Gülizar Çepoglu earned an international reputation as independent graphic designer and educator with an honours degree in Graphic and Media Design, and a Masters in Typographic design from London College of Communication. She currently lives and works in London.
 
Gulizar worked as a designer and art director in Istanbul between 1985-96, she then set up her own design studio while teaching graphic design at Turkish universities. 
She moved to London in 2000 where she taught graphic design in top British universities, as well as leading workshops on editorial design and design activism, exhibiting work and delivering seminars in London and Istanbul.
 
Gülizar’s projects range from corporate identity to editorial design, while her work has been featured and profiled in design journals and publications. As the art director of the Turkish National Newspaper in 1987-89, she won prices in newspaper design. 
Her magazine and book design projects have been recognised with design awards. 
She is a contributor to eye magazine and member of CEEI Université de Paris VII. 
Her posters are in the permanent collection of the Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich.


Gülizar Çepoglu
Designer, Educator

Senior Associate Lecturer, January 2018-present
University of Greenwich
Creative Professions and Digital Arts (CPDA)
Graphic Design Principals

Senior Associate Lecturer, 2000-2017
London College of Communication, University of the Arts London
Graphic and Media Design School

Lecturer, 2009-2010
University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
Graphic Communication

Visiting Lecturer, 2011-2012
Buckinghamshire New University
Graphic Design

Senior Art Editor, 2006-2007
Dorling Kindersley Publishing Penguin Group

Lecturer in Graphic Design, 1993-2000
Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Istanbul

Owner/Manager/Art Director, 1992-2004 Istanbul
GC Design Company
Clients: Istanbul Foundation of Arts, Ottoman Bank, Istanbul Cerrahi Hastanesi, Maya Construction Inc, The British Council, Young and Rubicam/Reklamevi, Kemer Country

Designer, 1992-1994
Cornucopia Magazine www.cornucopia.net
The award-winning magazine for the connoisseurs of Turkey 

Art Director, 1987-1989 Istanbul
National Newspaper Günes Gazetesi

Designer and Art director, 1985-1988
RPM advertising agency and design studio, Iyi Şeyler Publishing

In-house designer,1983-1985 Istanbul
Enka Construction Inc


Research Themes
- My research deals with image/text interrelationship in constructing meaning as graphic language, principally in book design.

- This research analyses the impact of electronic technologies on the practice of book design in Britain between 1984-2006.

- To this end, I have developed an evaluative timeline depicting the technological changes and as case studies I have looked at designers who have used these technologies while constructing meaning, from mid 1980s onwards.

- My primary interest focuses on the image/word dichotomy and its implications for communication and language, the production of messages and graphic design.

- I have been assessing the practice of graphic design as a discipline capable of generating meaning on its own terms without the constraints of an external imposition.


Articles/Works Published in Specialist Books and Magazines
Typographics 2 cybertype ‘zines+screens Hearst Books International, 1996, pp. 74-75
The European Design Annual 4 Rotovision SA, 1999, pages 110-111
Print Magazine Print’s European Design Annual, 1999, page 137
Printed Matter Hearst Books International, 1999, pages 70-74
Page Layout Hearst Books International, 2000, page 122
Big Color Hearst Books International, 2000, pages 34
Experimental Layout Design Fundamentals Rotovision SA, 2002, pages 16, 129-131
Space’r Designs for a Life, issue 0.04
Artist’s Sketchbooks YapiKredi Bank Exhibition Catalogue, YapiKredi Publications, 2003
A collection of artists’ sketchbooks from various fields of art and design; a number of my sketchbooks were exhibited and printed in the catalogue.
Sanat Dunyamiz, YapiKredi Publications, 2003
On graphic designer’s sketchbooks, by Gulizar Cepoglu.
Sanat Dunyamiz, YapiKredi Publications, 2004
Reading the City of Signs, by Gulizar Cepoglu
Introducing designs for making a first impression Die Gestalten Verlag, 2005, page 177
Serialize; family faces and variety in graphic design Die Gestalten Verlag, 2006, pp 22-23


Educational Publications
We Interrupt the Programme in Istanbul. Image and text interface exploring the nature of graphic design as a direct component of the communication process. A research project organised by Gulizar Cepoglu in collaboration with Ian Noble and Russell Bestley from LCC. The publication record of the entire event. Designed by Gulizar Cepoglu, published in Istanbul, 2001.

