Eye catchers

Delta, 06-04-2006
‘Tailor-made advertising has the future’, says industrial design student Kerem Obadasi (27). 

Kerem Obadasi developed an interactive and spinning display as a graduation project for his study at the faculty of Industrial Design. The prototype he developed, in partnership with Opalio, an advertising company, consisted of a revolving lcd screen capable of flashing stills and short films to attract the attention of passersby.

It was reasonable successful in rental, says Opalio’s founder and executive director, Rik Wagter. But not so in sales. Wagter originally wanted to develop an interactive and sustainable advertising medium, but the technology at the time was lacking. The lcd display for example used much more energy than a wind-driven display could generate, but an energy-efficient e-paper display wasn’t yet available.

After graduation, Obadasi returned to Istanbul, where he is still working on the development of an interactive advertisement display. Instead of sustainability, Obadasi focuses on interactivity. The prototype of the iLive system he’s developing consists of a large TV screen, one or two webcams facing the public, and a computer. The character that actively interacts with the public plays a central role: it (or he) might make remarks about the weather, or about anything else remarkable he ‘sees’ through the webcam. It should have what Obadasi calls an ‘adaptive scenario’ for interaction with the public. It could be used to promote any kind of product, and the presenter could even by modelled after celebrities. Obadasi has started his own company, called Intech-3, to try and develop his idea, but he admits that he’s struggling  to get people to invest in his ideas. “It’s a cultural thing as well,” he says. “In Turkey people invest in things, not so easily in ideas.” Meanwhile, he has applied for a patent on an advertisement medium based on a virtual presenter that runs on webcams, computers and TV screens – iLive for short.

Back at Opalio, De Wagter is now concentrating on energy efficient displays and sustainable advertisement media. He thinks that, three years ago, the ideas were ahead of their time,  but that now the sustainable idea might catch on. On hearing about Obadasi’s work on interactivity, De Wagter says: “Come to think of it, I should give him a call one of these days.”
Obadasi meanwhile cannot make a living from developing his iLive and therefore must hold down a university teaching job on the side. He could get a fulltime job in Istanbul, but he chooses not to: “I’d rather invest in making something with a global impact than staying local.”

Marta Koziol, masterstudent bouwkunde uit Polen

Tweeënhalf jaar geleden kwam de uit de Zuid-Poolse stad Mielec afkomstige Marta Koziol naar Nederland. Na een jaar op een kantoor gewerkt te hebben, kwam zij als uitwisselingsstudent terecht op de faculteit Bouwkunde. Nu is zij daar begonnen aan een masteropleiding. “In het begin was ik wel een beetje geschokt toen ik de familiestructuur hier ontdekte. In Polen is er een traditioneler patroon. Als mensen daar kinderen hebben, zijn ze getrouwd.” Inmiddels is zij het wel gewend. “Doordat ik veel reis, ontdekte ik dat er meer landen zijn waar dat niet zo hoeft te zijn.”
En dan de readymates. “Er liggen allerlei kant-en-klare maaltijden in de supermarkt. Handig ja, maar niet erg gezond. Ik koop ze niet, kook liever zelf. Wel vaak simpele maaltijden, want ik woon alleen. In Polen heb je ook kant-en-klare maaltijden, maar daar moet je dan wel echt naar zoeken.”
Wat Koziol in Nederland erg bevalt, is de hoeveelheid gemengde nationaliteiten die ze tegenkomt. “Het zijn wel allemaal Nederlanders, maar met een verschillende achtergrond. Ik zou het leuk vinden als dat in Polen ook zo was, daar is negentig procent puur Pools. En de mensen achter loketten zijn in Nederland veel aardiger dan bij ons.”