Email: eldem.levent (at) hotmail.com
Product developer with 6+ years of experience designing and manufacturing consumer products from concept to production. My core expertise includes design for manufacturing (DfM), component design and production, and sustainable product development. Featured in the James Dyson Award for developing the world’s first LDM-ready 3D-printable orange-based biocomposite. Worked and collaborated with companies such as IKEA, Värnamo of Sweden, and Turkish Aerospace.
Professional Experience
Snailzz, Co-Founder & Production Responsible
January 2025 - Present, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
January 2025 - Present, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
- Established the in-house production details of Snailzz’s products
- Helped with product development of 3D-printed lighting, furniture, and home accessories, from concept to manufacturing (Packaging included)
- Successfully shipped eight products: Snailzz Lamp, Chromo D, Chromo Set, Minizz, Shellz, Chromo Snap, Charmzz, and Chromo Snap.
- Developed three new additive manufacturing techniques with my partner: print-on-cloth-with-product, parametric infill pattern making, and texture development with 3D pens
- Optimized products to be designed for repairability to reduce waste by at least 80% and enable customer self-repair
- Iterated 500+ prototypes across different projects to validate design assembly, material performance, and DfM properties
- Achieved <5% rejection rate due to quality defects from additive manufacturing
- Helped with product development of 3D-printed lighting, furniture, and home accessories, from concept to manufacturing (Packaging included)
- Successfully shipped eight products: Snailzz Lamp, Chromo D, Chromo Set, Minizz, Shellz, Chromo Snap, Charmzz, and Chromo Snap.
- Developed three new additive manufacturing techniques with my partner: print-on-cloth-with-product, parametric infill pattern making, and texture development with 3D pens
- Optimized products to be designed for repairability to reduce waste by at least 80% and enable customer self-repair
- Iterated 500+ prototypes across different projects to validate design assembly, material performance, and DfM properties
- Achieved <5% rejection rate due to quality defects from additive manufacturing
Project Collaborator, IKEA
August 2023 - October 2023, Älmhult, Sweden (On-site)
- Designed toys for families expecting a newborn, ideal for couples living in small urban homes
- Project Caterpillar would later become an example case study in IKEA’s internal communications
August 2023 - October 2023, Älmhult, Sweden (On-site)
- Designed toys for families expecting a newborn, ideal for couples living in small urban homes
- Project Caterpillar would later become an example case study in IKEA’s internal communications
Kikkis, Co-Founder
March 2021 - October 2022, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
- Developed the world’s first LDM 3D-printable biocomposite from orange byproducts, a possible and reliable replacement for petrochemical materials in additive manufacturing
- Won multiple competitions, became finalists, and joined startup accelerators, including the Social Impact Award and the James Dyson Award 2022
March 2021 - October 2022, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
- Developed the world’s first LDM 3D-printable biocomposite from orange byproducts, a possible and reliable replacement for petrochemical materials in additive manufacturing
- Won multiple competitions, became finalists, and joined startup accelerators, including the Social Impact Award and the James Dyson Award 2022
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Human Machine Interface Systems Engineer
April 2022 - October 2022, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
- Designed digital control displays and HMI layouts for cockpit instruments in collaboration with more than 20 systems and systems engineers
- Conducted usability tests with CAT-1 and CAT-2 flight test pilots
- Built a reusable digital interface design system to enable non-designers to maintain and develop interfaces across different aircraft displays
April 2022 - October 2022, Ankara, Türkiye (On-site)
- Designed digital control displays and HMI layouts for cockpit instruments in collaboration with more than 20 systems and systems engineers
- Conducted usability tests with CAT-1 and CAT-2 flight test pilots
- Built a reusable digital interface design system to enable non-designers to maintain and develop interfaces across different aircraft displays
Education
Sapienza University of Rome, Product & Service Design, Master’s Degree
October 2022 - October 2024, Grade 110+/110, Rome, Italy
- Thesis Title: A Planning Framework for Designing Self-Sufficient Residential Zones
through Integrated Food-Energy-Water Systems
October 2022 - October 2024, Grade 110+/110, Rome, Italy
- Thesis Title: A Planning Framework for Designing Self-Sufficient Residential Zones
through Integrated Food-Energy-Water Systems
Linnaeus University, Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design
August 2023 - January 2024, Växjö, Sweden (Erasmus Exchange Program)
August 2023 - January 2024, Växjö, Sweden (Erasmus Exchange Program)
Middle East Technical University, Industrial Design, Bachelor’s Degree
October 2016 - September 2020, Honor Student, Ankara, Türkiye
October 2016 - September 2020, Honor Student, Ankara, Türkiye
Politecnico di Torino, Systemic Design
February 2019 - July 2019, Torino, Italy (Erasmus Exchange Program)
February 2019 - July 2019, Torino, Italy (Erasmus Exchange Program)
Workshops
International Workshop on Transitional Housing
May 2023, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland
May 2023, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland
- Designed systemic and social housing solutions for displaced families and people in extreme poverty in the Warsaw region in collaboration with Polish, Belgian, and Italian designers and NGO stakeholder
International Workshop on Products for Museum ANNO
March 2024, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands
March 2024, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands
- Developed museum souvenirs for the city of Zwolle, memorable design gifts for visitors/tourists
Contests, Awards
James Dyson Award 2022, National Second Place, Kikkis
- Developed an orange-based biocomposite with 100% natural content. Biodegradable, cold-compostable, and suitable for additive manufacturing as a promising petrochemical alternative
TÜBITAK BiGG Startup Accelerator 2022, Second Phase, Kikkis
- Türkiye’s largest government-funded startup accelerator. Developed a business model for Kikkis with mentor guidance
S360 Global Shapers Türkiye Circular Innovation 2021, Finalist, Kikkis
- First public showcase of Kikkis. Presented to S360 stakeholders (including Microsoft executives) and collaborated with industry mentors
A Design Award, Runner up Award 2021, Hoki’Pooh
- Runner-up recognition for Hoki’Pooh, an empathy-building game for hard-of-hearing and visually impaired people
UNDP Resilience Project Design Çukurova Challenge 2020, Second Place, ba’
- UNDP Tükiye Resilience Project (Food, Agriculture, Packaging & Logistics). Designed a sustainable packaging family from agricultural waste, emphasizing caregiver-child interaction and cultural awareness.
Skills
Product Development & Manufacturing:
Design for Manufacturing (DfM), Design for Additive Manufacturing (FDM/LDM), Design for Repairability, 3D Printing (Experience with Delta, Cartesian, FDM and LDM Printers), Biomaterials & Biocomposites, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Rapid Prototyping, Model Making, DfM & Manufacturing Optimization, Basic Carbon Footprint Analysis
Design & CAD Tools:
Rhinoceros, Fusion360, KeyShot, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender, Unreal Engine, Bambu Lab Studio, OrcaSlicer, CATIA
Project & Innovation Management:
Concept Development, Design Thinking, Systems Mapping, Stakeholder Mapping, Visual Storytelling, Strategic Communication, Systems Thinking, Democratic Design Principles