Image Courtesy: Afrobeat by Giuseppe Salerno

Afrobeat is not something that requires an introduction in Nigeria. We live and breathe Afrobeat, it’s the culmination of Nigerian music during the trying times of post independence and military rule. At the heart of Afrobeat is the revered Fela Anikulapo Kuti. A man who seemed to have sung about everything from Zombies to Water. We love you Fela.

Now this is a blog on Design, and in most cases Design in Nigeria. So why all this talk about Afrobeat you might wander? Well Afrobeat has also come to refer to a font created by Giuseppe Salerno inspired by Afrobeat. In Salerno’s words:.

“The pounding tribal rhythms of Afrobeat music is expressed through this psychedelic brand new font, Afrobeat. Every letter becomes art as every letter is elegantly placed side by side, like music notes, creating music for the eyes.”

There is also a free poster and you can read more about Afrobeat by going to the website.

I’m a sucker for anything that steps away from “the trend”. The last two sunday papers for Thisday and 234 Next have featured an A1 poster by Etisalat showing a typographical illustrated map of Nigeria and the states currently covered by the network.

Whilst a little bit of attention could have been paid to kerning and line-height, I commend the creativity. Well done guys, I think the agency behind this is 141 Worldwide. Very clever!

“Life as a designer in Nigeria can be challenging. One must be readily armed with a club to chase after inspiration.”

– Ebi Atawodi

Following Glo’s not so Biiiig Dash and their incessant marketing text messages (with no option to opt out, Glo do something about this). You can imagine my utter delight when I received a message last night about “the new Glo website”. Whilst the “world-class design and functionality” excerpt from said text message seems a bit of an over statement, there just isn’t room for complacency in the web world, I have to give Glo a much deserved thumbs up.

The mark-up is clean and light, the design the same. Use of typography, grid, colours and negative space have all been given some due regard. The content is easy on the eye, not too light yet not cumbersome. The use of “green” has been brought to a less overbearing amount with a hue richer colour palette and I particularly like the illustration/art in the background which changes colour scheme along with some elements across different pages.

I have two small reservations, the main banner/hero on the home page is a bit off the rest of the 4-col grid layout and the copy needs a bit more leading. Secondly, I fail to understand the point of the duplicate main and secondary navigation, instead perhaps an a-name type content navigation, you know #sectionthis, #sectionthat, might serve better as some pages are a tad long.

All in all it is a pretty well rounded website and following our previous post on carrier websites, a second review would surely put Glo right on top.

Welldone Glo. As always I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

We’ve been working on quite a few visual systems these last few months leading into the Yuletide. We’ve recently finished the logo for Photography Studio, Studioflow. We went for a simple typography based logo to keep it clean and versatile and have devised a simple typography system across a number of their photographs to create some self promotional material.

Website, stationery and some good ol’ print goodness coming soon. And of course we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photographs by Studioflow

With the build up to Nigeria at 50 and the whole rebrand project coming along, the book “In Dependence” by Sarah Ladipo Manyika really did have me wondering what was beneath the covers. Not just because of the name and the story but the clever book cover design.

Book cover design makes up a huge industry for illustrators and it’s always great to see a job well done. I attended a book reading yesterday in Abuja where after all the literary related questions, the art director in me couldn’t help but validate whether the seemingly clear message perceived by me was the same as what the illustrator, Lynn Hatzius, intended. To give a very brief synopsis, the story is of a young Nigerian who moves to the UK to study at Oxford and soon falls in love with a daughter of an ex-colonial officer  as well as the cultural differences they encounter. More details on the Amazon page.

The book cover illustration is of two silhouettes showing the two subjects which mask the maps of either character’s heritage, but when they come together, they are just two people in love. I love when design speaks so clearly but subtly.

Alas I was correct and the author thanked the publishers Cassava Republic for doing such a great job on the book and artwork.

We like to talk about everything design. Designers, Illustrators and the like, Techniques, Processes and most importantly eye candy! 

I first spotted the very creative very out of the box, or more like in the box, campaign for the latest Nokia Maps on a drive from Ikeja airport to the Ikoyi. I immediately went out of my way to find a Nokia store and get my hands on some of this creative goodness! The design features hand drawn illustrations of Abuja and Lagos. It’s black and white with a splash of colour and all this to me screams yum yum yummy! 

