Elif Gürbüz
Design Director / Digital Art Director
London, United Kingdom
+447835290305
be.net/elif-gurbuz
I am a conceptual digital design director and art director specialising in products, interfaces and design systems.
For the past 12 years, I’ve worked with top agencies and leading global brands in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. With an in-depth understanding of brands and technology, I work end-to-end with multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams, transforming concepts into experiences.
As a creative leader within the digital industry, I help establish a shared language between designers and developers. I’ve taught no-code generative design workshops at the Pratt Institute and Central Saint Martins, the principles of which I’ve implemented into my art practice.
I ran a mother-daughter stationery brand for a decade that now is an online archive of artist books, the Creative Minds Project.
For the past 12 years, I’ve worked with top agencies and leading global brands in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. With an in-depth understanding of brands and technology, I work end-to-end with multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams, transforming concepts into experiences.
As a creative leader within the digital industry, I help establish a shared language between designers and developers. I’ve taught no-code generative design workshops at the Pratt Institute and Central Saint Martins, the principles of which I’ve implemented into my art practice.
I ran a mother-daughter stationery brand for a decade that now is an online archive of artist books, the Creative Minds Project.
Work Experience
AnalogFolk
Digital Designer
AnalogFolk is a global digital agency offering marketing, digital products, strategy, development, and business transformation and is recognized in the Financial Times Future 100 multiple times. I had the honour to lead the design for some of their most impressive clients on multi-channel campaigns. Working from concept to production, I acted as the design director on Coca Cola Christmas 2020 multi-channel campaign, lead the design for Marmite’s HypnoBeat, produced BT’s email, web and DOOH campaigns for their brand relaunch, designs for Johnnie Walker, style guides for T-Mobile and concept designs for Bayer, PepsiCo, Nike and Guinness. I also had the privilege to work with an amazing design team run by Matt Fenn.
I stepped in while two of Analogfolk's Head of Design and Design Director were simultaneously on their paternity leaves to support the team. I looked after CocaCola, BT, and Bayer; oversaw the projects, and lead the design team while working closely with my clients, as well as the creative and delivery teams.
Client:
- Coca Cola
- BT
- Marmite
- Bayer
- T-Mobile
- PepsiCo
– Costa Coffee
– Nike
Skills:
– digital design
– production (DOOH)
– campaign execution
– content creation
– concept development
– presentation design
– motion design
I stepped in while two of Analogfolk's Head of Design and Design Director were simultaneously on their paternity leaves to support the team. I looked after CocaCola, BT, and Bayer; oversaw the projects, and lead the design team while working closely with my clients, as well as the creative and delivery teams.
Client:
- Coca Cola
- BT
- Marmite
- Bayer
- T-Mobile
- PepsiCo
– Costa Coffee
– Nike
Skills:
– digital design
– production (DOOH)
– campaign execution
– content creation
– concept development
– presentation design
– motion design
2018
- 2020
United Kingdom
Muk Design
Founder / Creative Director
Muk Design was a multidisciplinary design studio based in London, which
I founded in Istanbul in 2012. My mum and I had run the studio together until 2020, while I acted as the creative director. We worked closely with local businesses in transforming their brand presence through digital and analogue media. We also created several product lines that range from notebooks to puzzles. Well known for their colourful aesthetic and quirky slogans, these product lines had been sold across the country in top galleries and design stores. We had also partnered with NGOs
to teach young people bookmaking while building and supporting a network of Istanbul-based creatives. We created several notebook collections for museums and galleries. As a response to the Occupy movement in Istanbul, we launched hand- made notebooks in collaboration with SUPERPOOL. And more recently, we released a limited edition series with the Yarza Twins. Our clients included Central Saint Martins, Pera Museum, Dilek Altan and El Turco Digital.
