Ayse Birsel

Ayse Birsel is an industrial designer and author, renowned for her work with Herman Miller. Born in 1964 in Izmir, Turkey, she earned her undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from Middle East Technical University (METU). She pursued further education in New York City, attending Pratt Institute on a Fulbright Scholarship, where she obtained a master's degree in Design in 1989.

Birsel began her career by collaborating with Bruce Hannah and Knoll to design the Orchestra desk accessories collection. She later worked for TOTO in Tokyo, developing the Zoë Washlet, which received several awards, including ID Magazine’s Gold Award in 1996. Upon returning to New York in 1993, she established her own product design studio, Olive 1:1, which evolved into Birsel+Seck, a design and innovation studio co-run with her partner Bibi Seck.

Birsel is also an author and speaker. Her book "Design the Life You Love" (2015) provides insights into her design process for creating meaningful lives and work. She has delivered talks on human-centered design at TEDx in Cannes and Design Indaba in Cape Town. Additionally, she authored a follow-up book titled "Design the Long Life You Love" (2022). Her notable works include the Zoë Washlet and the Resolve System for Herman Miller.

Birsel married Bibi Seck in 2004, and they have two daughters and one son.