Deniz L. Basar, Ph.D.

Deniz L. BASAR, Ph.D. Image
Practitioner in Residence

Art & Design Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Education
  • Ph.D. Industrial Design, Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology
  • M.Sc. Industrial Design, Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology
  • B.A. Industrial Product Design, Istanbul Technical University
About Deniz

Deniz Leblebici-Basar, Ph.D. has served as tenure track associate professor at Istanbul Technical University School of Architecture, Department of Industrial Design, in Istanbul, Turkey between 2012-2023. Has received her Doctoral, Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Industrial Design from Istanbul Technical University.

Her research focus is in design cognition, an interdisciplinary field that encompasses cognitive psychology and design. She has worked as a research scholar at the Cognition and Language Lab, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, U.S.A., between 2009 and 2010, where her further research projects started with Prof. Altarriba (who is also her Ph.D. co-advisor). She has been awarded Republic of Turkey Istanbul Development Agency 2011 Grant with the research project ‘A web-based consulting system to introduce SMEs with novice designers.'

In 2015 she has received internal grant for her project “Word processing in creative problem solving” in collaboration with Cognition and Language Lab, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, U.S.A. In 2020 she has worked as a key expert in EU IPA Project “Industrial Design Ecosystem Axis for ISTANBUL”. Besides strong academic skills, she has also served in many administrative positions, several years as Industrial Design Graduate Programs Coordinator, between 2016-2018 she has served as Vice Dean responsible of administrative services at the Faculty of Architecture, ITU and between 2018-2020 she has served as Visual Communications Director as the Rectorate advisor position of Istanbul Technical University. She has also performed a professional career as a design consultant in various companies since 2001. She has co-founded a stone products company, Project Thinstone in Istanbul, served as a creative coordinator and product design consultant since 2015. Currently, her academic research area focuses on cognitive processes of designing activity and cognitive modeling of the design process, design thinking, user experience design, user experience psychology and university- industry collaborations. Recognized for creative ability, aesthetic sensitivity, creative problem solving, successful team leadership, detailed planning and communications skills.

