Name: Baran Akalin
Company: Baran Akalin Design
Position within company: Owner / Founder
Website: www.baranakalin.com
Tell us a little about your background in design:
Baran Akalin is an architect/designer born in Istanbul. He has always been passionate about cars, boats and water since his childhood. In the process of growth, the idea of creating a living space outweighed. He studied architecture and started working right away for one of the best studios in Istanbul. After 2 years of work, he decided upgrade his profession because he was dissatisfied with the construction industry. But did not want to give up creating living space at the same time. In 2011, he started to study at Academy of Art university ‘Master of Industrial Design’ program in San Francisco, to combine his professions and be qualified for boat design. With the closure of the boat design classes due to student incompetence, he started searching for other alternatives. In 2012, Baran changed his university and started ‘Master in Yacht Design’ in IED Torino / Italy. After he completed his internship in Venice/Italy, he returned to his homeland and started working as freelance designer for design companies and boat brands. At the present time he has been actively designing and managing from mass production boats to custom design yacht projects since 2015 in his company. He is also lecturer at Maltepe University ‘Yacht Design Section’ which is the second Bachelor Yacht Design program in the world. He is a also a key speaker and yacht design consultant at IDD (Italian Design Days) – Istanbul.
How would you describe your personal design style?
My design style little bit comes from my music style. Aggressive style mixed with timeless lines, modern/latest quality but also carrying classical features.
Where does your design inspiration come from?
From Classic and sport vessels, high-tech, spunky animals and music.
In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
Nova days, the design is becoming more simple, more solid and pure styles with high quality materials.
Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2020 and beyond.
Technology
Ease of use
Quality
Vision
Aesthetic.
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Not copy the other designs or designer’s ideas but gain vision, be creative and improve the style in every step.
How important are The International Yacht & Aviation Awards?
Very important as ‘only unique voting system competition in our market ‘
What projects are you currently working on?
Working on 15 meters first Trimonoran Sailing yacht, 12 meter serial production power catamaran and 50 meters custom motor yacht.
What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
To find a builder for my latest project Escalade 25m. Also improve my current/next projects and collaborate with good companies.
Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession?
Listening music while driving my classic 1979 jeep-cj5.
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?
Any hard rock café
Your favourite book, film & song?
Movie: Interstellar
Book: Call of the wild – Jack London
Song: Alice in Chains – Rooster
Your favourite food and drink?
Food: Red meat
Drink: Homemade lemonade
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
Going out for a drink with friends.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
I would be a musician. Music is already on the second place in my life.
Anything else interesting?
My other life routines are camping with friends almost every month, trekking and playing drums in friend’s bands.
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