Cliick | Brand Designer.

#HappyNewMonth 🇳🇬 It's been a while since I showed up properly on here. I'm back with a belief that drives my work: the norm can always be redefined. #independencedaynigeria yesterday & the Nigerian flag was everywhere. So I decided to place it somewhere unexpected: in a smile.

#ThrowbackThursday The Style Party🔥 Event Visual Identity. My clients often give me 100% creative freedom, and I never take that lightly. I know my onions and have the results to back it. Lemme take my flowers joor😅 Over the years, I have immersed myself in the study and active engagement of what makes an event a success, and it goes far beyond a good flyer. A great event starts with a clear identity, so people know exactly what they are pulling up for. It needs anticipation, so the buildup has people talking before the day itself. It needs a promise strong enough to make someone decide, "I can't miss this." It needs visibility, and the identity has to be solid and visually appealing. Everything the audience sees must also feel consistent and cohesive, because that is what makes an event feel credible, and people need to trust that it will deliver on what it promised. These are only a few of the things that shape a successful event. Many more factors come into play, from planning and logistics to the ticketing and marketing, and no single ingredient guarantees the outcome. But I have noticed that a lot of what makes an event land still comes back to these, and a solid identity is where it begins. I have trained myself to see events this way. Whether it is a party, a festival, a corporate gathering or a conference, every event has its own psychology, and I approach accordingly, keeping in mind what the event is meant to achieve and the audience it intends to reach. That is why my clients trust me with full creative freedom. They bring the idea, we shape the strategy, I create, I deliver, and the result most times goes beyond what they expected. Case in point, I created this Visual Identity System over 2 years ago for Highest Paid Night: The Style Party, and it was a banger🔥 Your event brand deserves an unconventional identity people trust before they pull up. I build that for brands that dare to be different. Shoot me a DM or Email at [email protected]

My Screen. The Design.

How do you build a political campaign identity that breaks from convention and still serves a specific strategy? That was the question on my mind when Ishow Lee reached out to me earlier this year. He was running for President of AMTES, the Association of Mechatronics Engineering Students, at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). During our onboarding call, he made one statement that became the backbone of the entire campaign Identity: "Let's run AMTES like a control system." My job was to turn that sentence into a visual identity. Here's how I approached the brief. A control system manages how something behaves in order to produce a desired outcome. Take cruise control in a car as an example; you set the speed to 80 km/h. It measures your actual speed, compares it to the target, and adjusts the throttle until the two match. Input, control, feedback. Without that feedback, the car would hold one pedal position and hope for the best.... ...his point was that AMTES should operate the same way: every action monitored, measured and refined...not on operation vibes & inshallah😅 The people he intended to lead study how to design and build intelligent machines, so they already think in control systems every day. So I built the entire campaign identity on that foundation. This was never about making a "pretty" flyer. The goal was to communicate the idea functionally first and let the aesthetics follow. Here's how each element supported the idea: • The binary code; A subtle texture sits behind every piece. Binary is the language machines run on, the raw input behind every machine output. Understated but unmistakable, it tells a mechatronics audience this campaign comes from their own discipline before they read a single word. • The color system; Blue is widely associated with trust, stability and intelligence, which are the qualities you want in someone asking to lead. I built the palette around that: a vivid blue for energy and clarity, a dark blue for authority, a pastel blue for approachability, and a light grey as the neutral base. Four colors, applied consistently across every piece. • The typeface; A tall, condensed face that is compact, structured and commanding. Its narrow letterforms let long names run large without crowding, and its vertical rhythm feels ordered and precise. •Black-and-white portraits kept the focus on him and let the blue carry the identity. The name and vote blocks worked like applied labels, adding structure and a sense of order. Every decision had to be controlled and deliberate.... ....I'd have loved to be explosive and explorative with this one, but I had to keep in mind that this is mechatronics, the field behind robotics and intelligent machines. Machines follow structure, process and system. A system like that leaves nothing to chance, neither do the people who design and build them. I completed the identity and shipped it. He loved it. When the campaign launched, more compliments came in. The identity worked! It felt sophisticated, unconventional and tailored, because it was built directly & deliberately from his strategy. He went on to win the presidency🥂 Now think about your own project...you have the vision, you know exactly what you want, you have the strategy. The only missing piece is the visualization. That's the piece I bring onboard. If that sounds like where you are right now, I'm just a DM away, or email me at [email protected]. À bientôt✨

My Screen. The Design.

