Unlike the conventional design practice, the design of spaces through user participation, not only relies on the creativity of thedesigner, but is also shaped by the needs and preferences of the users. Such an approach enables the user to embrace the spaceand to use it more effectively. Thus, potential that was not apparent before in the space can be revealed. University venues aredesigned to support the basic needs of the students, such as education, research and social interaction. The people who shouldhave a say about how and which space will be designed in this sense are the students who are the main users of the space. Theuniversity cafeteria was selected as the space in this study, as it relates to multiple needs of the students such as eating anddrinking, studying, chatting, resting and having fun. In this context, the aim of the study was to redesign the existing cafeteriaof Istanbul Kultur University with a student participation approach. The field research of the study includes two interrelatedstages based on qualitative methods. In the first stage, the current state of the space was examined through the observations ofthe space and user actions and photographs. The findings obtained in the first stage provided the researcher with an overviewof the layout of the university cafeteria and gave an idea of how the spaces were used and the design. Observations were basedon how the students interact with the space, the personal space definition of the space, the actions and behaviors that exist inthe cafeteria, and factors directly related to the physical environment such as light, ventilation and thermal comfort. In thesecond stage of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students. Students of Istanbul Kultur University, whoare the primary users of the venue, took part in the interviews as participants. The findings obtained at the end of the studywere evaluated and transferred to the design. The purpose of the interview was to determine how the users make use of theexisting areas of the cafeteria space, how they feel about the place in general and their forward-looking wishes / expectations.Issues of how the cafeteria environment is perceived, how many people use the space, the pros and cons of the place, and if itis redesigned, the desired / expectations in the cafeteria environment were created, and the questions were directed in line withthese headings. Findings from the analysis and coding stages highlighted some important problems in the existing cafeteria,and the positive qualities to be considered for the new cafeteria design to be designed. After the data collection and evaluationprocess was completed, data transfer was made with graphics and visualizations that would strengthen the designer-usercommunication, and that both groups could perceive and interpret jointly.Six main design decisions were made with the information obtained from the analysis findings. These decisions are; to bring adefined circulation axis to the space, to establish correct connections between spaces with similar and different functions, toprovide diversity to the space, to eliminate the monotony in the space with the use of plants, to make space arrangements inaccordance with physical environmental conditions and to reduce the density of catering services. In the study, new designideas were developed in line with these decisions. The subject discussed in the study emphasizes that how students experienceschools, which is an important part of their daily lives, how school spaces can be improved with student participation, and thatstudents have a say in the spaces in structures such as universities / schools where they spend most of their time, increasestheir sense of belonging to these spaces. In the study conducted in the cafeteria of Istanbul Kultur University, it was concluded that visual methods improve thegeneration of information and interpretation of findings, unlike the data collected by traditional methods such as interviewsand questionnaires. Although the findings cannot be generalized, it is thought that the approaches adopted and the dataobtained in this study will contribute to both participatory design literature and designers who will design a universitycafeteria. In the future work on the improvement of any school space, it is suggested that not only students but also educatorsshould have a say. Considering today’s conditions and technology, it is thought that making a method such as a questionnairedigitally can reach both faster and more users. Participatory design should continue not only in the process, but in every stageof the design. Therefore, various alternatives can be developed and voted during the design process. The design with the mostvotes can be applied.