Founded in 1984, Vestel has grown into a leading Turkish electronics and home appliances manufacturer, specializing in televisions, household appliances and cutting-edge technology products. Over the years, the company has expanded significantly, establishing itself as a key player in the consumer electronics market. With operations in 163 countries and a workforce of 18,000 employees, Vestel is now one of Europe's largest television manufacturers.
One of the cornerstones of Vestel’s success in such a highly competitive industry is its ability to prevent unauthorized replication of its designs. As a company committed to innovation and aesthetic excellence, Vestel has recognized that robust design protection is just as vital as great design itself. By leveraging the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, the company secures international protection and recognition for its innovative designs, strengthening its competitive edge in both creativity and market security. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of imitation, safeguards its unique design identity and strengthens its position on the global stage.
The Hague System and Vestel's Commitment to Design Protection
For Vestel, protecting its designs is not just a matter of intellectual property - it is a strategic imperative. The company’s decision to adopt the Hague System has been pivotal in securing its innovations on a global scale. By streamlining the process of obtaining design rights in multiple markets, Vestel ensures that its groundbreaking products remain legally protected in an industry where imitation is common.
Itır Çetinyürek, Consumer Electronics Design Manager, recalls a particularly eye-opening moment when she saw remote controls, designed by Vestel, being replicated in some other markets. This experience underscored the importance of intellectual property protection to prevent unauthorized replication.
Design protection is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We’ve experienced the risk of having our designs copied. The Hague System provides a critical layer of protection, ensuring that our intellectual property remains safe and giving us peace of mind to focus on innovation.
Itır Çetinyürek, Consumer Electronics Design Manager
Since 2005, Vestel has protected numerous designs through the Hague System, proactively securing its rights to deter copycats while reinforcing its credibility and competitiveness in global markets. One notable example is the Vestel GO washing machine, which redefines the user experience with its single-button operation and AI-driven washing algorithms. By automatically adjusting settings based on fabric type, load size and dirt level, it delivers optimal cleaning while reducing water and energy consumption - earning it multiple design awards. Similarly, the Sharp 2K20 refrigerator embodies Vestel’s dedication to both aesthetics and functionality. Its sleek, minimalist design is complemented by a horizontally designed LED display, ergonomic storage solutions and cutting-edge technologies that extend food freshness and improve air quality. As Burak Erbab, White Good Designs Manager, notes, protecting these groundbreaking designs through the Hague System not only safeguards the company’s ability to innovate but also reinforces its leadership in an increasingly competitive market.
Where Aesthetics Meet Functionality
For Can Uçkan Yüksel, User Experience/User Interface & Outsourcing Design Manager, and Itır Çetinyürek, Consumer Electronics Design Manager, design is about crafting products that are as intuitive as they are visually striking. She believes that great design goes beyond appearance - it must enhance the user experience in a way that feels effortless and natural.
Can Uçkan Yüksel leads the development of user-centered digital experiences, ensuring that Vestel’s products are not only functional but also deliver seamless, engaging interactions across multiple platforms, including smart television interfaces, mobile applications, connected home appliances and embedded software systems. In her role overseeing Outsourcing Design, she collaborates with external design teams to expand Vestel’s creative capabilities and drive innovation.
Working alongside Itır Çetinyürek and their team, they strive to achieve a balance between aesthetics and functionality, building products that resonate with users. Their design philosophy is strongly influenced by the legendary Dieter Rams and his principles of simplicity, clarity and usability. For them, every product must not only serve a clear purpose but also provide a meaningful and satisfying user experience.
We believe design is about making people’s lives easier. Our goal is to combine functionality with aesthetics so seamlessly that people forget they’re interacting with a product - they just have a better experience.
Can Uçkan Yüksel, User Experience/User Interface & Outsourcing Design Manager
Collaboration Across Disciplines: Bridging Design and Engineering
A major element of Vestel's innovation process is the collaboration between designers, engineers and production teams. This interdisciplinary approach guarantees that design is not treated as an isolated step but is fully integrated into the product development cycle. By working closely with R&D and manufacturing teams, Vestel’s designers create solutions that are both innovative and practical.
Since 2004, the Vestel Design Centre has been the driving force behind the company’s innovation. With a team of 50 experts - including industrial designers, visual communication designers, and technical designers - the center plays a pivotal role in shaping products that meet both aesthetic and performance demands. This early-stage collaboration allows potential challenges to be addressed proactively, allowing for optimization in production, efficiency and user experience from the outset.
Collaboration is crucial in ensuring that design isn't just about making things look good but also about creating products that perform well. Our process involves constant feedback from engineers and end-users to create products that truly make an impact.
Itır Çetinyürek, Consumer Electronics Design Manager
Design as a Competitive Necessity
In the fast-paced consumer electronics industry, design is a key differentiator, and Vestel has fully embraced this as part of its core strategy. As the company continues to grow, it has adopted a "design factory" model - producing a wide range of designs each year to meet the diverse needs of international markets. Customization is key, allowing them to craft products that cater to the unique preferences and cultural nuances of each region while staying at the forefront of innovation and quality.
Vestel’s design strategy is built on brand diversity, with a portfolio that includes both in-house brands and licensing partnerships, such as Toshiba and Hitachi for television in Europe. By leveraging a variety of design styles rather than sticking to a single signature look, Vestel ensures that each product stands out on the shelves. This approach not only offers consumers a wide selection of designs but also positions the company to quickly adapt to changing market trends and preferences.
Whether it's in Europe, Asia or the Middle East, understanding regional preferences is key to creating successful products. We adapt our designs to meet the specific needs of each market while maintaining our commitment to high-quality, innovative solutions.
Can Uçkan Yüksel, User Experience/User Interface & Outsourcing Design Manager
Looking ahead, Vestel is well-positioned to continue shaping the future of the consumer electronics and home appliances industries - leveraging the Hague System as a pillar of its success. By integrating strong design strategies with robust international protections, Vestel ensures that its innovation continues to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
About the Hague System
WIPO’s Hague System provides a unique international mechanism for securing and managing design rights simultaneously in multiple countries or regions through one application, in one language with one set of fees.
Find out more
- Hague System Digital Information Kit
- How the Hague System works
- Filing international applications
- Managing international registrations
Want to share your story?
If you are interested in sharing your own Designs in Action story, illustrating how you’ve leveraged the Hague System to secure international design protection, we would love to hear from you! Contact Hague.
