I’m Atakan, and l am a communication designer from Istanbul, holding a Digital Media master’s degree from Germany and currently pursuing a PhD at Teesside University in the UK. I also lecture at the university. I am currently conducting research on the incorporation of games, gamification, and playfulness in museums, specifically through the use of role-play. It’s a bit of a mix-and-match, really! 🥣

I’m not just an academic, though. I’m also a DIY enthusiast and photography lover. I enjoy taking photos with my vintage Mamiya RB67, developing my film, and learning the trumpet. When I’m not doing that, you’ll find me in the kitchen, baking gluten-free & vegan goods or tending to my plants 👨🏻‍🍳🪴.

✉️ hi@atakanakcali.com
✉️ a.akcali@tees.ac.uk

Education

Arts & Creative Industries, PhD
Teesside University. Middlesbrough, UK.
2022–2026
With PGR scholarship.

Digital Media, Master of Arts
Rhine–Waal University of Applied Sciences.
Kamp–Lintfort, Germany.
2017–2022
Graduated with Distinction (1.3/5), GPA 1.8/5.

Film Studies, Erasmus Exchange Programme
University of Kent. Canterbury, UK.
September–December 2014

Communication Design, Bachelor of Arts
Bahçeşehir University. Istanbul, Turkey.
2011–2016
Graduated with honours (CGPA: 3,28/4).
Recipient of a merit-based scholarship throughout the entire programme.