Clients and partners:
– Central Saint Martins
– Yarza Twins
– Pera Museum
– SUPERPOOL
– El Turco Digital
– Dilek Altan
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– creative strategy
– art direction
– content creation
– digital illustration
– print design
– product design (physical)
– brand strategy
– digital marketing
I founded in Istanbul in 2012. My mum and I had run the studio together until 2020, while I acted as the creative director. We worked closely with local businesses in transforming their brand presence through digital and analogue media. We also created several product lines that range from notebooks to puzzles. Well known for their colourful aesthetic and quirky slogans, these product lines had been sold across the country in top galleries and design stores. We had also partnered with NGOs
to teach young people bookmaking while building and supporting a network of Istanbul-based creatives. We created several notebook collections for museums and galleries. As a response to the Occupy movement in Istanbul, we launched hand- made notebooks in collaboration with SUPERPOOL. And more recently, we released a limited edition series with the Yarza Twins. Our clients included Central Saint Martins, Pera Museum, Dilek Altan and El Turco Digital.
Clients and partners:
– Central Saint Martins
– Yarza Twins
– Pera Museum
– SUPERPOOL
– El Turco Digital
– Dilek Altan
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– creative strategy
– art direction
– content creation
– digital illustration
– print design
– product design (physical)
– brand strategy
– digital marketing
2012
- 2020
United Kingdom
Publicis Sapient
Digital Product Designer
Publicis Sapient is a massively successful, widely effective digital transformation agency, who was tasked with developing a new generation native mobile app for British Gas, that would reach millions of users. As part of this exciting task, I held a client facing role, working within a cross-functional product team towards delivery. Being part of the experience team, I was also involved in discovery of the visual direction, the look and feel and experience components within the app. I worked on:
– Discovery, visual research and concept design
– UI design for multiple screens and journeys for mobile
– Championing a user-centric design approach across the business
– Running workshops, presentations and demos stakeholders
– Establishing and maintaining a sustainable design system
Client: British Gas
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– user centric design
– agile
– responsive web
– design thinking
– design systems
– consulting
– user testing
– prototyping
– Discovery, visual research and concept design
– UI design for multiple screens and journeys for mobile
– Championing a user-centric design approach across the business
– Running workshops, presentations and demos stakeholders
– Establishing and maintaining a sustainable design system
Client: British Gas
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– user centric design
– agile
– responsive web
– design thinking
– design systems
– consulting
– user testing
– prototyping
2018
- 2019
United Kingdom
Critical Mass
Digital Product Designer
Critical Mass is a widely recognised, award-winning digital experience agency, working globally across strategy, design and technology. Having worked with large automative clients in the past, Critical Mass was tasked with ”developing a new digital ecosystem" for Mitsubishi’s global customer base. Working with art director Blair Jarvis, I enjoyed being involved in this project including:
– Discovery, visual research and concept design for global Mitsubishi Motors website
– UI design for multiple journeys across the website
– Designing an online tool that helps customers choose the right Mitsubishi product for them
– Establishing and maintaining a collaborative design system
Client: Mitsubishi
Skills:
– product design (UI)
– concept development
– visual design
– responsive web
– visual research
– design systems
– visual design
– digital illustration
– Discovery, visual research and concept design for global Mitsubishi Motors website
– UI design for multiple journeys across the website
– Designing an online tool that helps customers choose the right Mitsubishi product for them
– Establishing and maintaining a collaborative design system
Client: Mitsubishi
Skills:
– product design (UI)
– concept development
– visual design
– responsive web
– visual research
– design systems
– visual design
– digital illustration
2018
- 2018
United Kingdom
Good Caesar
Digital Product Designer
