Doga Bircan Talks About Designing ANKA with Care and Purpose

I’m Doga (pronounced doe-ah) — a designer, storyteller, maker, thinker, and an advocate for good, passionate about creating change for the better. Originally from Istanbul, I’m now based in NYC.

I’ve been drawn to creating since childhood—drawing, sewing, collaging, crafting, and storytelling. I began my professional journey in industrial design and later became a self-taught graphic designer. After working in Istanbul for two years, I moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree through the renowned MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts.

Today, I’m an award-winning graphic and brand designer dedicated to building mission-driven, impact-focused, and people-centered brands and experiences.

I learned about the MUSE Creative Awards through my friends at SVA MFA Design—we had submitted a team project back then. So I’m familiar with how influential the MUSE Awards are. That’s why I wanted to submit ANKA—not just to share my work, but also to raise awareness of play as a tool for rebuilding.

ANKA came to life after the deadly earthquakes that struck Türkiye in 2023. As I witnessed the destruction of my home country, I noticed a gap in existing disaster relief efforts—displaced children lacked any positive distraction from the initial trauma.

Many were stuck in a negative cycle of rumination, which can lead to PTSD, and had no tools to break free from it. So, I created ANKA as a conceptual organization to integrate play into disaster relief, because play is a vital tool for exploring and expressing emotions—and for breaking the cycle of rumination. In today’s world, ANKA can also support displaced children in war zones, refugee camps, and other crisis situations.

I’d like to believe that the balance between playfulness and seriousness, childlike thinking and adult-like approach, conceptual exploration and real-world strategy is what sets ANKA apart. Of course, you’d have to ask the judges as well!

Even though I had a lot of experience with user testing from my industrial design background, I struggled to find children aged 5–9 who could participate in a free play test—and to convince their parents.

I didn’t know anyone in the city, had no relatives with kids, and didn’t have permission to access schools for testing the play sets. In the end, I manufactured many prototypes and shipped most of them to Türkiye. A few of my teachers from SVA MFA Design also had relatives who were willing to help.

I’ve received a lot of love and support—both for my work in general and for ANKA specifically. I truly appreciate the recognition! In the long run, I hope this award becomes one of many, and that it gives ANKA a platform to live and grow in the future.

I have received so much love from my people in Türkiye and my friends from the Middle East. They all understand where ANKA comes from and what it could do for displaced children in war zones and refugee camps.

Yes, I created ANKA for disasters like earthquakes, but children face adversity every day in places without electricity, Wi-Fi, schools, or toys to help them. With enough financial and emotional investment, ANKA can become a reality and support these children.

Always strive to improve. Ask for feedback—and then listen to it. Take notes, observe, and learn. Then refine, refine, refine.

In the future, I’d like to learn motion design and creative coding—both are on my to-learn list! I believe the industry is shifting toward a world of responsive, dynamic motion graphics, and I’d love to explore and experiment.

I think it’s easy to fall into self-doubt and self-sabotage when we’re stuck in our own bubble. For me, impostor syndrome was holding me back from pushing my limits. I always saw myself as “just a self-taught graphic designer.”

The more I talked with people in my industry, the more confident I felt about my work. That’s why we need to socialize, ask for feedback, network, and share our work.

1000% agree! If it weren’t for my community and my many talented friends, I wouldn’t be here giving this interview!

I’m grateful to my SVA MFA Design family for giving me my playground, my talented friends for being super inspiring, my family for their support and generosity, my mentors for guiding me in the right direction, and lastly, the amazing kids in my user tests for playing with me and being unapologetically cool.

ANKA is a play organization that provides emergency play support for displaced children after disasters and crises. While disasters may destroy homes, ANKA helps children rebuild through play.

We shall see! I’m excited for what’s next!