Melisa Ögec: “At ArtEZ I have learned to trust the process.”
- Architecture and...
Having just finished her senior secondary vocational education training, it took Melisa Ögec (24) a while to get used to the freedom she had during her Interior Architecture course at the Academy of Art & Design Zwolle. She looks back on a period during which she has made great strides, both personally and professionally. “I also found it very inspiring to follow my classmates' development. Over the past four years, we have become a tight-knit bunch.”
Although Melisa enjoyed her vocational training in Interior Design, she missed a bit of depth. “It was mainly about styling, colours and materials,” she explains. “And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it sometimes felt a bit shallow. At ArtEZ it is about more than just a space surrounded by four walls. In that sense, the Interior Architecture bachelor’s course was a perfect complement to my preliminary education.”
Position as designer
What has she learned most over the past four years? Melisa laughs. “A lot,” she says. “I used to think way too much about a design. At ArtEZ I have learned to set to work more quickly and to trust the process. In my case, overthinking gets in the way of creativity. I can now let go of that more and just get on with it.” She also now knows better how to take her own position as a designer. Melisa: “Over the last two years I have spent a lot of time on my authorship, my own vision and how I can distinguish myself from other designers. So even on a personal level, I am no longer the Melisa I was four years ago.”
Instead of just doing something, you learn to reason why you made certain choices."
Course with depth
A new way of looking at things that Melisa developed during her studies is the insight that a space is more than just a place and that with the right design you can influence the experience from start to finish. “To get to that point, you first have to do research and have a good understanding of the relationship between the space and the person who will be using it,” she says. “I really got to know this way of researching and the different methods that exist for it here at ArtEZ.” She knew that the course would be quite in-depth, but she had not expected it to be this deep. “In retrospect I can say I really enjoyed that. Instead of just doing something, you learn to reason why you made certain choices.”
Classmates' visions
What also surprised her at first was the amount of freedom she had to choose her own path. “Truth be told, I found the lack of boundaries tricky at first,” Melissa reflects. “I was quite a bit younger than I am now and didn’t know exactly what was expected of me. But gradually I started to appreciate it more and more.” She even got better and better with the research element – which was not always her favourite part – , partly because she was allowed to decide for herself how she was going to approach it. “That made it very interesting. My classmates and I all went our own ways. One focused on sustainability, another on landscapes. You learn from each other and are inspired by other visions and methods.”
Melisa says that many events are taking place in the grey areas of the world. The introduction of spaces and boundaries all too often interrupt these areas. Her final work - this wall with collapsible parts - serves as both a separation and a connection.
Master's course or starting work?
Does she think she is ready to enter the corporate world? Melisa thinks for a moment. “Funny,” she says, “I was just talking about this with my family recently. Sometimes I don’t feel I’m good enough yet for a serious job. But my mother-in-law pointed out that that little voice will probably never go away.” Melisa also doubts whether she should choose a master’s course after all. “But I think that once I’m done with that, the same feeling will come back. It is a bit of uncertainty that many career entrants experience. The only way to get rid of that is to get a job somewhere and gain some practical experience.” According to Melisa, you can always pursue a master’s degree later. “I am young. I feel I have studied long enough. Now I want to get to work first.” She would like to start her own company later and also teach as an art and interior design lecturer. “This has been on my mind for a long time,” she says. “I can see myself teaching. But first let’s look for a job in the field, then we’ll see what the future brings.”
Learn more about the bachelor's course Interior Architecture
