An event titled “The Power of Design: Creative Approaches in Book Covers” was held within the scope of Future Talks Creative Culture events organized by the Üsküdar University Career Center Department. The event addressed the relationship between aesthetics, storytelling, and brand identity in the publishing sector.
Fırat Yenici, Managing Partner of Epsilon Publishing Group, and F. Burak Evlice, Art Director and Graphic Designer of Epsilon Publishing Group, were guests at the event held at Üsküdar University South Campus. Semra Gül, Assistant Manager for Sector Collaborations at the Career Center Department, moderated the event.
F. Burak Evlice: “A book cover is the first point of contact with the reader”
Graphic Designer F. Burak Evlice explained his approach to book cover design through examples. Stating that he has worked in advertising agencies and design studios for over 15 years, Evlice mentioned that he has been producing cover designs for Epsilon Publishing House in recent years.
Emphasizing that a book cover is not just an aesthetic element, Evlice said; “A book cover is the first point of contact with the reader on the shelf. You have to attract attention there. Metaphor, contrast, typography, and limited visual use are powerful tools at this point.”
“Abstraction is the most powerful method to invite readers to think”
Evlice also touched upon the 'self-restricting designer' approach in his presentation, stating that limitation in the design process can foster creativity. Evlice used the expressions; “Thinking through a single color, a single shape, or a single typographic element can make the design more refined and powerful.”
Stating that design does not always have to convey something directly, Evlice said, “Sometimes abstraction is the most powerful method to invite readers to think.”
Fırat Yenici: “The balance between publisher, designer, and author is critically important”
Fırat Yenici, speaking at the event, discussed the design-author relationship from a publishing house perspective. Yenici stated that authors are now more involved in the creative process; “The era of ivory tower authorship has largely ended. An author who wants to meet the reader must accept that the cover is also part of this process.”
Yenici drew attention to the element of balance in cover design; “The author's concerns, the designer's creativity, and the publisher's reader expectations should be considered together. This balance is critically important. The designer takes on a much more critical role here.”
The event concluded with evaluations based on students' design examples.
The event allowed students to directly interact with industry professionals and closely familiarize themselves with current approaches in the design world.