Raise your hand if you are tired of seeing the smiley faces and “models” most ad campaigns in Nigeria seem to use. I have to give it to Nokia for this innovative Nigerian inspired approach (they could have just taken a picture of a phone with a map!). Now I wonder who thought this up? Anyone know who’s the designer behind this ingenuity? 

What are your thoughts?

 

Update

 A very reliable little birdie has just informed me that the genius behind these illustrations is Ifedi Okafo who works at LTC JWT Lagos. Great work Ifedi and we hope to see more amazing work from you soon.

First of, Design Nigeria would like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

Why did you chose to be a graphic designer and illustrator? And why did you chose to go freelance?

I love to draw and the realization that I could build a career off of that love coupled with my desire to be close to computers, moved me to make the decision to be with these disciplines. Graphic design and illustration offer me a lot of range when it comes to what I can achieve with my ability to draw. Honestly, I don’t think I have the capacity to be committed to any other discipline, I believe this is what I have got to do.

On going freelance, I was dissatisfied with my job in advertising and I wanted to have more time to develop my personal portfolio of work, more time to focus on building and promoting my website. It was about watching diligently to see where all of the developing, building and promoting would take me in terms of opportunities for networking, work and learning. I started on this path August of last year.

Seek Project Illustration

What is your background- education and work experience?

I am that guy who drew a lot in class. I grew up on a robust and consistent diet of saturday morning cartoons, comic magazines and drawing time. At a time in my life, I dreamt of being a computer scientist and began my ill- advised foray into the world of science however, I got jolted back to reality in ’98 and subsequently enrolled at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where I got two diplomas, one in General Art and the other in Graphic Design. My 9 – ’5′ existence has seen me spending time with Dove Media Ltd(TV), Warroom Soulsight(brandmarketing) and BrandWarriors Ltd(advertising) all based in Lagos.

Spindly Gang

How do you work? What is your process?

If I am working for a client it goes like this:

Meet with client – This could happen online, via phone or in person. I get as much information about the project and we discuss terms, project deadline etc. I could send a questionaire, but some clients prefer the face to face conversation.

Documentation – I make sure to document the details of the meeting highlighting my requirements and theirs afterwards, I send the client a copy so we are on the same page regarding the project and in other to keep a paper trail. Its not impossible for a client to forget they wanted just a logo and not a business card and logo.

Research – After the initial deposit gets paid, I start gathering information that might help the work, either by reading a book or being firends wth google, wikipedia etc

Sketch, Sketch, Sketch – based on research and clients requirements and then send some of them(sketches) to client for approval

Scan sketch (after approval), trace sketch or create design using sketch as guide.

Get final approval from client then send files and my invoice.

If I am the client:

Research(sometimes) and then sketch for extended periods. Scan. Sometimes I go on to trace and color on the computer and sometimes I color without the computer.

Cloudy Highway wallpaper for the FWA

Do you work in an office or from home?

I presently work from home as this is a more cost effective option for me right now

What do you think are the pros and cons of being a freelance designer?

Pros

You have the capacity to set your own work schedule and to determine your workload.

You have the ‘time’ to do what you love to do and the time to develop yourself and learn new things.

You determine where you want to work and how much you want to get paid.

Cons

Granted, freelancing exposes one to other disciplines( accounting, marketing etc) , but sometimes you just what to do what you love to do alone.

Sometimes large companies want to deal with equally large companies not freelancers.

As a freelancer, there may be times when you will wonder were all the commercial jobs have gone, and this period of wonderment could sometimes be on extended play and remember no one is handing you a pay cheque at months’ end. Downtimes can be stressful of ones ability to manage money and budget properly is faulty during the freelance boom periods. However downtimes can be used to get lots of personal work done(pro).

Freelancing takes up a lot of your time and demands a lot, it’s hard not to think about work most of the time. At the end, freelancing is a wonderful opportunity for one to grow and learn.

The Hundreds

What factors affect your design process the most?

The project deadline, the money and the client.