Design for Communication: Conceptual Graphic Design Basics by Elizabeth Resnick, Wiley, 2003. The book represents forty basic to advanced graphic design and typography assignments written by design educators to teach fundamental processes, concepts and techniques through hands on applications. Pages 195-200 show an assignment that I conducted at LCC with a group of students, including a process narrative and educator’s critical analysis revealing the reasoning behind the creative strategies employed by each individual student solution.


Seminars, Workshops, Exhibitions
Guest designer Grafist 13
Seminar, Workshop and exhibition at the Mimar Sinan University in October 2009. The “International Istanbul Graphic Design Week” is an educational activity organized annually since 1997 by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Fine Arts Faculty, Graphic Design Department. This activity is an organization endorsed by ICOGRADA International Council of Graphic Design Associations. Grafist is organized with the collaboration of GMK /The Turkish Society of Graphic Designer. 

• We Interrupt The Programme In Istanbul
Graphic design and its relationship to communication and language, the production of messages and design as a form of social commentary. Marmara University, Fine Art Faculty, Istanbul, March 2000; organiser.

• Reading The City of Signs: Istanbul: Revealed or Mystified?
Bilgi University, Istanbul, April 2003; organiser.

• Mapping Meanings: Istanbul’s Bosphorus. An action research project
Various venues (see below), 2003-2005; organiser.
Seminars Research Outputs and Work in Progress Exhibition at Bilgi University, Istanbul, April 2003
Exhibition at The Architecture Centre, Bristol, June-July 2003
Exhibition at the University of Nottingham, September 2003
Exhibition at the London College of Communication, January-February 2004

• Research Seminars at the University of the Arts London, since 2000; participator.

• Grafist 13, the Thirteenth International Istanbul Design Week. Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, October, 2009; participator.


Participation
• SALT Talk, Who Is In Town? Gulizar Cepoglu on the interrelation of image and text,
19 April 2011
• Research Seminars at the University of Arts, since 2000
• Grafist 13, The Thirteenth International Istanbul Design Week. Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul October 12-17, 2009.


Design Awards
• International Istanbul Biennial Book, book design prize awarded by GMK, 2001
• Certificate of Design Excellence, Istanbul Surgery Hospital, European Design Annual 4/1999
• Yayin, magazine design prize awarded by GMK, 1994
• Aprido Swimwear, logo prize awarded by GMK, 1993
• Ottoman Bank Calendar, design prize awarded by GMK, 1993
• Beymen Status, magazine design prize awarded by GMK, 1993
• Sunday Supplement, Peki, newspaper design prize awarded by GMK, 1990
• Peki Logotype, logo prize awarded by GMK 1990
• Kalın Art Magazine owned by Mehmet Güleryüz, prize awarded by GMK, 1989
• Photographer Nazif Topçuoglu, stationery design prize awarded by GMK, 1989
• Cumhuriyet Newspaper Yunus Nadi Poster Design award, 1988-89
• Architect Riza Tansu, stationery design prize awarded by GMK, 1988
• British Council ITBA, brochure design prize awarded by GMK, 1987
(GMK is The Society of Turkish Graphic Designers, a member of ICOGRADA)


Activities and Organisations
Member of:
CEEI – Centre d'étude de l'écriture et de l'image,  Universite Paris Diderot - PARIS 7
University of the Arts London Members Association
Turkish Society of Graphic Designers (GMK)
The Typographic Circle

An ex-Olympic swimmer for the Turkish National Team (between the ages of 10 and 16) and participated in many World, European, Mediterranean and Balkans Championships.
Member of the Amateur Swimming Organisation.


News
Developing Citizen Designers
Eye Magazine Issue 89
Eye Blog 2015
Yahsibey Design Workshops 2014
How Did We Get Here SALT Beyoglu
How Did We Get Here images
Eye Magazine Blog March 2014
Eye Magazine Blog July 2013
Buckinhamshire New University
SALT Talk, 19 April 2011
Etapes International Magazine
Interview with Gulizar Cepoglu
Eye Magazine Blog
LCC Blog

Links
LCC
CEEI Universite de Paris VII
Marmara University
Istanbul Design Week
Mimar Sinan
Fine Arts University