İpek Kay is a designer, holds a PhD (2021) from Istanbul Technical University. After graduating from the Department of Interior Architecture at ITU in 2010, İpek Kay completed her master’s thesis in the ITU Architectural Design Program in 2013, focusing on the approach that spatial experiences can be a way to learn. In September 2021, she successfully defended her doctoral thesis, “Designing Digitally-Enhanced Environments for Children’s Play with Everyday Objects”, at ITU’s Architectural Design Computing Program. MONNOM, a digital medium that supports children’s spatial narratives developed as part of her thesis work, was one of the initiatives funded by the Tübitak 1512 Entrepreneurship Support Program. She continues to work at MONNOM, where she is a founding partner, creating plays that allow children to interact with both physical and digital settings simultaneously. Her research focuses on exploring a possible future of digitally augmented narrative platforms, by forming a dynamic environment that includes visual language and flexible content structure. After the February 6 earthquakes, she joined the Şehir Dedektifi initiative, which focuses on children’s spatial rights, to design playgrounds through participatory processes with children.
She has published and presented her research internationally. She was also giving lectures in the undergraduate interior design studio at MEF University and Bilgi University.
İpek was also the co-founder of Pekka Studio working within the fields of interior architecture and daily furniture.
She also draws illustrations for children’s books and publishes her visual stories in kiwiiunderlandet.
For contact, please email [email protected]
UPCOMING or RECENT TALKS
Hayat Parkı & Şehir Dedektifi, PLAYFUL SPACES Course by Ahu Sökmenoğlu, Architecture Department, MEF University, December 3, 2024
Telling Our Stories through Drawing, Architecture and Comics Course by Ali Paşaoğlu, Architecture Department, MEF University, November 26, 2024
Children’s Play with Everyday Objects: What Monnom Achieves and Beyond, Communication Design Department, Child-Computer Interaction Course by Gökçe Elif Baykal, Özyeğin University, November 11, 2024
Nesneden Mekana Oyunsu Deneyimler için Tasarım, Architecture Department, Manisa Celal Bayar University, February 22, 2024
Digitally-Enhanced Environments for Children’s Creative Learning, ALL DIGITAL WEEKS Webinar, May 5, 2023
Children in Museums and Playful Experiences, InnoMaDE Webinar Programme, November 24, 2022, Thursday, 20:00 – 21:00
Designing for Children’s Play, Inclusive Interiors Talks, Özyeğin University, November 21, 2022, Monday
Physical Movement, Everyday Objects, Digital Play: Monnom, Participatory and Playful approaches to Social Innovation Symposium, Organized by Lab for Social Design & Lab for Design-for-Play, Design School Kolding, June 15, 2022
“From Everyday Objects to the Digital Play: Monnom”, ITU Architectural Design Computing Program, Thursday Meeting & Seminar, December 23, 2021
Yerden Yüksek : Açık Radyo 95.0 (Hazırlayan ve sunan: Gizem Kıygı)
Play Monnom: Sanal ve Gerçek Mekan Arasında Oyun, October 27, 2021
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Architectural Design Computing Programme, Istanbul Technical University, 2021
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Mine Özkar
Thesis Title: Designing Digitally-Enhanced Environments for Children’s Play with Everyday Objects
M.S., Architectural Design Programme, Istanbul Technical University, 2013
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Mine Özkar
Thesis Title: Design That Dwells In Time: Designing Active Learning Places For Children
Chalmers University of Technology, Architecture and Urban Design
Erasmus student (2011-2012, Fall Term)
B.Sc., Interior Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, 2010
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEM
Tübitak 1512 Entrepreneurship Support Program (BİGG), 2021 November-2022 November
Çocukların Anlatı Kurması için Dijital Bir Platform
İTÜ Çekirdek Big Bang Start-up Challenge, 2020
Quarter Finalist with Monnom: Çocuklar için Dijital Anlatı Kurma Ortamı
RECOGNITION
- TUBITAK, National scholarship for PhD students (2013-2018)
- TUBITAK, National scholarship for Master students (2010-2013)
- Ranked First in her Graduating Class in the Department of Interior Architecture, in 2010
- MIMED 2008, 2nd Year Category – Encouragement Award
WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS
Sakıp Sabancı Museum, SSM Learning Programs, July 2022
Hockney’s Digital Garden Workshop
6. Children and Youth Art Biennial, Istanbul, 2022
Magical Garden, Interactive Installation for Children
Pera Museum, Kids Learning Programme, Online Workshops, 2022
Fantastic Residents of Byzantium
Designing Pop-Up Cities with Paper
Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Virtual Illustrator Wall, 2020
“Blue Mountain”
Istanbul Modern Museum, Art Maker Lab Meet-Up Events
Digital Stories Workshop
ITU Vakfı Sedat Üründül Kindergarten
Drawing and Playing