Do you find that running a design blog helps you land work?

I have gotten a fair bit of work from having a design blog. The having of a blog keeps your work in the face of people and definitely gives an edge when it comes to them making the decision to choose a designer, however you have got to actively promote it for work to come.

Illustration for Design is Kinky, Australia

What are the design tools that you couldn’’t live without?

Pencils,markers,pens, paper and finally a computer (mac preferably) running Illustrator, CorelDraw, Photoshop, dreamweaver etc.

What are some of your inspirations?

I am inspired by hip-hop culture, Genesis 1, screen-printing, animation, sneaker design, t-shirt graphics, history, geometry, music, symbols, Apple computers, designer interviews etc.

What other designers / illustrators inspire you?

Saul Bass, Keith Haring, Paul Rand, Stefan Kanchev, Shepard Fairey, Saki Mafundikwa, Faith 47, Tayo Odutola, Swankone, Jon Burgerman, Jeremyville, Nate Williams, Matthew Moore (MWM), Stefan Bucher, Taksashi Murakami, Tomer Hanuka, Benny Gold etc.

Do you follow any designers/bloggers online? What are your favorite 5 websites, and why?

Designer/bloggers

Hazel Dooney – hazeldooney.blogspot.com, David Airey – www.davidairey.com, Scott Hansen – blog.iso50.com, Hugh Macleod – www.gapingvoid.com, Penelope Trunk – blog.penelopetrunk.com, Von Glitschka- artbackwash.blogspot.com, Nate Williams – www.n8w.com

Favourite websites

www.thehundreds.com – This site chronicles the day to day activities of The Hundreds clothing brand. Its a huge resource base for anyone interested in starting a clothing label.

www.thefwa.com – this site archives some of the most beautiful and effective flash sites from most part of the world.

www.behance.net – features designer portfolios, designer interviews,personal development and business articles.

www.davidairey.com – David Airey has got depth when it comes to logo design and logo design and design related issues, think of it as logo design university.

www.formatmag.com – offers a comprehensive take on urban youth culture and the various subcultures that flow from it. The site has got a deep handle on sneaker culture, graffiti, lowbrow art,street art, urban fashion etc. It comes with interviews and features.

Starface with the Exception Headgear

Would you call yourself a type enthusiast? What fonts do you like?

Yes!, I am very much interested in type and I have a preference for hand drawn type because it is more original and smells of individuality. However, on the formal side of things I love the muted elegance, staying power and cult status(amongst designers) that Helvetica has. I also like Baskerville Classico.

How long does it take you to make things?

This depends on the project and it can be from from 1 hour to many weeks.

We’ve seen that you’ve got many cools works in your portfolio. Which is your favourite, print design, illustration or typography?

I will have to go with illustration as I get to draw a bit more in that area.

Picking a favourite project for a designer is like picking a favourite child for amother. But what has been one of your favourite projects so far and why?

I will have to pick the SeekProject logo as the logo represents a period in my life when I got exposed to artists like Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami, Shepard Fairey and Dave Kinsey via the book: 100% Cotton, it represents a time when I got my first computer, having the computer and been exposed to the work and philosophies of these artists helped shaped the direction of my talent and my thoughts of what art and design is and can do. It represents a time when I was discovering some things and people for the first time, a time when my mind was opening up artwise.

The SeekProject logo itself is a product of discovery, I stumbled on it while working on another logo for a school project.

Inhale, exhale (give love, take love)

What is the best piece of advice you would give someone just starting out in design?

Focus on building your creative thinking skills by reading a lot and sketching a lot. Read about design and art history and about areas other than design. Know about the elements and principles of design. All of the reading and sketching will enable you birth ideas that you can take to computer-land. Learn how to use the computer but be friendly with the books and the ‘paper’.

You can and should study and be inspired by the work of others but also focus on discovering yourself and be in tune with your interests, passions and as time goes on be unafraid to let your interests and passions influence your work.

Never look down on your work, always be grateful for where you are and what you have got design-wise. There always will be people who know more than you do and people who don’t know as much so be open to learning from those who know more and be open to helping those who don’t know as much.

