Dec 12, 2023 ✦ written by S. Gökce Koray
Building Beyond Bricks: Exploring the Transition from Architecture to Digital Design
I'm one of those people who knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, long before they actually did grow up. Back then, I might not have known the specific name of the profession, but I knew I loved turning the ideas in my head into tangible reality. I can recall attempting my first one-point perspective drawing at the age of 4 (though scaling might've been a bit of a challenge, as you can see below).
As the years progressed, my favorite toy became my Lego set. While not an extensive collection, I vividly remember constantly constructing various houses on my little green Lego base - it was my personal garden where I could materialize whatever my imagination concocted. By the time high school arrived, I already had a clear plan and was prepared to do whatever it took to actualize my dream: becoming an architect.
To pursue this dream, I moved to Vienna and enrolled in architecture studies at the Technical University. Vienna, a stunning city for studying architecture, sadly didn't offer many job prospects. Therefore, in pursuit of my aspiration to "design beautiful buildings and spaces where people felt happy", I relocated first to Hamburg and then to Berlin.
However, it didn't take long for me to realize the stark reality. A glance around Germany's construction landscape revealed a harsh truth - happiness or facilitating basic human rights weren't top priorities; rather, profits (regardless of the cost) ruled the roost.
Often, dreams serve as bridges to brighter paths rather than the ultimate destination; it's perfectly fine to reassess your journey if you arrive at a place that doesn't resonate with your true calling.
This may sound somewhat disheartening, but being someone who thrives on new challenges, I welcomed the task of finding another outlet where I could channel my creativity and organizational skills to craft positive experiences for people.
I didn't need to search far to discover User Experience (UX) design. Initially, the parallels were surprising. Concepts like agility, sustainable design, and accessibility were already integral to an architect's methodology, albeit without the fancy terminology. The exhilaration of instantly witnessing the outcome of a design in the digital realm starkly contrasted with architectural projects that took a minimum of 2-3 years to materialize.
I understand that capitalism defines the landscape. Similar to architecture, we must acknowledge that the products we design exist for profit, necessitating the fulfillment of business goals. Yet, in UX/Product Design, we rely on data and user feedback, providing a robust foundation for our work.
As I navigate my career transition from designing physical spaces to digital interfaces, I remain hopeful that the current job market crisis will recover. I believe that designers—both seasoned and new—will persist in creating a better world through human-centered design.
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