About me

Hey, I’m Hakan Ertan. I'm all about bringing positivity to teamwork, collaborating with open-minded people, and building products that help and spread joy.

My journey in design began when I was 13, influenced by my older brother, an Architect, who introduced me to Photoshop work during summer breaks. This sparked my passion for blending art and technology. After graduating from Graphic Design school in Istanbul, Turkey, I worked as an Art Director, creating successful campaigns for industries like banking, media, automotive, food, and so on. I won various awards in advertising, and some of these include New York Festivals, Cannes Lions, and some Turkish festivals.

In 2011, I moved to New York to pursue my passion for Product and User-Centered Design.

Previously, I was part of Havas CX, a product design agency, where I led the development of enterprise-level design systems, ensuring brand consistency across platforms.

I collaborated with cross-functional teams and was recognized as a grand prize jury member for Adobe Creative Jam UI/UX Design Awards. My illustrations for Ibexa were featured in prestigious publications.

At DesignGost, my own start up product, I focus on creating immersive product design experiences by combining hands-on design and user-centered UX methods to simplify complex experiences.

Building Together

Quality is about working together, not just pixels. I believe in the power of synergy, where creativity meets strategy and pixels come to life through seamless teamwork.

While design and technical guidance are part of the package, my primary objective is to help you establish meaningful connections.

People First

Success depends on the right team. With a great team, any strategy can work; without it, even the best strategy falls flat. A team of smart, kind, and giving people can tackle almost any challenge. No process can fix problems caused by negative vibes. Usually, internal issues come from broken relationships.

Iteration, iteration, iteration

Constant refinement is the key – iteration, iteration, iteration. It’s not just about tweaking; it’s about transforming your ideas into something exceptional. Each small change is a step closer to perfection, and together, we’re on a journey of continuous improvement.

Family

My 4-year-old kiddo, Alp, has made my life richer. His unlimited imagination, creativity, intelligence, and amazement inspire everything I do. All of this is for him.

Movies

Cinema is my way of exploring new ideas and going on adventures that I can’t experience in real life. I’m always curious about the world, and movies, documentaries, and TV shows give me a chance to see different cultures and ways of life.

Choosing favorite films is no easy, but for now:

My top directors?(At present):

Tim Burton
Wes Anderson
Steven Spielberg

Cooking

Of course, food is another source of inspiration for me, which is always full of energy. And since I moved to New York, I’ve been trying Asian and Mexican cuisines. But if I had to pick one favorite cuisine, it would be Mediterranean cuisine for sure.