be. But unfortunately, as it is not planned to be produced, this may never happen. Still, it seems that it would make people wait in the lines in front of the stores if it could ever make it to the market though.

“It is very simple, very futuristic, but very realistic at the same time…” (Mr. Eero Miettinen Nokia Design)

FMCS: What was your intention to participate at the Apple iCan project?

Tamer: It was a creative competition including I.D, graphics, film, music. I was among the jury in that competition, that was my first experience, but very honoring.

FMCS: What motivates you, and moves you?

Tamer: Being a designer is the biggest motivation itself!

I take motivation in different meanings. I think I’m a really ambitious, enthusiastic designer.

This means that every second that I spend without design or improving myself, this thought strikes me:

“Some designer in some country is about to develop ‘the greatest idea ever’ while you are wasting your time here”

I want to be the best I can!

Honestly, I have no free time at all. Because free time is when I can design for fun! You don’t have to be sitting in front of a computer or drawing necessarily. It’s the best part - that’s also why I love competitions.

It really motivates me, designing an object for a certain subject in a limited time.

Music is my secret design tool. It affects the way I design. It really helps me get into the specific mood according to the project, feel it, see it before I do it. It’s a sacred moment, this early stage of a new design. You have some thoughts in your mind, floating, joining with bits of other ideas.

For me every object has to have a soul, without it they can’t live. So there you are, a designer, giving some of your soul to that object design. Soon you will see people touching it, and it will touch the people.

There can’t be no better motivation for me to work hard, I will to be the best I can.

FMCS: Any current projects you wanna share with us?

Tamer: I have more than one ongoing project at the moment. I’m working on a bathroom concept for a Turkish company, a design for a medical/cosmetic anti-aging product family for a British company, they’ll have the ultimate technology behind it. It will be available throughout the world and expected to hit the market.

Besides these there are a few design competitions that I hope to have time to participate, and some long term plans in furniture design keep me busy as well.

All these projects will have visible results in following months.

FMCS: Where are the artistic intentions within your work?

Tamer: Well it’s not easy to describe actually, I don’t do what I do intentionally! It somehow finds its own way eventually.

I try to evoke the emotions of the user, surprise him or her - sometimes combining it with high technology and simplicity. I always try to put something new to the product, whether a clever geometrical solution or something that hasn’t been thought before.

I don’t just design pretty objects. They all have a reason to exist.

FMCS: How about past exhibitions? Is there any exhibition coming up?

Tamer: Well my works has been exhibited in several design events, but I haven’t taken part in a big international design exhibition on my own, yet. I will for sure when the time is right.

FMCS: How is the art scene in Turkey coming along?

Well design is on the rise in Turkey, it’s a new thing here. Companies, people have discovered the power of design, and they have began to learn how to identify good design.

Turkish designers have started appearing on the world design scene more often, and I am glad to have my role in it!

FMCS: What inspires you?

Tamer: Life itself is full of inspirations. I observe a lot, I don’t specifically get inspired by one thing, not like opening a nature book and looking at the natural structures.

Well it would be a way, but what I do basically is to live the life in everyway I can. Being in the middle of the society, the crowd, traveling, seeing the good and the bad, reading, dancing, laughing, falling in love, taking photographs, playing the piano, touching, looking, listening to people out there in the street.

When I get back to design, I see that I already have tons of materials, tons of experience about what I’m designing. Because this is what design is all about. Shutting yourself behind closed doors will not make you any better.

As a designer, I live as much as I can in order to create.