Meet Oyku Unver

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Oyku Unver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Oyku below.

Oyku, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I often try to think like a kid. Children have this incredible ability to imagine freely because they don’t yet know the rules, what’s “right” or “wrong,” what’s “possible” or “impossible.” I’ve done quite a bit of research on child psychology and how kids think, and what inspires me most is their openness. They create entire worlds simply because they can, not because they have to serve a purpose.
When I’m designing or brainstorming, I try to return to that mindset, thinking without judgment, without restrictions, without the need for everything to make perfect sense. It’s in those unguarded, playful moments that my most original ideas come to life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a product designer and an artist, and I like to think of my work as existing at the intersection of function and imagination. Professionally, I work across industrial and packaging design with a strong focus on CMF (color, material, finish) and human-centered design, creating products and experiences that feel tactile, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant.
Alongside that, I have a visual art practice that includes illustration and painting. I’m deeply passionate about color, how it communicates emotion, energy, and presence. For me, painting is a way of translating how I see and feel the world into form. Each brushstroke carries a moment, a rhythm, or a fleeting impression from daily life. It’s less about representation and more about capturing a feeling, bringing life into color and color into life.
What excites me most about my work is that it’s constantly evolving between structure and spontaneity. In design, I get to solve problems and build systems; in art, I get to break them. Lately, I’ve been exploring ways to merge the two, translating the warmth and storytelling of illustration into physical design objects and packaging experiences.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I’d say the three qualities that have shaped my creative journey the most are resilience, trusting my individuality, and staying in a flow state of mind. I’ve learned that no matter how many people do something similar, there’s only one version created by you. Your experiences, your perspective, your voice, that combination is what makes your work irreplaceable. Once I fully embraced that, I stopped comparing and started creating more authentically. Keeping the mind free is everything. The best ideas come when I’m not trying too hard, when I’m simply creating for the sake of creating. I try to enter a flow state where time disappears and instinct takes over. That’s when the work feels most honest and alive. The creative field comes with constant change, new tools, new directions, and sometimes, rejection. Resilience has been the most important skill I’ve built. It’s what allows me to stay grounded during uncertainty, keep experimenting, and not let temporary setbacks define my long-term vision.
My advice would be to focus less on perfection and more on exploration. Build resilience by showing up consistently, even on uninspired days. Protect your uniqueness by following what genuinely excites you. And give yourself space, creative clarity often comes in quiet moments, not forced ones.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Absolutely. I love collaborating with people and teams who share a curiosity for storytelling, design, and visual expression. I’d be excited to work with galleries, brands, or fellow artists on projects like packaging design, illustration, or art direction, anything that aligns with my visual style and approach.
I’m especially drawn to collaborations that blur boundaries, where art meets design, and imagination meets purpose. Whether it’s creating visuals for a children’s book, developing a concept for a brand, or bringing an installation to life, I enjoy the process of co-creating something that feels meaningful and visually unique.

Anyone interested in collaborating can connect with me through my email [email protected]

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oykuunver.com