Happy New Week✨ Trust the process and bet on yourself. Never sit still⚡

I watched a panel session from Canva's AI Vision in London where @themadebyjames said something that stuck with me. I'm paraphrasing, but it went like this: great taste isn't only knowing what is good, it's being willing to bet on it before everyone else agrees, and holding that conviction even in the presence of uncertainty. It took me straight back to my undergrad days, when I had just started designing. I loved & was passionate about it, but I never wanted to do it the conventional way. My brain is wired to do things differently, so every contracted or fun project I took on to put myself out there, I built a style people hadn't seen before instead of copying what was already out there. A lot of those projects got often get rejected, not because the design was bad, but because the style was unfamiliar. At first I thought it was a me issue, until I learned that people naturally gravitate toward what they already understand and have seen work. Psychology even has a name for it; The Mere Exposure Effect. It is psychological phenomenon where people develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. Repeated, neutral exposure to a stimulus such as a word, face, song or visual style naturally increases positive feelings toward it. ..but I kept believing it would work. The conviction was so strong one would mistake it for pride😂 Slowly, people started to see the uniqueness in the work, and in me. Today, people bring me onto their team because they know I'll give them something beyond what they've seen before, something that sets their brand or their event apart. On several occasions, I've even been invited to join teams purely for strategy and creative direction, without making a single design, because the way I think had become the value. If I had let the general consensus shape my taste back then, I'd have fallen in line and become one more designer doing what everyone else was doing. As a creative, your taste is your edge. So bet on it early. Expose yoirself to quality inspiration, keep getting better, and hold your conviction even when nobody is clapping for you yet, because when the taste is good and the conviction is solid, consensus eventually catches up. These are throwbacks from 3+ years ago, back when I was in uni, all made in Canva. @canva I design and strategize for brands that would rather be remembered than familiar. If that's your brand, my DMs are open or Email at [email protected].

I used to think the most fun part of this job was designing on screen, in Affinity or Canva. Over time I've come to realize that the part I enjoy most isn't the design screen time, it's everything that comes before it: dissecting the brief, understanding the audience, doing the research, setting the creative and visual direction, sourcing the elements I'll need, then shortlisting and selecting the design styles for the project. It can be tedious, it takes up most of my time and it's the most demanding stage, yet it's the one I find most rewarding. Every decision draws on everything I've seen, done and experienced before that moment, and I always come out of it more informed and more enlightened. I used to be the designer who panicked once a brief dropped, unsure how to go about it or where to even start. Now I may not know exactly where I'll end up, but I know exactly where to begin, and I refine that process with every new project. Over time, that walkthrough has become a process I trust and a system I've built. That's the lesson I'd pass on to any designer: trust your instincts and your creativity, but build a system around how you work. You shouldn't have to start from scratch with every new project. The style and approach will change because projects differ, but the system stays, as long as it's solid and works for you. I recently built the visual identity system for a YellowLyfe X Space, and it was a banger🔥 Your event deserves a visual identity as intentional as the experience itself. Send me a message or reach me at [email protected]

My Screen. The Design.

"Is it not just to design?" A client asked me this question some years back when I stated my price, and it made me rethink my entire strategy to this business. First of all: NO! IT'S NOT JUST TO DESIGN! There's a whole process behind that one word, "design" Something I see a lot of designers do, especially those just starting out, and clients too, is grossly underestimate how much it takes to do this work properly. Everyone sees the finished flyer or brand logo and assumes it took a few minutes on a laptop. Behind that finished project, there's research, briefing, design tools, client management, revisions, pricing conversations and follow ups, and it's much closer to commissioning a fashion designer. You only see the finished outfit, but before that came the consultation, the measurements, the pattern drafting, the cutting, the fittings and the adjustments, and you would never call all of that "just sewing", because sewing is only one stage of a longer process. Design works the same way, it's only one part of the job and the whole process. If you're a newbie designer, understand this early, so you can educate your clients on your process, walk them through your thought process and the tools you use, and most importantly back it all up with quality work. That's how you justify your pricing and your timelines. I build standout design systems and strategies for brands and events that refuse to be conventional. Shoot me a DM or mail at [email protected]

