selen nazikioglu aka myrt
i'm a creative thinker and doer blending artistry, strategy, and human insight to deliver solutions across industries. with degrees in graphic design, advertising, and sociology, i approach challenges with a mix of analytical understanding and artistic vision.
my career spans game design, advertising, marketing, community building, and operational leadership. i adapt, i lead, i create. across whatever role the situation demands.
i prioritize authenticity in everything i do. crafting stories, strategies, and designs that people genuinely engage with and remember. just work that means something.
the path
i started in art school, hacettepe university, graphic design. made it to the final year, then dropped out for personal reasons. no regrets. the visual thinking and design discipline stuck with me permanently.
then i pivoted into game design, a full leap actually. i became the COO, community manager, and lead game designer of Aphelium, building an entire game universe from zero. economy systems, social mechanics, community building, content writing, social media. all of it at once.
then data analysis pulled me in. patterns, correlations, messy datasets that hide stories. i got certified, built projects, and started taking freelance work.
the thread connecting all of it: i'm always learning, always adapting, always chasing whatever system or problem feels alive to me. i don't fit in one box and i stopped trying to.
what drives me
curiosity and an obsession with research and innovation. i find inspiration in music, films, animes, games, and storytelling that challenges the norm; and i bring that energy to all aspects of my work.
whether i'm designing immersive game worlds, crafting advertising campaigns that connect authentically, or growing vibrant online communities. the core is the same: create experiences that are meaningful and impactful.
i'm also passionate about sustainability, exploring creative solutions to environmental challenges where creativity meets practicality.
what i bring to the table
game design: economy systems, player psychology, social mechanics, risk-reward loops, gamification. from serving as the COO of Aphelium to designing 50+ mechanics for expansion. this is where i want to live. check the marks for the full breakdown.
data analysis: cleaning messy datasets, finding patterns, building dashboards, telling the story the numbers are hiding. python, pandas, tableau, the whole stack. freelance and project-based.
brand identity & advertising: visual identity, social media strategy, content writing, campaign design. i've done it professionally and i'm still doing it.
community building: growing and sustaining engaged communities from scratch. not just moderation. designing the social systems that make people want to stay and contribute.
web design & development: this site and every project in the marks. i built all of them. designed, coded, and deployed on netlify. html, css, javascript, p5.js, SVG filters, interactive data visualizations. not templates. from scratch.
i'm currently looking for work. if you like what you see in the marks, let's talk.