PERSPECTIVE
A bookend that only reads as '25' when you stand in the right place.
- OBJECT DESIGN
- STAINLESS STEEL
- IUE 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Perspective was developed for the 25th anniversary of Izmir University of Economics, a commemorative object that had to carry the weight of a quarter-century without turning into a trophy or a plaque.
The brief was deliberately open. The response became a stainless-steel bookend, where two simple rings encode the anniversary and the idea of perspective at the same time.
Success, as in every field, depends on your perspective. The rings represent a cycle of development; the abstract combination of the numbers 2 and 5 can only be recognized from the right angle.
By abstracting each digit, the upper curve and diagonal form the number '2', while the lower semi-circle and vertical axis reveal the number '5'. Each becomes distinct only from its own specific optical axis.
The form was developed as two rings on a shared axis. From most angles they read as a composition; from two specific angles they collapse into numerals.
The three-view study kept the piece legible as an object first and as a message second, so it works on a shelf even when the viewer is not standing in the right place.
Stainless steel was chosen for permanence. A commemorative object has to outlast the moment it marks, so the material had to resist fading, tarnish, and trend.
The mirror finish also pays back to the concept: a reflective surface changes with where you stand, reinforcing the idea of perspective at the material level.
Packaging was developed as an extension of the concept, a rigid, book-shaped case in dark navy velvet with the IUE emblem embossed on the cover.
Exterior inscription: "Comprehend with science, manage with knowledge." Interior inscription positions the rings as a 25-year cycle, transforming heritage into achievement.
In use, the bookend sits between architecture and design volumes, catching light off the shelf. The recipient sees an object; a second look reveals the anniversary.
