The 2nd International Artificial Intelligence and Hypermedia Symposium hosted by Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Communication, held its 14th session on Friday, June 6th, and marked another striking academic event: Design Afternoon.

News: Kaan Keleş

This long-term session titled “Design and Artificial Intelligence on an Online Platform” stood out with its interdisciplinary approach and variety of presentations. Academicians, graduate students and researchers working in different fields of design discussed artificial intelligence-supported processes, aesthetic transformations, user experience and cultural contexts. The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Emre TANDIRLI, Res. Asst. Rıfkı ÜNAL, Dilek İstanbullu, Elmas Özer and Gül Gizem Aytekin.

Presentations on the Digitalizing Nature of Design Practices

Zeynep Betül Özdemir and Asst. Member Onurcan Albayrak compared cloud-based AI-supported software and user-controlled systems in the context of interior design at the opening of the session. The presentation, which addressed three-dimensional visualization processes in terms of speed, cost and aesthetic outputs, emphasized the active role of user experience in the digitalization process.

Dr. Lecturer Fahrettin Ersin Alaca discussed how industrial design education is transformed with the integration of AI with the example of the “Automotive Design Course”. The potential of traceability of learning outcomes, project-based learning and AI-based evaluation systems aroused great interest in the audience.

Res. Asst. Fatma Feride Sezer discussed the role of AI in information design. The issue of how AI-supported designs can be fast, accurate and target-oriented, especially in health, public information and times of crisis, attracted attention. Rich discussions were held in the context of visual hierarchy, readability and its impact on decision-making processes.

Cultural Heritage, Nature and Artificial Aesthetics

Assoc. Özlem Vargün, in her presentation on the digitalization of cultural heritage and artificial intelligence-supported virtual reconstructions, posed the question "Can history be reconstructed with AI?" Topics such as the ethical dimensions of digital restoration and the relationship between architectural accuracy and historical context were discussed.

Özge Albayrak Karga and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tülay Erbesler Ayaşlıgil presented how artificial intelligence tools can be integrated into landscape planning processes. They developed a multidisciplinary perspective in the context of collecting and analyzing ecological data and contributing to sustainable planning.

Lecturer Serpil Tekeli Can and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Taragay Ayça, with their presentations examining the psychological and guiding effects of colors in mobile application interfaces, drew attention to the harmony between aesthetic preferences and functionality in user experience.

Digital Games, Gender and Narrative Structures

Merve Yapıcı evaluated female character representations in digital games in the context of gender, using the example of League of Legends. Important conclusions were presented on representation styles, stereotypes and identity construction in the digital universe.

Assist. Prof. Nalan Kantar discussed the balance between procedural narrative generation and player interaction in game design. The layers that AI-supported narrative systems add to the gaming experience were evaluated in terms of ludology and narratology.

Mehmet Emin Arkcı and Assoc. Prof. Tamer Bayrak presented a comparative analysis of the cognitive and emotional effects of VR (virtual reality) and traditional digital games on the user, supported by user comments.

Assist. Prof. Volkan Davut Mengi exemplified the character design processes in 2D games with AI-supported scenarios, revealing the creative potential of low-budget indie games.

Packaging, Photography and YouTube: Layers of Meaning with AI

Assist. Gökhan Çölük used AI-supported data interpretation techniques in his analysis of the emotions and perceptions created by the written language on packaging in the retail sector. He presented a remarkable perspective in terms of marketing strategies.

Dr. Lecturer Gökhan Aydın presented examples of the contribution of artificial intelligence in terms of speed and variety in "asset" production in digital game design. An interactive discussion was held on the relationship of these productions with creative originality.

Dr. Lecturer Muhammed Emin Albayrak questioned the conceptual framework, compositional elements and perception of reality of photographs produced with artificial intelligence. He presented a new ontological discussion area in the context of visual arts.

Şahide Şeker and Lecturer Dr. İsnur İnci Armutlu addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on content recommendation, production and presentation processes in a hypermedia review conducted on Youtube. They presented remarkable data on hypermedia aesthetics and audience behavior.

An Academic Gathering That Sheds Light on the Future of Design

The Design Afternoon session was not just a series of presentations; it also provided a platform for intellectual sharing where the connection between artificial intelligence and design was deeply questioned. Participants were encouraged to ask new questions at the intersection of technology, art, culture and education.