Dr Dilek Hocaoglu

Research statement

Dilek’s research explores the relationships between design, culture and society, evolving from an initial focus on cultural heritage and city branding towards the connections between food, culture and society, and more recently, food, social change and sustainable futures.

Her early research explored the relationship between cultural heritage, place identity and city branding, examining how culture can contribute to the representation and development of cities. Her publications in this area include The Role of Design in Cultural Heritage-Based City Branding of Beypazari (2016) and Challenges in Promoting Cities Through Culture Within the New Global Economy (2016). This work established a foundation for her broader interest in the relationships between design, culture and society, which later expanded to include food culture, social change and sustainability.

Extending her research on food, culture and society, Dilek has increasingly focused on food, social change and sustainable futures. She is interested in how design, education and creative practices can address global food challenges, encourage sustainable behaviours and support more responsible relationships with food and the environment. Her publication The Contribution of Allotments to Planetary Health and Social Change (2024) reflects this direction. She has also explored the potential of design education and material experimentation to address food waste through Revaluing Food Waste Through Design Education: Material Experimentation for Sustainable Practice (2025).

She examines food as a cultural and social practice, considering its connections with communities, everyday life, health and place identity. Her work includes The Contribution of Gastronomy Tourism to the Branding Strategy of a City (2024), which connects food culture with her earlier research on city branding, and Social Media as a Powerful Tool for Food Preparation and Gaining Healthy Eating Habits (2024), which explores the role of digital platforms in shaping food practices and healthy eating.

Through collaborative, interdisciplinary research, Dilek has worked with academics from different disciplinary backgrounds on projects exploring the potential of games and creative practices to address social and environmental challenges. As Co-Investigator on Play for Impact: A UK–Turkiye Knowledge Exchange on Games and Social Change (2025), she contributes to research at the intersection of design, games and social change, including engagement with sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dilek regularly shares her research through invited talks, conference presentations and academic events. Her recent talks have explored how games can address global food problems, design approaches to global food issues, and the relationships between digital media, food and health. Her earlier talks examined the connections between design, cultural heritage and identity.

Research supervision

Dilek’s research interests include cultural heritage and city branding, food culture and society, sustainable futures and design’s role in social change. She welcomes enquiries from prospective research degree applicants whose interests align with these areas, particularly those seeking to explore interdisciplinary questions through creative and collaborative approaches.

Dilek has contributed to postgraduate research as a thesis committee member for PhD and MSc students at universities in Turkiye. This experience includes research into visual culture and history, gastronomy education, everyday life and design, craft entrepreneurship, product development, video games and packaging design.

PhD thesis committee member

• Mustafa Kemal Iz, The Construction of Visuality from the Late Ottoman Period to the Early Turkish Republic, Ozyegin University, completed 2022.

MSc thesis committee member

• Gulbahar Coskun, Integrating Design-Based Practices and Digital Technology Tools in Applied Science: A Case Study of Gastronomy Education, Ozyegin University, completed 2025.
• Asli Irem Atac, The Implementations of Three-Dimensional Printing Method in Jewelry Design and a Business Model Suggestion for Interaction of Designer-Manufacturer-User Roles, Bahcesehir University, completed 2018.
• Aybala Cakmakcioglu, Examining the Relationship Between Daily Life Theories and Design: A Theoretical Systematic Approach, Anadolu University, completed 2018.
• Cansu Isbilen, Design of Urban Furniture in Recreation Areas: Investigation on Picnic Activity in Bayrakli, Istanbul Technical University, completed 2018.
• Eda Pase Uretmen, Marketing Ways of Craft Objects in Turkey: Observing Small-Scale Batch Designers and Entrepreneurs in Jewellery Market, Istanbul Technical University, completed 2018.
• Ezgi Haciosmanoglu, Interaction of Brand Positioning and Design-Based Product Development Process: Arcelik Telve Case Study, Bahcesehir University, completed 2018.
• Ismet Yalim Alatli, Conceptual Design in the Video Game Industry from an Industrial Design Perspective, Istanbul Technical University, completed 2018.
• Busra Torgay, Optimisation in Folding Carton Packaging Design, Istanbul Technical University, completed 2016.