Publications
  • Leblebici-Basar, D., Avery, M.C., Vitrano, D., & Altarriba, J., (2024, April). Analyzing Product Design Processes in a Survival Context: An Experimental Study on Design Briefs. 2024 Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity (SfNC) Conference, Toronto, Canada.
  • Dirvis, L., & Leblebici-Basar, D., (2023, April). Creativity, Play, Learning: A Case Study On The Innovative Pedagogy Of Arkki. 16th International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies, Valletta, Malta.
  • Erol, A., & Leblebici-Başar, D., (2022, September). İnce Belli Çay Bardağının Kansei Mühendisliği Yöntemi ile Duygusal Tasarım Analizi. UTAK 2022 Tasarım ve Çoğılculuk Konferansı, ODTÜ, Ankara.
  • Leblebici-Başar, D., & Akgün, İ., 2022. Adult male foot shape analysis using 3D scanner. Antropoloji, 43, pp. 10-21.
  • Erol, A., & Leblebici-Başar, D., 2021. Analysis of the Turkish tulip- shaped tea glass’s emotional design features using Kansei Engineering Methodology. ITU A|Z Journal of Faculty of Architecture, 18 (2), pp. 491- 503.
  • Gürcan, D., & Leblebici-Başar, D., 2021. Understanding design creativity through pretense ability. ITU A|Z Journal of Faculty of Architecture, 18 (1), pp.1-16.
  • Vitrano, D., Altarriba, J., & Leblebici-Başar, D., 2021. Revisiting Mednick’s (1962) theory of creativity with a composite measure of creativity: The effect of stimulus type on word association production. Journal of Creative Behavior, 55(4), pp.925- 936.
  • Vitrano, D., Altarriba, J., & Leblebici-Basar, D., (2020, March). Mednick’s (1962) Theory of Creativity Re-visited: The Effect of Word Type on Associative Fluency (Poster session postponed). 6th Meeting of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity, Boston, Massachusettes, USA. https://www.tsfnc.org/conference
  • Erol A. & Leblebici Basar, D. (2020, October). Using Kansei engineering results in product design education for novice designers: Designing a traditional Turkish tea glass [Online presentation]. European Symposium on Kansei (ESOK), Barcelona, Spain.
  • Erol, A., & Leblebici-Basar, D., (2020, September). Using Kansei Engineering Results in Product Design Education for Novice Designers: Designing a Traditional Turkish Tea Glass. Poster presented at the 8th International Conference on Kansei Engineering and Emotion Research, Tokyo, JAPAN.
  • Gürcan, D., & Leblebici-Basar, D., 2019. A new approach in design learning: childhood pretense. DRS LearnXDesign 2019, 5th International Conference for Design Education Researchers, 9-12 July 2019, METU, Ankara, Turkey.
  • Vitrano, D., Altarriba, J., & Leblebici-Basar, D., (2019, July). Mednick’s Theory of Creativity Re-visited: The Influence of Word Frequency and Word Type. Poster presented at the 2nd SOU Creativity Conference, Ashland, Oregon, USA.
  • Leblebici-Basar, D., & Altarriba, J., 2013. The Role of Imagery and Emotion in the Translation of Concepts into Product Form. The Design Journal, 16(3), pp. 295-314.
  • Er, Ö., Leblebici-Basar, D., Gökkurt, A., & Soylu, Y., 2013. A new model to introduce SMEs with design. 10th European Academy of Design Conference, Crafting The Future, Goteborg, Sweden.
  • Er, Ö., Soylu, Y., Leblebici-Basar, D., & Gökkurt, A., 2012. Kobiler ile Tasarımı Buluşturan Yeni Bir Model: Kobiler için Tasarım Projesi, 5. ÜSİMP Ulusal Kongresi, Poster Presentation.
  • Leblebici-Basar, D., Altarriba, J., 2010. The Embodiment of Abstract and Emotional Concepts as Product Form: The Role of Imageability and Context Availability. 7th International Conference on Design and Emotion, Chicago, IL. Paper presented and published in conference proceedings.
  • Satir, S., & Leblebici, D., 2008. Design Education In Collaboration With SMEs: In The Scope of Innovation Sustainability. ICOVACS 2008 International Conference in Value Chain Sustainability, Izmir. Refereed paper presented and published in the congress book.
  • Satir, S., Ertaş, D., & Leblebici D., 2007. A Footwear Design Project As A Design Discourse. EAD 07: Dancing with Disorder, Design, Discourse and Disaster, Izmir. Paper presented and published in the congress book.
  • Satir, S., & Leblebici, D., 2007. A Footwear Design Project As A Design Communication. World Congress of Communication and Arts, Sao Paolo, Brazil. Paper presented and published in the congress book.
  • Leblebici, D., & Bayazit N., 2006. Turkish Footwear Sector and the Design Problem. 3UTK National Design Congress, ITU, Istanbul. Paper presented and published in the congress book.
  • Newman, C., 2006. Every Shoe Tells a Story, National Geographic Magazine, September 2006. Article Translation to Turkish.
  • Er, Ö., Erkök, M., Çırpanlı, T. & Leblebici, D., 2004. Kokunun Biçimi: Soyuttan Somuta Tasarım Alıştırmaları, Portfolyo, Ocak-Şubat, sayı 7, s. 89-95.
Research Interests
  • Design Thinking and User Experience
  • Design Cognition
  • Design Research Methods
  • Psychology of Designing Activity (abstract and emotional concept representation in the design process)
  • Designing for SMEs
  • Industry-University Collaborations
Grants Awarded
  • 2020-25: Deniz LEBLEBİCİ- BAŞAR(Researcher), IPA III 2017-2020, Creative Industries, “IDEA4ISTANBUL (İSTANBUL Industrial Design Ecosystem Axis for ISTANBUL)” Project ~ 2M Euros
  • 2019: Deniz LEBLEBİCİ- BAŞAR (Coordinator), Dr. İlker AKGÜN (Y); İTÜNOVA TEKNOLOJİ A.Ş. ARI TEKNOKENT- LCW R&D Project, Analyzing Turkish Foot Measures, An Industry Collaboration Project (FR.17.30.08.2019)
  • 2015: “Word processing in creative problem solving” in collaboration with Cognition and Language Lab, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, U.S.A.- University Post_Graduate Funding.
  • 2011-12: (Co-PI; with Özlem ER, Ph.D., Department of Industrial Product Design, ITU); Developing a Web-based Mapping and Design Consultancy System for Clustering SMEs and Novice Designers- Istanbul Development Agency, Improvement Program of Creative Industries for Non-Profit Organizations ~ $233,533 (US$)
  • 2009-10: Translating Emotions into Design; A Study of Transformation of Emotional Concepts into Product Form- The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, International Research Fellowship Programme- $21,000 (US$)