The Covid-19, which has forced us to change our lifestyles in the last two years, has motivated us to think about tomorrow's jobs. In order to adapt to the necessities of this process of radical change, looking for job options that can be performed with a computer and internet access not only created new business areas but also made us realize the details that affect us in every moment of our lives but that we ignore. To give an example, we can talk about the growing interest in graphic design, especially in recent years, when working from home has become very common. So, what is graphic design and graphic designer? How well does the original definition match the definition we think it is? Is it a good choice to be interested in this field? We're going to consider it.
Firstly, it makes more sense to talk about the main goal of graphic design. It's communication. Five steps that must be followed in order to handle this process well, which is one of the basic human needs, are also very important for graphic design.
Sender - Message - Communication tool - Recipient - Feedback
These elements that we all start to learn from a young age, although they seem very simple to us, they are essential rules, especially for the methods of visual or graphic communication. If you want to create an effective message, it is important to choosethe right way to transmit the purpose and the means to transmit.
Methods of graphic communication exist in various domains of modern human life by following the above steps. Directional signs, billboards, brochures, books, newspapers and even graphic images used to distinguish male and female restrooms always push us to use our visual communication skills. However, considering that the same images can be interpreted in different ways by different people, this is probably one of the most common and difficult problems faced by graphic designers. That’s why, they try to be careful to choose the colors and shapes that best conform to the stereotypes. So, contrary to what we think, a graphic designer is not the total, he is every detail of the design. At this point, I would like to make a citation from Emre Becer's book called Communication and Graphic Design to free the designer's duties from standards in our minds:
As stated in the quote, the graphic designer is someone who combines materials properly, by following communication procedures. The harmonies of colors, typography, shapes and composition are clear signs for us to understand the responsibilities of the graphic designer. As a result, graphic design shouldn’t be seen as just a few Instagram posts or just a simple way to make money. Graphic design is also an art, although our most important purpose required by today’s conditions is that the domains, we are interested in should contribute to our economic situation.
Given that everyone has their own point of view, their own ideas and dreams, asking if graphic design is a good choice is equivalent to questioning whether creativity is a good thing or a bad thing. So, it can become a source of income and improve us by learning the details of the design process and we can exceed the limits of our creativity.
Considering that accessing information is really easy these days, it’s possible to become a qualified graphic designer with the right methods of learning and research. In my next articles, we will continue our design journey which is a new pursuit that interests me too.
If you are interested, you can also find this text in English and Turkish. I look forward to your comments on my translations and texts.