Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Interior Architecture organized a ‘Pop-Up Talk’ event at Faculty of Architecture’s A01 Amphitheater. Architect Mine Kavasoğulları, known for her large following on the social media platform ‘Mimarın Tersi’, joined the event as a speaker.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Seyit Ermiyagil moderated the event organized by the academic staff of the Department of Interior Architecture, including himself and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zehra Öngül. Attracting great interest from students and academic staff members, the event offered a new perspective on design sector.
Critical Thinking is Crucial for Emerging Designers
During the first part of the talk event, Kavasoğulları shared the story behind the creation of ‘Mimarın Tersi’ platform, established in 2018. Kavasoğulları founded the platform to tackle the often-ignored question in design, ‘Why is it like this?’, stressing the importance of critical thinking for emerging designers.
Social Media Visibility is Key
The program also addressed the need for designers to be visible on social media. Kavasoğulları noted that social media is more than a showcase—it becomes meaningful when a design’s story is told correctly, capturing the students’ interest.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), a significant contemporary issue, was also discussed during the event. Kavasoğulları highlighted its growing impact on architecture and interior design, while stressing that the essence of design lies in human intuition and emotion. She pointed out that AI serves as a tool to broaden the designer’s creative scope, rather than replace them.
One standout moment was the moderator’s question, ‘What is love?’. Kavasoğulları took this chance to stress the importance of passion and dedication in design, explaining that only work infused with love, care, and sincerity has true character. Her message had a powerful impact on the students in the audience.
The event concluded with a closing address by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Afet Coşkun, Chair of Department of Interior Architecture, who thanked Kavasoğulları for her conributions, emphasizing the importance of such events for students. At the end of the event, Chair of Department of Interior Architecture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Afet Coşkun presented Kavasoğulları, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ermiyagil and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Öngül with certificates of appreciation.