Özlem Yalım
� Dreamer.
� aka Wizard of Oz
� Design & Innovation.
� Design Thinking.
� Creative Brand Positioning.
� Corporate Culture.
� Industrial Design BSc.
� Head of Brand Strategy lighting
� Columnist
� ŞEHİRLER/ŞEKİLLER live every Monday 20:00
� mother of Lâl /Canada
Industrial designer with the degree of BSc , METU ( ODTÜ ), Ankara / Turkey.
25 years of experience in design fields such as packaging, exhibition, interiors ( both residential and commercial) modular spaces design, corporate identity, industrial design and manufacture, products, furniture, lighting, table-top items and events design. She worked as a “director of design” at the companies: Terminal Design ( Burkhardt Leitner Constructiv ), Koleksiyon Mobilya, Akın Holding ( adressistanbul ), ORKA Grup, Pelit( client) and İstanbul Municipality; after being the founding partner of the design and architecture firm, Kilit Taşı. Her designs were exhibited by invitation at local and global events including Prague, Art and Interior Exhibition and New York, ICFF. She established “doT: designers of Turkey” in 2004 in order to support the promotion of Turkish design and designers, where she has designed and presented unique events / projects like Fesorient©, Objekült© and Aquagalata©. She also played role at İMMİB, İTO, AYSAD, ASD, UİB, Contemporaryİst, Design Week, Sezin High School futurist events, NTV- Türk Mucit (TV competition) as consultant, speaker, and /or a jury member. She worked as part time instructor at the furniture design studio at BAU ( Bahçeşehir Üniversity), department of Interior Design. She helped for pro-bono practices such as Marketingist exhibition: “ Competitors Through Design”, a garbage bin workshop for “Recycle Turkey” Event, a glass workshop for “Glass Furnace”, and corporate identity for AYDER who works with the disabled.

After working in professional life as brand and design director for one of the leading companies in İstanbul she headed the the first İstanbul Design Biennial. As the idea owner and author of the event, she started to work for IKSV ( İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts ) in 2010 in order to prepare the concept and development of the event ; She directed and realized the first edition of İstanbul Design Biennial until May 2013. She had been among the advisory board members of the 2nd edition of the Design Biennial in 2014. Designing a design biennial was a great experience but being an event coordinatior in a non profit was not, so she quit in order to get back to her professional career. She led projects like “Space and Posibilities" exhibition - April 2014 , PR of Design Me! exhibition in Wanted Design, NYC- May 2014,Co-curator at ‘ SALONDantel” exhibition. ( Holland-Turkish co- production ) - October 2014, Private consultant to the CEO at “Marka Conference” - December 2014. Project development and coordination of Baksı Museum Shop products w/ 9 leading designers - 2015, and interior renovation of a private penthouse - 2015. PR, communication, marketing, corporate identity, XRM teams are reporting her as the Head of Brand Strategy. She is also responsible for 30 global brands, business development, events, educations and sponsorhips. TEPTA became a Design Centerby 2020 ( a title given by Turkish Government) and she is also leading this establishment within the company. She has a continuing editorial background as follows: editorials for many event catalogues she has been involved, countless articles for sectoral magazines, Monthly Columnist at Optimist magazine during 2013-2014, Participating Author , “New Paradigms”, Book-2014. Design critic at Sanatatak ( leading arts platform ), Arkitera ( leading architecture platform ), Dekoraman ( interior design ), Oggusto ( leading luxury and lifestyle platform), the guest editor of Design Unlimited 6th edition - 2019. She has been the Editor of Day Light Night book, designed by Yeşim Demir, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary exhibition of TEPTA at İstanbul Modern in 2016. She has been the columnist on creative industries at Cumhuriyet Newspaper and T24 between 2018-2020. Her weekly column is currently at Gazete Pencere since March 2020. She is still active in such collaborations below besides her professional life:
DESIGN THINKING and creative branding / business education programs ( workshops, conferences )
CONSULTANT for events, companies ONLY for design related projects, products, design centers
JURY member and guest instructor at Academies
MENTORSHIP for global startups
She is the board member of WoMen of Orange ( Dutch Consulate in İstanbul)
She has been selected one the most creative 50 figures in Turkey, both in 2011 and 2012 by TurkishTime magazine. www.ozlemyalim.com
Please check her articles here : www.tasarimyazilari.wordpress.com
one of her recent work can be followed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd- FYES7cmw&spfreload=10
