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Design notes
Notes, guides and the stories behind the work, on graphic design, print and the web.
Kerpe Kartal Kayalar: sunsets on the rocks in Kandıra
Camping with no facilities on the rocks at Kerpe village in Kandıra. Where to pitch your tent, how to get there and what to watch out for.
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What do I leave to AI in a logo project?
AI tools come out with a new feature every month. I went through a logo project step by step and put together a single diagram showing which steps it makes sense to get help with and which ones should stay with the designer.
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Claude Code or Codex? Why I use Claude Code
I built this site from start to finish with Claude Code. I read the comparisons with ChatGPT's Codex, and here's why, as a designer, I chose Claude Code.
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Kıyıköy: camping by the streams and in deserted coves
Places to camp in Kıyıköy, the quiet seaside town in Kırklareli: Pabuçdere and Kazandere, plus the Selvez and Poliçe coves.
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The first questions I ask when a logo job comes in
When I get a "We need a logo, how much would it cost?" message, I don't quote right away. I ask a few questions first, because the answers decide half the job.
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Kilimli Koyu: quiet corners away from the crowds in Ağva
The paid and free sides of Kilimli Koyu in Ağva, which part of the cove to head for if you want a quiet camp, and when to go.
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Karakiraz Köyü: Şile's camping spot tucked inside the forest
Free camping in a forest-ringed village a few kilometres inland from Şile's busy beaches. Getting there, conditions and the best time to go.
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A final check before sending files to the printer
Most jobs that come back from the printer with problems aren't caused by a design mistake, but by a small thing missing from the file. Here's what I check before sending a file.
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Yamaha XT125R
My motorcycle experiences
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Korsan Koyu: a quiet cove with no facilities in Çatalca
A Black Sea cove within Istanbul's borders, with no businesses and a final 1.5 km you cover on foot. How to get there and what to bring.
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From rough sketch to image in ChatGPT: what is Sketch good for?
OpenAI released ChatGPT Images 2.5 on September 8. The most striking new feature is Sketch: it uses whatever you roughly draw in the chat as a reference for the image. As a designer, where I think it will help me most is the early idea stage with clients.
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CBR 125R
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Telling Photoshop what to do: Firefly AI Assistant
Firefly AI Assistant, which Adobe introduced in April, came inside Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in June. You can now get work done across several apps with a single request. The part that will help me on the print side is file checking.
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Are business cards still useful?
Phone numbers get shared with QR codes now. Even so, business card orders haven't dropped. I think the reason is that a card doesn't just carry information, it leaves a feeling.
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Do you need a website if you have an Instagram page?
Most small businesses say "We have Instagram, that's enough." And it might be. But the moment a customer searches for you on Google is the moment the page alone isn't enough.
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The shelf test in label design
It's easy to zoom in to 100% and study a label on screen. The real question is whether it gets noticed on the shelf from two metres away, among all the other products.
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What does Figma's new agent bring to designers?
At Config 2026 on June 24, Figma opened its agent to all paid plans. It doesn't work in a separate chat window, it works right inside your file. I looked at what has changed from a designer's point of view.
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