Thank you Ebi for having me interviewed, I appreciate it.

To read more about Karo and his work please visit www.seekproject.com where you will find his blog and portfolio.

We’d love to hear your thoughts or to ask any questions please drop a comment here.

We’ve been working with the smart/savvy guys at Veda Technology on their upcoming website. We initially designed and built a holding page for them in May which you can find here http://www.veda.com.ng.

It has been a great challenging project and we came out with a design we were all very happy with. The designs have now been sent to the developer who is coding away the HTML/CSS goodness. Can’t wait for it to go live.

What are your thoughts?

NB: Logo not designed by inden.

Photo: BPG – UI Sketch 2 courtesy Martin Kulakowski

In other words 7 simple steps to better website design. Now I hate to have used this title but how else would I have gotten your attention? I once sent some design comps to a friend for feedback – Nigerian of course – his response went something like this:

‘Great work as usual, very “oyinbo”, very clean!’.

Then it got me thinking, what did he mean? Why do alot of Nigerians websites look “Nigerian”. Why do so many websites look like templates? And it struck me, the lack of basic principles of web design. So here are my 7 simple steps to a more “Oyinbo” website or to be politically correct a better designed website.

1) Love Type

Falling in love with type is the quickest way to become a better designer. Try to keep the number of type faces down to at most four (generally I’d say two, minus any typography based illustrations of course). Never mix two serifs or two sans serifs, for example Helvetica and Georgia great! Helvetica and Univers, not so great. It’s also good to have them grouped in a specific order, one font/size/style/lineheight etc for your main headers, a sub heading, a terteriary heading and then body copy. Leading, kerning, line-height and in print baseline are all very critical.

2) Colour Rocks – Keep it that way

It’s no doubt that the one thing human beings use as an identifier is colour (in addition to position & alignment, brightness, orientation, saturation, size, texture and shape). Keep it consist, get friendly with the colour wheel. Pick one colour and make sure everything else is related to it. The four rule applies here also. Try to keep colours down to four, this excludes tints and shades. In other words #cccccc, #999999 and #efefef all fall under one category – grey.

3) Master The Grid

If you haven’t discovered the wonderful word of Grids or worse learnt how to incorporate them into your designs – you should dedicate the whole of today learning about The Grid, it IS that important. The human visual system is extremely sophisticated and to put it simply, picky. We can spot lack of structure, to the accuracy of a 1px difference. Design should not be overly structured to the point of boredom but it is important that they do have a layout. The Grid System and this great e-book Grids are Good by Khoi Vinh and Mark Boulton are good places to start learning about the grid.

4) Introducing the Pen and Paper

Designers are individuals and like all individuals (no not the lot of you with your oversized glasses) we have unique methods, principles and differences. Most designers however will tell you the best place to start is on paper. Good old paper. It is the one thing we are used to right from childhood till date and so it is only natural to start from “the drawing board”. Try to come up with sketches, concepts etc. Step out of the box. Literally, leave that Mac or PC and let your creativity run wild. You’ll know when you have “the one” and only then will it be time to step back into the box.

5) Tickers are evil

We’re not in time square or at the stock exchange. Enough said.

6) Stock Photos are also evil

I know a picture is worth a thousands words. But that only applies to the right picture. If there is an equally effective and alternative way to relay some piece of information besides your smiling, perfect looking stock photo models in their unimaginative shots, please consider that option. Think huge type, illustrations or just plain copy. Stock photos are a first class ticket to Tack.

7) Let your design breathe

Try to employ basic principles of margins and spacing. Give your design room to breathe. Give it air. White space = Good. No space = Bad. Keep it consistent.

Bonus

Go through a checklist. Check everything works – images, links, e-mail addresses. It’s better to have a fully functional one page site, than a semi functional 5 page site. “under construction” pages are a no no no.

Resources

10 Things To Remember Before Launching A Website… | The Design O’Blog by Niki Brown

3 Ways To Make Your Site Stand Out From The Crowd | Paul Boag

13 Signs You’re A Bad Graphic Designer | Just Creative Design by Jacob Cass

10 Useful Usability Findings and Guidelines | Smashing Magazine

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”  – Jack London