Good Caesar is an independent digital design studio, whose work spans from experience design all the way to building content management systems and website aftercare. I was involved mainly in their work for UBS, which was to design an online editorial platform, called Unlimited, for published high-quality content around wealth, business and social causes for their members. From visual research to concept development, wireframing and UI design, I worked on:
– UBS’ subscription based online editorial platform unlimited.world
– Responsive website of the Rise Fund
– Responsive website of Redbook Agency
Client: UBS
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– concept development
– responsive web
– prototyping
– presentation
– UBS’ subscription based online editorial platform unlimited.world
– Responsive website of the Rise Fund
– Responsive website of Redbook Agency
Client: UBS
Skills:
– product design (UX/UI)
– concept development
– responsive web
– prototyping
– presentation
2018
- 2018
United Kingdom
Pollen8
Design Consultant
Pollen8 is a digital innovation agency that helps organisations Identify the opportunity area all the way to launch. One of their programs in partnership with PwC has been Sandbox, an innovation hub, that helps internal ventures grow and accelerate. I was teamed up with Niall Quilligan and James Dawes from PwC to consult them towards a more user-centric approach with their idea about automation, agility and scale into a labour-intensive document scanning process. My role with them involved:
– Bringing in Design Thinking to establish a user centric approach
– Facilitating workshops to identity the problems and ideate solutions
– Create user journeys and empathy maps
– Visualise solutions into a winning pitch deck
Client: PwC
Skills:
– motion design
– infographics
– pitch deck design
– Design Sprint facilitation
– service design
– user centric design
– design thinking
– consulting
– Bringing in Design Thinking to establish a user centric approach
– Facilitating workshops to identity the problems and ideate solutions
– Create user journeys and empathy maps
– Visualise solutions into a winning pitch deck
Client: PwC
Skills:
– motion design
– infographics
– pitch deck design
– Design Sprint facilitation
– service design
– user centric design
– design thinking
– consulting
2018
- 2018
United Kingdom
Amphio
Digital Product Designer (Contract)
Based in Somerset House, Amphio is a digital consultancy formed by the talented team of the former BAFTA winning Touchpress. Amphio’s multi-disciplinary expertise focus on cultural institutions, using Google’s Design Sprints and IDEO’s Design Thinking as the central tools. My role here involved facilitating and participating in Design Sprints and Design Thinking workshops, as well as product design for mainly the Institute of Physics, and specifically for their new native app. From ideation, prototyping and testing to iteration, I worked collaboratively with my client on:
– Design Sprints for the IoP native app
– Ideation, design and prototyping
– User testing and research
– Giving demos and presentations
Client: Institute of Physics, London
Skills:
– Design Sprint facilitation
– product design (UX/UI)
– journey mapping
– user testing
– user centric design
– prototyping
– design thinking
– consulting
– Design Sprints for the IoP native app
– Ideation, design and prototyping
– User testing and research
– Giving demos and presentations
Client: Institute of Physics, London
Skills:
– Design Sprint facilitation
– product design (UX/UI)
– journey mapping
– user testing
– user centric design
– prototyping
– design thinking
– consulting
2017
- 2017
United Kingdom
Red Badger
Digital Product Designer
Red Badger is an award-winning digital consultancy based in Old Street. Crafting responsive web experiences while transforming big companies into an agile way of working, Red Badger’s clients include BBC, Financial Times, Sky, Tesco, Fortnum & Mason, HSBC and Llyods. I held a product designer role on-site in multiple cross-functional product teams (of UX designers, software engineers, project managers, business analysts and product owners). I was involved in delivering responsive web products, including:
– Multiple web applications for HSBC’s retail banking, UK and Hong Kong
– MyFT, an online subscription platform for the Financial Times
– An eCommerce platform for Fortnum & Mason
– A re-design of Red Badger’s responsive website
– A responsive website for the React London community
Client:
– Fortnum and Mason
– Financial Times
– HSBC
Skills:
– product design (UI)
– user centric design
– agile
– responsive web
