Interview with the designer behind AFAS graphics

As to the new normal of leveraging in tech and building a career path in it, Afas correspondent interviews one of the numerous AFASites who are into tech and has set a career path in Graphic design – Ìdòwú Oluwaniyi Thomas. He is a 200 level Yorùbá student of the department of Linguistics and Africa Languages, University of Ibadan.

What do your do as a student entrepreneur in the field of Tech?

I am a professional graphic designer and a video editor. I own the brand name Toms Designs.

How did your journey as a Graphic designer begin?

As a Graphic designer, my journey started immediately after I left Secondary School. I could remember then when my Dad took me to one local computer center where I learnt about Desktop Publishing, I learnt Corel Draw, Microsoft word and excel. Although that was not part of graphic design like that, It’s not deep into graphics but just to be a computer literate. After like 4 months, I left the computer center due to some issues.
Some years later, I met a brother and I approached him jokingly; e wa kọ wà ní graphic design ẹgbọn. Then, I had one laptop like that which literarily can boil hot water to make eba or bọọli, as Tinubu would say, due to the heat from the laptop. The brother obliged but asked me to pay Twenty thousand naira but as a salary earner what I was earning was not more than Twelve thousand naira and there was no way I could pay that kind of money when I had other bills to sort. And after much plea, he later considered and asked me not to pay anything but whenever he was working, I would just sit by his side and be watching what he is doing. I started having interest in graphic design even though I wasn’t taught as I should because I did not pay and gradually, I started developing myself by also watching some YouTube tutorials and I also followed some professional graphic designers on Instagram. I started doing graphics for people freely just to build myself.

From there, I spoke with one of our media department head in church that I should be designing for the Church for free, I don’t need money, I just want people to see my work and appreciate it. It was so challenging then because as a beginner, I can’t compare myself with the professionals like the head of my church media department, Mr Nusa Izipo who was a professional in graphic design and video editing. As a starter then, anytime I design a flier, I would do about 4 fliers and they will all be rejected but just because I had this innate passion for graphic design, I did not give up even though sometimes, I felt depressed. But I kept on learning and developing with the help of my brother and some of my friends who were readily available to correct my errors until I got admission into the University of Ibadan in 2019.

Can you tell us about graphic design in general?

So, like we all know, anything graphic design in general has to do with creativity, even both graphic design and video editing that I do majorly. Well, what I tell people is that you might feel that you know everything in Photoshop, everything in Corel draw and even in illustrator because those are the basic softwares used for graphic design but if you are not creative enough, you will end up not being able to design just a simple presentable flier. Graphic design is a work of art, you have to imagine it deeply, you have to put yourself in it before you can pen down any design or work on graphic design and even video editing too. I basically use Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel draw and in-design for my graphic designs and for my video editing, I use Adobe Premier Pro but there are several other softwares that can be used but we still dey learn. With graphic design, I do posters, banner, signage, brand identity, and many more.

How has been working with students and especially the current Afas Administration?

Oh yes, working with students and AFAS have been cool. Though before I was able to get the style and taste of students was a bit difficult for me. School graphic design has its own pattern and technique and before I could blend into the school settings, my eyes see red oo, like seriously. I could remember last year with Music department, I was told to design a graphics for their concert which was rejected twice, I felt depressed and even wanted to cry at some point, I kept asking myself what happened to these designs? What was I supposed to do? But I did not let that weigh me down, I just locked up. As fate would have it, I designed their last semester’s concert graphic effortlessly. Overall, working with students has been good and as a professional graphics designer, I apply my skills to make sure everything goes on well.
And to AFAS in general, a big thanks to the current AFAS President, Akinyoola Emmanuel popularly known as AKOEM.

As a student, how are you able to combine your work with studies?

It has not been easy, apart from working for students in school, I have other clients in different states in Nigeria and outside the country. I always try to create balance in my activities because graphic design is my major source of income. Sometimes, I get heavily choked that I have to think twice before taking up any job. I could remember my second semester 100 level, I almost dropped graphic design because of too much academic workloads but my circle of friends geared me up to continue pushing.

Apart from graphics design, you are also into Journalism if I am not mistaken. Can you tell us about it?

I studied Mass communication in the Polytechnic of Ibadan and right from my childhood, I have loved the art of radio and tv presenting. I have the gift, particularly with my radio voice. Currently, I work as a Volunteer at Diamond FM, University of Ibadan where I read news in Yoruba and some other programs. Apart from that, I am a studio officer, I mix sounds, jingles and voice over adverts. I have also volunteered in some other radio stations in Ibadan. I practice journalism, I am a Journalist.

In your journey so far, what have been your major challenges?

Personally, it is about 20 years now that I lost my Mum. Things were really rough and tough for me financially but I had to accept my fate and face life squarely. And in graphic design, its too many to mention, but atimes, a client can just tell you to design like four designs and deliver them in 20minutes. I might be having assignments too from school coupled up with numerous designs to work on. Time management has not been working so well for me. Those are my major challenges so far.

What would you say to other students trying to go into graphic design like you as words of encouragement?

One thing I tell people that come to me that they want to learn graphics design is that graphics is not an “Urgent 2k” job that you can ordinarily jump into, it’s a career on its own. So I would just encourage them that if they are creative enough to get into graphics design, they need to be passionate about it and be steadfast in practice design always. Yoruba would say “ibi pẹlẹbẹ láti mú ọ̀le jẹ” that is, ‘whatever you want to do, you start from the easiest part’. Graphic design is not difficult as it is popularly acclaimed. If anyone can do it then you can do it too. Thank you.