Experience Design & Facilitation

Through various experience design and facilitation projects, I have created participatory spaces that encourage deep connections, community-building, and value-driven interactions. Initiatives like Anadolu Jam and Evolving & Emerging Economies Jam facilitated inclusive, values-based gatherings to explore social, economic, and ecological solutions. Events like Giftival and Open Stage promoted gift culture, creativity, and self-expression, while projects like Zumbara Lab and Time Center fostered non-monetary exchanges and shared resources, empowering individuals to co-create meaningful community experiences.

Anadolu Jam – Anatolia Jam

Anadolu Jam was a transformative gathering for young leaders across Turkey committed to social, ecological, and economic change. Designed as a space for deep sharing, the event fostered personal growth, community-building, and systemic awareness through immersive activities, dialogue, and mutual support. Participants explored shared values, cultural diversity, and sustainable solutions, building connections that encouraged trust, openness, and collaboration. The gathering aimed to inspire impactful social change, envisioning a united community capable of addressing challenges and nurturing resilience within Turkey’s rich ecological and cultural landscape.

Evolving & Emerging Economies Jam

The 2022 Evolving & Emerging Economies (EEE) Jam was an online gathering focused on re-imagining economic systems. Participants from diverse backgrounds collaborated to explore sustainable, inclusive economies based on mutual support, creativity, and justice. Through dialogue, they examined personal beliefs, communal goals, and systemic challenges, fostering connections that inspire transformative economic approaches. This Jam encouraged experimentation with alternative models like time banking, social entrepreneurship, and gift economies to create a world where economic systems reflect values of compassion and reciprocity.

Giftival

Co-dreamed, co-designed, and co-organized gift culture gatherings on three different continents, GIFTIVAL brought together a diverse, global group of people focused on integrating gift culture into their core work. Our intention was to foster deep dialogue and build a network based on shared experiences and wisdom from our unique work, projects, and ideas. Giftival events took place in Turkey, India, Italy and Brazil.

Where Are We Headed, Friend?

«Yolculuk Nereye Hemşerim» invited participants on a metaphorical journey, focusing on the experience rather than a specific destination. Inspired by nostalgic bus trips where strangers briefly but meaningfully became part of each other’s stories, the event encouraged attendees to reflect on life’s journey by sharing a single image symbolizing a meaningful moment or message. It was an open call to sit side by side, share stories, and forge connections with fellow travelers, embracing a journey without a predefined endpoint.

Zumbara Design Working Group

The Zumbara Design Working Group gathered participants committed to enhancing Zumbara’s community presence by collaboratively developing key resources like promotional videos, time vouchers, posters, and newsletters. This group marked an essential step in formalizing Zumbara’s team and served as a model for future working groups. The session included brainstorming, action planning, and interactive ceremonies, encouraging full engagement to create tools that embody Zumbara’s vision and promote its community-driven spirit. Zumbara Vision Presentation

Zumbara Lab

The Zumbara Lab at Studio X in Istanbul was designed as an open, collaborative space where participants could explore the intersections of community, trust, and public space through the lens of time banking. Hosted at Columbia University’s urban research hub, the lab invited individuals to engage in hands-on co-creation and experimentation every Wednesday. By facilitating a space where people could actively contribute their time and ideas, the Zumbara Lab encouraged participants to reflect on how we use time, build community, and create alternative forms of exchange outside the monetary system. The lab exemplified experience design by fostering a communal environment for collaboration, learning, and action around these themes.

Zumbara Local Communities

From the perspective of experience design and facilitation for grassroots movements, Zumbara focused on building trust-based communities through relationships and shared experiences. Rather than imposing a top-down structure, Zumbara empowered individuals to organically create and foster their own local communities around time banking and shared values. The approach emphasized flexibility, creativity, and personal initiative, allowing each participant to design gatherings and interactions that suited their unique context. By offering examples of past practices and events as inspiration—not strict guidelines—Zumbara encouraged experimentation and adaptation, ensuring that each community developed authentically. The initiative also provided ongoing support through resources, online meetings, and collaborative platforms, making it a dynamic model of grassroots facilitation that nurtured local leadership and collective action. Zumbara Community Building Guide

Do a Kindness for a Stranger

I hosted a unique event inspired by the Zumbara tradition, where participants were invited to bring not only their presence but also their creativity, passions, and positive energy. The night featured a range of community-driven activities, including dance, music, theater, and storytelling, creating space for meaningful connections and the exchange of talents. With the themes of «collective creation» and «doing something kind for a stranger,» the event fostered a sense of generosity and collaboration, while the potluck-style setting further encouraged sharing and community bonding. The atmosphere was one of warmth, excitement, and shared purpose.

Open Stage

The event was an open stage gathering in Istanbul, organized by Zumbara, inviting people to share their talents and passions, not for monetary value but for the joy of self-expression. Participants were encouraged to perform or present anything they loved—whether it was singing, storytelling, poetry, or casual conversation. The event emphasized the importance of reconnecting with things we enjoy simply for the pleasure of doing them and being the «main hero» of our own life stories.

