I am a graduate of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Design. My suggestion to a student researching a department is not to compare only the name of the school and the titles of the graduates. Also research what works you will produce during the training, how these works will be evaluated, and which areas you will have the opportunity to try.
This article shares my personal professional perspective; It is not an official announcement of the university, an exam preparation program or a guarantee of acceptance. For current department name and program information, refer to the university's Graphic Arts page, and for application requirements, refer to the relevant year announcements of the faculty.
How can you read student affairs when researching schools?
When examining work in a graduation exhibition, do not focus only on the images you like. Can the subject of the project be understood? Is there a relationship between the research and the result? Does the design work consistently across multiple surfaces? Asking these questions to the student or the department official may be more descriptive than a general success statement.
Do not assume that a single successful student represents the entire program. Look at examples from different years and different project areas. While one school may focus on the publication design that interests you, another program may focus on a different field of production.
The duties of the diploma and the portfolio are different
The diploma documents your educational history. A portfolio, on the other hand, shows how you approach a specific design problem. Explain the two together rather than replacing them with each other. You don't have to present a student project like client work; It is valuable enough to clearly write that it is a fictional brief and show the research, constraints and result.
How can you view my work?
In My Portfolio you can see different production areas such as brand identity, catalogue, packaging and digital interface. These are not the university's official student project archives; These are my professional works. When looking at learning, you can compare how the same person organizes information on different surfaces.
For example, what a catalog and a mobile interface have in common is prioritizing information. On the other hand, the delivery conditions of the print file and the interactive screen are different. When choosing a major, look for both this common foundation and field-specific applications.
Three questions to ask before choosing
- How often and how is feedback given in lessons?
- Are there any projects where the student can develop his own research?
- Under what conditions are workshop and production facilities accessible?
You can go to graphic design guide for an overview of the training process, and score and talent exam guide for application details.
When choosing a graphic design course, look at more than just the program name
A short course and university education do not offer the same scope and documentation. When researching a course, write down what job you aim to achieve. Are only program commands taught, or are there also typography, composition, brief and project evaluation?
Ask about how the instructor gives feedback to the student, a sample project submission, and expectations for extracurricular work. Imitating the ready-made file step by step can help you gain familiarity with the tool; It is also necessary to work on different briefs to see the ability to make independent decisions.
Don't assume a certification is a guarantee of employment or acceptance. Verify current conditions with the education provider. Graphic designer Selçuk Aker's suggestion is to see if you can explain your own project's decisions before figuring out how many effects you've learned by the end of the course.
How can a student who wants to be a graphic designer plan their first work?
Instead of trying to learn all design areas at once in the beginning, solve a single communication problem with several deliverables. For example, create a poster, social media announcement and short program for a fictional book event. Explain how you prioritized the same information at three different levels. Do not present an event that has not actually been carried out or a brand that has not been studied as a customer reference.
Look for completeness of information in the first round, readability in the second round, visual consistency in the third round. Show the work to someone else and see if they can find the date and location of the event in a few seconds. This small check gives more concrete feedback than a thumbs up vote.
What design skills should you develop while learning software?
Typography, use of space, color relationships and visual hierarchy are also required in different programs. When learning to produce effects in an application, also consider what information will stand out and why. Vector drawing, photo editing, multi-page publications and interface design may require different tools; narrow down the selection to the job you want to do.
The guide Which design tool is used for which job? explains this distinction. Don't assume that learning one program will prepare you for all design jobs; Improve tool skills with different briefs and criticism.
When are you ready for your first freelance graphic designer job?
Being able to explain the scope of a job is as important as doing it. If you cannot explain the files you will deliver, content needs, schedule and revision order, first see these gaps with a small trial project. Instead of adding areas to the package that you can't do for the first customer, offer deliverables that you can actually control.
As Selçuk Aker, a graduate of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Design, my suggestion is that you explain not only the result but also the question, constraints and the solution you chose in your portfolio. You can turn this approach into a presentation in student portfolio and internship guide.
Frequently asked questions
What graphic design training did Selçuk Aker receive?
Selçuk Aker is a graduate of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Design. This article offers professional evaluations for those researching departments based on their educational background; It is not the official promotional or application text of the university.
What should I look for when reviewing a department's student affairs?
Examine not only the images you like, but also how the problem is defined and how it is solved on different surfaces. Seeing work from different years is more revealing than making decisions based on a single successful project.