– design thinking
– workshop facilitation
– consulting
– Multiple web applications for HSBC’s retail banking, UK and Hong Kong
– MyFT, an online subscription platform for the Financial Times
– An eCommerce platform for Fortnum & Mason
– A re-design of Red Badger’s responsive website
– A responsive website for the React London community
Client:
– Fortnum and Mason
– Financial Times
– HSBC
Skills:
– product design (UI)
– user centric design
– agile
– responsive web
– design thinking
– workshop facilitation
– consulting
2014
- 2017
United Kingdom
Barnbrook
Graphic Designer
Jonathan Barnbrook is a Grammy Award winning graphic designer, widely recognised for his work for David Bowie, Damien Hirst, Banksy, Occupy and the Adbusters Magazine, as well as his 2007 retrospective at the Design Museum, London. I had the privilege to work for Barnbrook as a graphic designer on:
– This Way Madness Lies: The Asylum and Beyond, a book design for Thames & Hudson, to be launched simultaneously with the exhibition Bedlam: the asylum and beyond at Wellcome Collection, 2016
– UK/raine, a catalogue design to accompany the exhibition UK/raine at Saatchi Gallery, 2016
– ArtBasel, branding and printed collateral design for ArtBasel
– VirusFonts, designing type specimens for VirusFonts' Regime, Bourgeois, DejaVu, Olympukes, VujaDe typefaces
Clients:
– Thames & Hudson
– Saatchi Gallery
– ArtBasel
Skills:
– graphic design
– typography
– book design
– photography
– retouching
– concept development
– visual research/moodboard creation
– campaign strategy
– This Way Madness Lies: The Asylum and Beyond, a book design for Thames & Hudson, to be launched simultaneously with the exhibition Bedlam: the asylum and beyond at Wellcome Collection, 2016
– UK/raine, a catalogue design to accompany the exhibition UK/raine at Saatchi Gallery, 2016
– ArtBasel, branding and printed collateral design for ArtBasel
– VirusFonts, designing type specimens for VirusFonts' Regime, Bourgeois, DejaVu, Olympukes, VujaDe typefaces
Clients:
– Thames & Hudson
– Saatchi Gallery
– ArtBasel
Skills:
– graphic design
– typography
– book design
– photography
– retouching
– concept development
– visual research/moodboard creation
– campaign strategy
2015
- 2015
United Kingdom
SALT Online
Assistant Curator
Member of L’Internationale, SALT is one of the biggest and most impactful not-profit cultural institutions in Europe that conducts interdisciplinary research projects, public programs and exhibitions on art, architecture, urban development and culture. I held a role within the curatorial team, working on projects from research to curation as a creative researcher, managing partners, artists and events. I worked closely with the current director Meric Oner on projects including:
– Becoming Istanbul, an interactive and growing database of exhibition, publications, events and a website that explores contemporary Istanbul
– The Making of Beyoglu, a series of workshops discussing the gentrification of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, in collaboration with Rotterdam-based Bureau Venhuizen
– 90, a series of 90 events including talks, performances, lectures, screenings, workshops answering questions around contemporary Istanbul
Skills:
– research
– artist management
– event management
– curation
– workshop facilitation
– guiding exhibition tours
– web and social media management
– photography/videography
– Becoming Istanbul, an interactive and growing database of exhibition, publications, events and a website that explores contemporary Istanbul
– The Making of Beyoglu, a series of workshops discussing the gentrification of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, in collaboration with Rotterdam-based Bureau Venhuizen
– 90, a series of 90 events including talks, performances, lectures, screenings, workshops answering questions around contemporary Istanbul
Skills:
– research
– artist management
– event management
– curation
– workshop facilitation
– guiding exhibition tours
– web and social media management
– photography/videography
2011
- 2011
Turkey
Education
Central Saint Martins College Of Art And Design
MA Communication Design
September 2013
- June 2015
United Kingdom
University Of Helsinki
Representations of the City (Helsinki Summer School)
June 2009
- July 2009
Helsinki, Finland
Languages
English (Fluent),
German (Advanced),
Turkish (Native),
French (Conversational),
Awards
Skills
AI,
Art Direction,
Creative Coding,
Creative Direction,
Design Systems,
Digital Design,
Generative Design,
Graphic Design,
Leadership,
Product Design,
Storytelling,
Strategy,
Teaching,
UX/UI Design,