Portrait of Bilgi Karan

Hey there! I am Bilgi.

Design Leader, empowering teams
to solve meaningful problems –
through beautiful experiences.

Hey there! I am Bilgi.

Design Leader, empowering teams
to solve meaningful problems –
through beautiful experiences.

Oh, me?

I love design, I love people and I love the planet we live on. Dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that bridge people, society and planet while designing delightful moments. Cautiously optimistic that technology will eventually blend into our lives seamlessly.

Professional

2022-now | Manager, Leader

Inter IKEA

Leading innovation and managing design & research for the amazing team that covers global digital footprint of IKEA for the global franchise: Design System, Content Management, Digital Retail Guidance, IKEA.com Global, IKEA.net, Knowledge Graph, SEO, AI and Accessibility.

2018-now

Inter IKEA

Leading innovation and managing design & research for the amazing team that covers global digital footprint of IKEA for the global franchise: Design System, Content Management, Digital Retail Guidance, IKEA.com Global, IKEA.net, Knowledge Graph, SEO, AI and Accessibility.

2018-2022 | Manager, Leader

IKEA of Sweden

Established the first customer-facing UX Team at IKEA of Sweden with the mission of bringing the smart home to the many people. Responsible for all physical and digital experiences for Home Smart IoT products. Collaborated with Apple, Google, Amazon, Sonos and Spotify.

2018-now

IKEA of Sweden

Established the first customer-facing UX Team at IKEA of Sweden with the mission of bringing the smart home to the many people. Responsible for all physical and digital experiences for Home Smart IoT products. Collaborated with Apple, Google, Amazon, Sonos and Spotify.

2014-2018 | Principal Designer

Above

Worked with companies like Spotify, Evoko, Toyota, IKEA, Pandora and more. Main focus, UX Strategy, Internet of Things, Meaningful Innovation

2014-2018

Above

Worked with companies like Spotify, Evoko, Toyota, IKEA, Pandora and more. Main focus, UX Strategy, Internet of Things, Meaningful Innovation

2012-2014 | Senior Designer & Creative Lead

Teague

UX Strategy and Vision work for the future of Boeing wide body passenger aircraft. Experience prototyping, Research and Exploration. Leading a team of designers, technologists and prototypers.

2012-2014

Teague

UX Strategy and Vision work for the future of Boeing wide body passenger aircraft. Experience prototyping, Research and Exploration. Leading a team of designers, technologists and prototypers.

2004-2012 | Senior Designer

Sony

Design, Vision and Design Strategy for key products and platforms like Walkman, XPERIA, Wearables. Main focus: End-to-end Vision, Experiences, Usability and Industrial Design

2004-2012

Sony

Design, Vision and Design Strategy for key products and platforms like Walkman, XPERIA, Wearables. Main focus: End-to-end Vision, Experiences, Usability and Industrial Design

Education

2002-2004

Umeå Institute of Design

Master's Degree in Advanced Product Design

1994-1999

Middle East Technical University

Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design

1994-1999

METU

Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design

2018

Stockholm Resilience Center

Certificate in Planetary Boundaries and Human Opportunities

2018

STHLM Resilience Center

Certificate in Planetary Boundaries and Human Opportunities

© 2026 Bilgi Karan