#onecupofcoffeechats Korkut AVCI, Nihat DURAN
We came together with you today using coffee as an excuse. What is the place of coffee in your life?
Korkut Avcı : I drink coffee in the morning. To wake up. I prefer other coffees instead of Turkish coffee in the morning, Turkish coffee seems a bit strong to me to wake up. I sip Turkish coffee in the evenings after meals, I think Turkish coffee is a calming coffee and an excuse to chat.
Telve has been renewed. What were the aspects that you and your design team wanted to differentiate from the previous generation Telve in terms of design definition?
KA: Let me give the floor to my designer friend Nihat here. We started the coffee machine design process long ago. The basic concept was formed in 2001-2002. At that time, it tried to find a place for itself in the market. After it gained a certain place, we saw that people started using it both in their homes and commercial establishments, and that Telve was even used in coffee chains. Therefore, we conducted a brainstorming session to find an answer to the question of whether we could update it with a different policy. And many ideas emerged. Let Nihat tell us what happened after this stage.
Nihat Duran : The team I was in and the R&D team worked together to design the second generation Telve. The first generation Telve had one problem; it was a product that was good for its time but has an industrial perception today. It was starting to look a little old. It seemed more suitable for commercial spaces. We wanted a product that could take on different identities. We wanted it to be possible for people to customize it according to their kitchens. It should be unique in its design, it should not look like any other product, it should be a product where the details that remind us of production (screws, mold joints, ventilation, etc.) are hidden. It should be easily painted or coated, it should be able to convey its form to people.
KA: It should appear as a monoblock object, but it should contain contemporary lines. We had such a desire. It should be easily covered with different materials without creating any visual disturbance..
ND: Of course, this wasn’t easy either. We say, “Spare the screws, hide the mold connection details, operate the mold under challenging conditions.” We achieved this with good teamwork. All the details are hidden under the top cover. It’s not available on the market, but we designed different versions such as wood and leather. Products that will appeal to changing users were designed. We also applied to many international award systems. We have achieved a universal design.
KA: First, a form design was made, its visuals were evaluated. The final product perception as an application should be timeless and should not become obsolete. The design was reviewed once again with this perception. Nihat considered it important to create a family in the design process. A study was also conducted on which versions we would make. The first generation Telve was made for home use, but its purpose changed along the way. It also started to be used in commercial establishments. A single-pot version was made from a two-pot version. While researching for the new generation, estimates were made from previous sales profiles. First, versions were created, the first to come out was the single Telve. Because it was the most preferred version. The single and the water tank, in order to develop a different business model in current use, thought and designed the scenario of how it would be if we made a capsule Turkish coffee machine from the very beginning. Our R&D and mechanical design team also focused on the version we wanted to come out first and progressed step by step. After the single Telve, the original Capsule Telve It came out. Good news came from the applied award systems. We brought the IF Gold Design Award to Turkey for the first time. It is a source of pride. Both nationally and internationally. Telve, which is a single water tank, will be released to the market, the first product after this. There will also be a commercial version of the new Telve. They will not be from the same visual family, they were designed to be commercial but still unique.
Managing a design team must be a big part of the design language of the institution you are a member of. We think you encounter difficulties in this regard. There is also the issue of intersecting on common ground with other departments that have roles in the process such as production, logistics, marketing, as well as the R&D side of the business…
KA: Design is very important for Arçelik . We have a serious and self-developing design team. We also have growth plans for the upcoming period. Both national and international. We have 10 brands. We operate in over 100 countries. We become the guardians of a brand, productizing and protecting the core values it wants to convey. It can require a lot of conflict in the process. Understandings may need to develop. If you can say a consistent language with your design as much as possible, perceptions can maintain their consistency and courage for that brand. Due to the dimensions of the economy, we can use the policy of giving some products with different brands in different countries. Design is important there too, we answer the question of what can be changed for the better. If you look at the business model, we make all kinds of products that will make life easier at home. The design of all these products also goes through the hands of the design group. Both visually, as materials or while structuring the story or usage scenario…
After the design group creates the product proposal with details and usage scenarios, it is an important process to create the product together with the relevant R&D teams. The capsule Turkish coffee machine, the design of which Nihat described, is an exemplary project carried out in collaboration with R&D. Because each person in the design group may have to deal with more than one product at the same time. The same applies to the R&D team. Different groups such as dishwashers and washing machines have different R&D teams. As the design group, we put serious effort into innovation in order to ensure the uniqueness of the products. In addition to the form design, we also design the user experience. We make recipes in this regard and are involved in the process. However, the result may not always be exactly as we want it for different reasons. We can say that Fincana Telve was produced almost 99% as it was designed.
We would like to hear your comments about the new generation coffee chains…
ND: I support new generation coffee chains. We receive some reports. Turkish coffee is a rising trend in many countries including the Far East. This demand and its growth in coffee shops are also important. I want it to become widespread in Europe. Maybe this machine will lead the way. Because you make it like espresso.
KA: Socialization trends are currently rising from coffee shops. They are not coffeehouses. They are up-to-date coffee shops… They are not alone, they can also take place in ''Shop in Shop''. There are also coffee shops located inside a sales store, so that you can take a break from shopping and chat for a short while… This is perhaps more attractive. The fact that Turkish coffee is prepared faster, does not go through rituals and can be served like espresso will create a new medium for those who love that taste. As I said, we are not only offering a package for that side, we are making a product with an updated atmosphere that can be used both at home and in a commercial environment, which will continue this ritual, and will meet you very soon.