Time Center

The Time Center was a community space created to facilitate the exchange of skills, knowledge, and services without using money. Based on the Zumbara time bank concept, it served as a hub where individuals could share their talents and receive help from others in return, measured by time instead of currency. The center hosted various workshops, such as dance, music, and yoga, and encouraged spontaneous collaborations through community boards where people could offer and request services. It embodied a self-sustaining, non-monetary economy, fostering learning, cooperation, and a sense of belonging among participants. Time Center Presentation

Zumbara Festival

The Zumbara Şenliği was a community gathering designed to foster connection and sharing. Attendees brought skills, talents, or items to offer, creating a marketplace of exchange without money. Activities included music, dance, and skill-sharing stations, encouraging open-hearted collaboration and mutual support. Participants could set up their own stands, showcasing and exchanging their abilities or goods, while a communal spirit infused the event with joy and collective purpose.

Burda Durak

Converting a destroyed public bus stop in Taksim Square during the Gezi protests into something beautiful. I collected items from nearby shops by asking them, «Give me what you no longer use, and I’ll create something beautiful here.» With everything I gathered, I began transforming the space into something beautiful, together with those who joined.

NetSquared Istanbul / Things Meetups

Net Tuesday gatherings, part of the NetSquared initiative, were monthly meetups designed to connect nonprofit professionals, tech enthusiasts, and activists to explore ways technology could support social change. Originating as grassroots gatherings, these events fostered a collaborative environment where participants shared insights, discussed challenges, and experimented with new digital tools and strategies for community impact. Net Tuesdays served as hubs for innovation and networking in various cities worldwide, contributing to the growth of socially driven tech solutions and cross-sector partnerships.

Things Izmir: Social Change Story Visualization Gathering

An event was organized to bring together individuals working in social change and those specializing in visualization tools to help visualize stories of social transformation. Participants, including activists, NGO members, and social entrepreneurs, worked on shaping and presenting their stories using various tools such as infographics, maps, videos, and posters. The event consisted of two parts: the first focused on storytelling, while the second involved practical work with selected visualization platforms. This gathering provided participants with new skills, ideas, and a supportive community, enabling them to effectively communicate their social change narratives.

Things Eskişehir: Visualization and Access to Information for Social Change Gathering

The «Things» event in Eskişehir brought together individuals interested in social change, visualization tools, and design activism. The program included workshops on visualization and social media, information design, and internet safety for activists. Facilitators with expertise in civil society media, design, and community work led these sessions, emphasizing collaboration and skill-building. «Things» continues to foster connections among social change enthusiasts, aiming to expand its events across Turkey and provide spaces for exploring visualization tools and creating robust community networks.

Things Adana: Visualization and Visualization and Social Media Tools for NGOs

The «Things» project organizes gatherings focused on social change and social technology, bringing together individuals to strengthen community bonds. Following its events in Istanbul, it hosted a session in Adana on «Visualization and Social Media Tools for NGOs,» introducing tools like Canva, Prezi, and Hootsuite for impactful communication.

Things Camp

«Things Project» worked to develop and support relationships among activists, hackers, NGOs, and individuals from various disciplines who were interested in exploring the tools that social technology offers for social change. A one-day camp was organized to bring together speakers from Turkey and around the world to engage with the Things community and those interested in social technology. The camp provided a unique opportunity for attendees to connect, learn, and collaborate on innovative solutions for social change.

Things Challange & Hackathon

The Things Challenge was launched to foster relationships between NGOs, activists, and individuals from various disciplines by providing a platform for exploring social technologies that support social change. As part of the challenge, individuals, NGOs, or informal organizations were invited to submit project ideas that use technology to make a positive impact. From the 108 project submissions, a panel of experts selected six finalists. These teams, alongside designers and coders, worked during a two-day Hackathon to transform their ideas into demos.

The selected projects tackled various social issues, including reviving traditional crafts with a mobile app, creating a platform to connect blood donors and recipients, and developing a tool to help visually impaired individuals get real-time visual assistance. Other projects included a platform for whistleblowers to share information safely, an app to facilitate communication among miners, and a local platform where communities could solve their own neighborhood issues. After the Hackathon, the top three projects, based on public voting, received $5000 in funding and three months of incubation to finalize their prototypes.

NetSquared Global Leadership Council Member

As a participant in the Global Leadership Council of NetSquared, I contributed to shaping NetSquared’s community-driven initiatives by collaborating with other global leaders to support and enhance local groups. Through monthly virtual meetings, mentorship, and peer engagement, I helped identify challenges, share innovative solutions, and foster connections that empowered local organizers. My involvement allowed me to support tech-driven social change, promote community development, and inspire new strategies for effectively addressing social issues within the NetSquared network.

A Ticket For Your Time Machine To Travel 25 Years From Now

The event «A Ticket For Your Time Machine To Travel 25 Years From Now» was an imaginative gathering aimed at exploring different narratives for the future, particularly within the context of AI safety. Participants were invited through various tech communities, such as BlueDot Impact and Humane Intelligence, and engaged in a guided visualization session where they envisioned potential futures. The session encouraged creative thinking, allowing participants to reflect on their hopes and fears while opening possibilities for co-creating new narratives. Feedback highlighted how the event helped foster a sense of communalism, connection, and hope, showing that imagination can serve as a powerful tool for addressing the challenges of the present and shaping a more collaborative future.