1 year mmmake 5 questions for İliyaz

İlyas Bahar (in Bulgarian spelling Iliyaz Yahya) has been living in Germany for 3 years and has been a permanent part of mmmake for one year. Before that, however, he has been around a lot: Born in Bulgaria and raised in Turkey, he has already gained 6 years of experience in the industry there after graduating. Now the versatile creative supports our teams from Heilbronn with his keen eye for the big picture as well as the smallest details. He often passes the time with us by coming up with ingenious ideas and concepts for Hyundai, but you can also read his handwriting at other customers like Deutsche Telekom. High time to get to know Iliyaz a little better.

How did you find mmmake?

I think my path to mmmake was pretty normal. Through contacts in the industry, I had often heard positive things about mmmake. When I saw the open position with a cool mix of concept work and graphic design, I applied right away, too.

This was followed by a conversation with Isa, Rainer and Melle and a trial project. And by the next interview, I was already a CAMAO.

What was your highlight of the 1st year?

There was already so much going on in the first year, it’s hard to pick a highlight. But in the end I have to put three pitches on the podium, for example for M-Net or Mainzer Stadtwerke AG. I was able to give a lot of input regarding idea development, presentation structure and storytelling and they were all very exciting pitches where the whole team worked really well together. And it was worth it: we won all three!

And other than that, I was also very happy to learn new things. The two biggest topics were probably e-learning including conceptual approaches and related software like Articulate360 as well as Instagram AR-Effects, through which I was able to get to know Facebook Spark Studio a bit. And by the nature of ONE CAMAO, my scheduling and collaboration skills have gotten (even) a little better, too.

Which project did you enjoy the most?

Working on campaigns for Hyundai is always a highlight. But what stood out for me this year was our e-learning project for Deutsche Telekom. It was the first project of this kind for me and also mmmake itself, which means we could really dig into a new topic.

We really started very early, defined the strategic direction, developed our approach with gamification and developed it further. Working across locations also worked out great and was another great mini-experience in the project.

The fact that in the end we delivered a truly exceptional and innovative e-learning product rounds off the whole thing, of course. That and the great feedback from the customer.

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time (and why)?

I love cooking – and eating what I’ve cooked in the end is, of course, just as much fun. Preferably with family or friends. I come from Turkey, so there is often Turkish cuisine, but also often Greek or other culinary achievements of the Mediterranean. Just sit comfortably together, enjoy the food and the company. That is enjoyment for me. And when I’m alone, I also love to read. I am particularly interested in social sciences, international relations or history.

What three things (or creatures) would you take with you to a desert island?

My family, my cat, and my books.

How would you describe mmmake in just one word?

Motivation.

Many thanks to Iliyaz for the interview. Feel free to visit him on LinkedIn as well!