Prof. Dr. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department, stating that AI-supported visual applications enable the swift realization of projects that cannot be created based on planned content or imagination, said, “To keep pace with the dynamics of the era and the needs and expectations of the sector, it is crucial for designers to learn how to use artificial intelligence tools and closely follow developments in this field.”
Prof. Dr. And Algül stated that as a department, they make an effort to integrate AI-supported applications into course content and student projects at every possible opportunity, adding, “In the future, it is likely that new artificial intelligence tools will emerge in the field of visual communication that we cannot yet foresee today.”
Prof. Dr. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, made evaluations on visual communication design and artificial intelligence due to April 27, World Communication Design Day.
Concerns are not new; similar ones were experienced in the past
Noting that with the increasing impact of technology on social life, artificial intelligence, as the latest popular application of electronic communication, has shown its effect in design-related professions, and news about the use of new AI tools emerges daily, Prof. Dr. And Algül continued:
“Professionals working in the field strive to maintain their careers in a rapidly changing environment while encountering new practical usage opportunities. However, the fact that tasks can now be completed more quickly and easily via computers compared to the past causes these professional groups to worry about the future. Such discussions and concerns resemble the societal reactions witnessed during the early days of computers. At that time, there were also fears that some professions would be taken over by machines and that computers would replace people, but over time, these concerns proved unfounded. In fact, the issue is related to humanity's process of adapting to new working conditions and life practices alongside the evolving world order and globalization. It is evident that humanity struggles to abandon its habits and finds it difficult to change its lifestyle, yet rapidly adapts to comfort due to the ease provided by technology.”
New opportunities emerge in visual communication with the advancement of technology
Although there are still countries and geographies experiencing a digital divide, Prof. Dr. And Algül stated that technological determinism is keenly felt, especially in the field of visual communication, saying, “This situation presents itself as in the iconic Macintosh advertisement published in 1984. At that time, the use of Macintosh computers in publishing and communication reduced workloads that took days or even weeks to short periods, enabling the emergence of new job areas and allocating more time for creativity. Similarly, today, with the advancement of technology, new opportunities are emerging in the field of visual communication.”
Artificial intelligence is used under two main categories
Noting that as of April 2025, the use of artificial intelligence in visual communication is applied in two fundamental ways, Prof. Dr. And Algül continued:
“The first of these consists of applications carried out within existing image-based design programs like Photoshop. In such applications, artificial intelligence is used to execute commands such as filling areas, clearing areas, and filling with similar elements and objects. These operations can be performed through the tools and commands offered by the program. The second form of use encompasses artificial intelligence tools for creating visual, audio, and similar content from scratch. In these types of applications, users can generate content such as visuals, text, audio, animations, and videos by writing specific commands (prompts) and use this content in the design process. The visual materials created sometimes constitute the entire design, while other times they include only a specific part or minor retouches.”
Every piece of information shared in the digital environment is collected and stored somewhere
Prof. Dr. And Algül also explained that AI-supported visual applications enable the swift realization of projects that cannot be created based on planned content or imagination, stating the following:
“It is observed that some shares occasionally gain popularity on social media. For example, the Ghibli trend, which became popular as of April 2025, allows users to transform their portraits into hand-drawn animation frames according to their wishes. Users share these hand-drawn style animation portraits on their social media accounts. However, it is useful to be careful at this point. In the context of digital media literacy and digital footprint, it should not be forgotten that every piece of information shared in the digital environment is collected and stored somewhere. To keep pace with the dynamics of the era and the needs and expectations of the sector, it is crucial for designers to learn how to use artificial intelligence tools and closely follow developments in this field.”
Artificial intelligence is used in student projects
Prof. Dr. And Algül stated that as the Visual Communication Design Department of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, they make an effort to integrate AI-supported applications into course content and student projects at every possible opportunity, saying, “For example, within the scope of the '2024 Fall Semester 2nd Year Magazine Cover Design Exhibition' and the '2024 Fall Semester 1st Year Design with Artificial Intelligence Exhibition,' content was produced according to specific themes using artificial intelligence tools and integrated into the projects.”
Using it might be a choice…
Prof. Dr. Algül stated that using artificial intelligence tools, which are starting to gain an important place in content production in the field of visual communication design today, is a matter of choice, but added, “However, if today's conditions are heavily shaped by these tools, it would be a healthier approach for designers to learn about the subject and then decide whether or not to use them. In the future, new artificial intelligence tools are likely to emerge in the field of visual communication that we cannot yet foresee today. Therefore, closely following the current developments in the field; knowing which AI tools can be used for what purpose and how; and understanding the creative processes through which content produced with these tools passes, is of great importance for designers.”