It's always been an enthusiastic journey blending traditional heritage with today's creativity in my design creations while tackling design puzzles.
Final Project
“Bridging Ancient Art to the Digital Age”
Revival Of Handicrafts: Calligraphy
Calligraphy.AI is a digital platform that connects young art enthusiasts with old masters worldwide. It uses the power of AI, ML, and AR to provide an interactive, guided, and personalised learning journey for users. With a gamified experience, users stay engaged and are rewarded for their progress. For calligraphy experts, the platform offers the opportunity to share their wisdom with a wider audience of students. The ultimate goal of Calligraphy.AI is to keep the art of calligraphy alive and relevant in today’s digital world.
The Problem
According to secondary research results:
Many traditional crafts are losing popularity and facing the risk of extinction in the digital age, although some have started to make significant comebacks. Since calligraphy is one of the crafts experiencing a revival, it has shaped the focus of my project to contribute to this revival and change the perception among younger generations that view it as an outdated craft.
Key Insights
According to primary research results:
• Changes in cultural preferences moves away from traditional arts. Innovative techniques needed.
• Distractions and fast-paced modern life moves away from hobbies. New form of hobbies needed.
• Long learning journey doesn’t keep younger students interested. Creative teaching needed.
• Changes in today’s world have diminished the growth of calligraphy artists. Support is needed to save this value.
The Opportunity
The product directly targets young adults interested in learning calligraphy but view it as an old-fashioned activity. Indirectly, it aims at retired calligraphers looking to pass on their legacy. The goal is to shift the perception of calligraphy as being outdated, transforming it into an engaging, entertaining, and relaxing activity that aligns with modern lifestyles. Additionally, the aim is to provide learners with calligraphy skills in a dynamic manner, fostering a connection between generations of calligraphy teachers and young enthusiasts.
Solution/UX Vision Statement
I believe there is an opportunity to make the art of calligraphy more appealing and accessible for modern learners, specifically young beginners, by integrating modern technology into their practices. This approach aims to break the monotony of conventional teaching methods and bridge the gap between tradition and innovation while preserving its traditional value. The ultimate goal is to keep this art form alive and aligned with the rapidly changing world, thereby honouring the cultural heritage of calligraphy.
The Features
The Challenges
To enable ML, AI, and AR to accurately recognise written letters and provide real-time feedbacks, there’s a requirement for a comprehensive dataset encompassing various calligraphy strokes, handwriting styles, and common errors. This is especially important due to the diverse intricacies of the art form, which vary among individual teachers, cultures, and languages. The technical complexity and potential costs associated with developing this feature could present another challenges. Nonetheless, as an initial step, one style from each type will be implemented in the first phase.
The User Experience
The potential user experience will be shaped by a clear and user-friendly platform, effectively conveying its purpose and potential. The diversity of types and teachers aims to capture attention, while gamified lessons maintain engagement. With innovative AI tools, users are provided an extraordinary learning experience, complete with interactive practices and tailored guidance. As they progress, users are met with milestones, instilling a profound sense of achievement and motivation to continue.
The Outcomes
•In the short term, receivers enhance their traditional art skills, while providers receive recognition. Simultaneously, the cultural value of calligraphy is boosted.
•In the long term, receivers might turn their passion into a profession and pass it on, ensuring providers’ legacies are both globally accessible and preserved. By serving as a global authority on traditional arts, Calligraphy.AI ensures the protection of these arts for future generations.
About
Coming from a background in Visual Communication Design, I earned my undergrad degree from Istanbul Bilgi University. My natural talent for art and design guided my career path. However, there’s more to me than just my profession. I’m passionate about various hobbies, from practicing calligraphy and delving into diverse art forms to staying active. My curiosity makes me adore learning about different cultures and traditions. And those quiet moments in nature? They’re invaluable to me.
My academic path took a new direction at Loughborough University, where I started an MA in User Experience and Service Design. Choosing this degree was about enhancing my skills in solving design problems, developing projects, and focusing more on UI designs.
In my designs, I aim for independent thinking, minimalism, and unique ideas. This mindset motivates me to take on stand-alone and visual based projects. I enjoy turning problems into visual solutions, and I’m always interested in projects that spark my curiosity, especially the ones that transform the wisdom and heritage to today’s world. For me, being truly passionate is key to being really creative!
Experience
Since 2018, I’ve been freelancing, working on a mix of projects from different countries, startups, and brands, and I’ve also volunteered with some university projects. Working solo has taught me to manage my time effectively and allocate tasks strategically to achieve the best results.
On the digital side, I focus on creating cohesive brand designs and crafting meaningful brand stories. I create visuals for social media, and recently, I’ve delved deeper into UI & UX design and other digital arts.
On the print side, I handle book designs, event design, packaging and other printed materials.
Currently, I’m on the lookout for independent project-based works that holds meaningful value, allowing me to contribute my unique touch while keeping up my freelance works.
Visionary Thinkers
Visionary Creators
Visionary Makers