Communication and Graphic Design: Emre Becer Book Recommendation

Graphic design guide

Scope of the guide

Emre Becer's book "Communication and Graphic Design" published by Dost Kitabevi is one of the Turkish resources I recommend to design candidates who want to think of graphic design not only as visual production but also as a communication work.

An important note: This article is not a summary of the book. I do not quote the book, I do not quote the chapter titles, and I do not explain its content page by page. My goal is to explain why I recommend this book, how I recommend you read it, and how you can turn what you read into your own design work. I am Selçuk Aker; I am a graduate of Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Design and have been working in the fields of brand identity, printed communication and interface design for more than 19 years. The following reading method and exercises are my suggestions; It is not a recommendation of the author or publishing house.

Imprint of the book

The number of pages and cover may vary in different editions. Before purchasing, check the current edition with ISBN from the publisher, bookstore, or a library catalogue. I am not writing the first year of printing here; I couldn't find a source that I could verify.

Why should a graphic design candidate read this book?

The attention of someone starting design education naturally goes first to the programs and the visual result. This is an understandable start; However, the real challenge in the profession is often not the software, but "To whom, what and why is this design telling?" To answer the question clearly. “Communication and Graphic Design” is known as one of the basic resources in Turkish that deals with communication theory and design together. That's why I recommend it not as a software manual, but as a resource that teaches you a way of thinking.

I think there are three concrete benefits of reading the book:

• A common language: Mastering Turkish concepts will make your job easier when talking about design decisions with your professors, teammates and customers.
• The habit of making justifications: Being able to defend a poster not by saying "it was nice" but by saying "it conveys this message to this audience in this order" makes a difference in criticism and presentation classes.
• Linking theory and practice: When you match communication concepts with everyday design tasks, a catalog page or packaging face becomes more than just a composition, it turns into a communication problem.

Book; It can be a suitable start for candidates preparing for the aptitude test, graphic design or visual communication students, readers who approach design from the faculty of communication, and self-taught beginner designers. Don't expect him to teach software or explain current interface design practices on his own; These topics require additional resources.

How should you read the book?

Reading a theoretical book at once and putting it aside means forgetting most of it after a few weeks. The method I recommend to students is this:

1. Write your own definition before reading. “What is graphic design, what is its relationship with communication?” Give a three-sentence answer to the question and save it. When you finish the book, rewrite this answer and compare the two.
2. Make a three-column note. Divide your notebook into three columns: “Concept,” “In my own words,” and “An example I saw.” Writing it in your own words instead of copying the sentence from the book shows whether you really understand the concept.
3. Find a real-world example in each session. Look for the concept you're reading about on a sign on the street, on a product packaging, or in a social media ad. Take a photo and add it to your note.
4. Do short sessions. Twenty or thirty pages a day followed by ten minutes of notes is more lasting than long, scattered reading.
5. Mark the parts you do not understand, do not skip them. Bring up the parts where you put a question mark in class or when talking with a designer.

Practice exercises to do while reading

The exercises below are not directly linked to the chapters of the book. I prepared it based on general concepts commonly used in communication studies. Watch for yourself as you read how the book covers these concepts.

• Message analysis: A poster you see; Analyze by sender, message, target audience, channel and context. Write one sentence for each heading. Whatever remains unclear is most likely the weak point of the design.
• Same message, three audiences: Design a neighborhood library's opening announcement as three separate posters for children, college students and retirees. Let the text remain the same; Only typography, color, visual and hierarchy should change.
• Signs and meaning: Find five signs in everyday life that you understand without writing. Note what conveys the meaning of each: shape, color, location, habit?
• Sound of text: Arrange the same word in three different fonts and show it to someone and ask which one gives which emotion. Compare the results with your own prediction.
• Reducing noise: Find a busy brochure or menu. Mark the elements that can be removed without destroying the message and draw a simplified version.

If you want to deepen the typography side of these exercises, you can look at the typography guide, or if you want to see the equivalent in lessons, you can look at the graphic design lessons guide.

Sources that can be read alongside

“Communication and Graphic Design” provides a theoretical basis. To strengthen the practical side, I recommend reading it along with different types of resources:

I recommend using these resources together rather than sequentially. For example, studying communication concepts one week and doing a typography exercise the same week shows more clearly how theory turns into a design decision. Theoretical book “why?” The practical book answers the question "how?" It helps with the question; A good design decision addresses both.

Check with the publishing houses whether these books have a Turkish edition and current edition information. Besides books, add three types of sources to your reading list: design history books and museum collections, designer monographs and university course syllabi. If you don't know where to start in design history, famous graphic designers guide offers a list of studies.

Four-week reading plan for the design student

Dividing a book of approximately 254 pages into four weeks means reading 60–65 pages per week. This pace is a realistic start for a student with a heavy course load.

If your reading speed varies, spread the plan out over eight weeks; The important thing is not the tempo, but producing a concrete output every week. At the end of the fourth week, collect the accumulated work in a single file. This file can be used as a process-describing section in your portfolio; Just state that it is a personal exercise.

Common mistakes while reading

These are the common mistakes I see in students while reading a theoretical design book:

• Underlining a sentence: Underlining a sentence does not mean that you understand it. If you can't rewrite it in your own words, go back to that section.
• Memorizing the concept as a definition: Being able to write the definition in the exam is not the same as being able to recognize that concept on a poster. Find at least one visual example for each concept.
• Copying images: Redrawing examples from the book or on the internet can be an exercise; But it should not be presented as your own work in the portfolio.
• Considering the book as the only source: Every author has a point of view. Comparing the same topic with different sources strengthens critical reading.
• Separating reading from production: Reading alone for weeks and not making any designs leaves the theory abstract. This is why each week in the plan has a deliverable.

At the end of each week, ask yourself three questions: What concept did I notice for the first time this week? In which example did I see it? What will I do differently in my next design? Keeping the answers to these three questions on one page will leave you with a record at the end of four weeks that is more valuable than your reading notes.

How do you take what you've studied into your profession?

The value of a book is measured by what changes in your work after reading it. The first question to ask when starting a catalog or identity work comes before choosing color or font: Who will read this work, under what conditions, and in how long?

After you've finished reading, try the following:

• Write the message and target audience in two sentences before you start designing your next project or assignment.
• Prepare a justification sentence for each design decision in the presentation.
• Instead of "did not like" the criticisms you received, "which communication goal did not meet?" Make a note with the question.

If you want to see the entire career path, the how to become a graphic designer guide explains the steps from training to portfolio, and the graphic design training page explains school and course options.

Do you have a design project?

This guide provides information about education and profession. You can share your existing content and delivery expectations for your design project.

• Communication purpose of the project
• Mediums to be used
• Needed deliveries