Aysun Ateş Akdeniz

Aysun Ateş Akdeniz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Product Design at Istanbul Technical University's Faculty of Architecture. She holds a PhD from the same institution and has held roles including Deputy Department Chair and President of the Department Internship Commission. Her research focuses on design theory/methodology, design education, educational psychology, and socially engaged design projects like the Kapıdağ locality initiative. She has conducted studies on self-regulated learning strategies in design education and the role of trend studies in design processes.

Education:

• PhD in Industrial Product Design, Istanbul Technical University (2015)
• MSc in Industrial Product Design, Istanbul Technical University (2011)
• BSc in Industrial Design, Istanbul Technical University (2010)

Research interests emphasize the intersection of design pedagogy with cognitive strategies, user experience research, and culturally-grounded design practices. Her work explores how historical/cultural contexts influence contemporary design processes and educational methodologies. Notable projects include collaborative social design initiatives involving local communities and governance bodies.

Professional activities include Erasmus Coordinator roles, research positions at Bilgi and Aydın Universities, and industry experience as a user experience researcher and designer. She has actively contributed to quality control and academic administration through various university committees since 2013.

Her publications focus on design education innovation, mixed-methods research in learning strategies, and applied social design projects. Current research trends involve optimizing studio-based learning environments and understanding local production dynamics through transdisciplinary collaboration.