Pelin Günay

Pelin Günay is a design researcher pursuing her doctoral studies in the Design, Society, and Technology PhD program at Özyeğin University. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Brunel University London. Her research focuses on how small-scale public interventions—such as benches—can trigger encounters between strangers and enhance social interaction in public spaces. As part of her doctoral research, she is developing Design Cards for Social Interaction, which she tests at international design events (e.g., MEDS Zaragoza) and in university studio courses. Through these studies, she explores how design tools can create a shared language for collaboration and collective thinking, with the aim of contributing to the development of more inclusive and socially connected urban environments.