597. The Art and Science of Community Building - Engin Ayaz and Tala Al Ansari

·53 min·5 clips

Engin Ayaz reveals how Atelier began in 2013 Istanbul with a beta space of 20-25 practitioners, defying the early co-working model.

The episode begins with host Mustafa Sherif introducing guests Engin Ayaz and Tala Al Ansari from Atelier, a strategic design and innovation consultancy. Engin recounts Atelier's founding in Istanbul in 2013 as a beta space for 20-25 creative practitioners, leveraging local context and subsidies to grow into a hub for 150 professionals. He details projects like a teacher's network reaching 60,000 educators in Turkey and a social impact incubator with UNDP. Tala explains her role as executive advisor, highlighting her background with Expo 2020 Dubai and transition to Atelier. They discuss the modern loneliness epidemic, with Tala citing a study showing over 25% of people feel lonely, and argue communities are essential in an AI-driven world. Engin distinguishes between audiences and communities, emphasizing reciprocity and trust. He introduces vibrancy as a key metric for community success, contrasting it with dormant spaces. The conversation critiques token inclusion in urban planning, advocating for long-term engagement over one-off workshops. Engin shares the 'inside-out' approach, focusing on a core group of ambassadors to drive community growth. Tala describes the DesignGov program in the UAE, which trained over 120 officials from various ministries in human-centric design. Engin outlines Atelier's Community Playbook with five pillars: principles, purpose, people, system, and experience. They explore diversity in communities, with Tala noting cross-industry learning examples like Formula One influencing medical teams. Engin discusses Atelier's work on UAE and Oman rail networks, framing stations as multi-purpose hubs. Future projects include EV station design, a children's museum, and a K-12 institution. Tala's final message stresses constant communication with communities, while Engin shares Tim O'Reilly's principle: 'create more value than you capture.'

As heard by us

A practical argument for building communities from the inside out.

The episode frames community building as a practice, not a slogan, and keeps returning to an inside-out premise: start with the people who can carry a community outward.

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Why you'd press play

You want a way to build community without mistaking activity for momentum.

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