Thissss🔥

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Some years back, a client pleaded with me to accept a certain rate for a Brand ID project here in Nigeria, and I agreed. Then came the revisions, and I mean relentless, round after round, until I nearly had to beg him to approve the work so we could finally close the project. I've worked with a signed agreement ever since, with the number and price of revisions clearly defined. Hard lessons💯

Something I see a lot of event organizers do is name the event before they've worked out the strategy. Get clear on who it's for, what it's meant to achieve and how you want people to feel, because the best names usually come out of that process, not before it. Once you know where you're going, the name almost reveals itself, and it fits because it was built from the direction instead of picked and then forced to match.

Nature gives the best inspiration 💯 Lately, I've been observing & documenting the sky, from the early morning through sunrise, midday and sunset, and it has been one of the most eye opening habits I've picked up as a designer. It started with subtle observation whenever I'm returning from the Masjid every morning. At that hour the sky is a sometimes deep, quiet blue with a little orange sitting behind the rooftops, like the day is still deciding how to begin. A few hours later it softens into pale blue and lazy clouds, and by afternoon it's so bright you can barely look up. Then sometimes the clouds gather, heavy and gray, with the sun still burning behind them, and the whole sky goes moody like it's holding its breath before the rain. By evening everything glows again, warm and slow, like the sky is finally exhaling. The same sky, develops a new mood every passing moment. Somewhere in between my observations, I started asking questions and trying to understand how colors make me feel. Why does a gray, overcast sky make me slow down and go quiet? Why do I feel more optimistic about the day when it's bright and all blue? Why does a sunset by the beach evoke that warm, nostalgic calm feeling? It's simple; colors carry emotions and quietly affect the way we think, move and feel. Some make you feel calm, some make you feel alive, some make you feel hungry😅and some make you want to slow down or reflect. Brands and creative strategists have understood this for decades, and they've used it to quietly shape how we make decisions, especially purchasing decisions. From the branded items you reach for on a supermarket shelf to the button you tap on a website, that bold red call to action pulling your eyes straight to "Buy now" or the "Discount tag" in bright colors constantly fighting for your attention didn't land there by accident.... ...neither did the bright yellow sign on the road that says "Slow down, school ahead," which your eyes catch long before you've read a single word. Red on a stop sign makes you pause, green on an exit sign tells you you're headed the right way, blue in a bank's logo quietly says "trust us,"...... .....It even happens with flyers. You scroll past a brand or an event campaign flyer and something about it just feels right, like it matches your vibe or the energy you were looking for, so you trust it before you've read the details. The colors were an integral part of what made it work, quietly calling the people it was made for. Look closely and you'll see it everywhere, in the app you open, the brand you trust, the event you decide to attend, the sign you follow without thinking. Most of the colors around you were chosen with intention, and there's logic behind it. Someone or a group of people chose that color on purpose. As a designer, understanding the psychology behind color and how it evokes emotion is one of the most important parts of the craft. It shapes the way I think and the decisions I make, from the palettes I choose to the moods I try to create. The next time you slow down at a sign, trust a brand, or feel a gravitation toward an event campaigm without fully understanding why, remember there's always something you feel, and a color probably had a hand in it. Nature is beautiful & it speaks to those willing to slow down and listen. Here are some of the colors of nature 👇🏾

Happy New Month✨ I genuinely believe every month has its own personality and november has always felt very unique to me. That's my personal take on it. It's calm, poised and refined. It carries itself with a quiet luxury and confidence, the type you notice in how it moves, not in how loud it is. It's the penultimate month of the year, and it's in no rush to prove anything. I couldn't explain why I felt this, so I did what I always do. I researched. I learnt that November comes from the Latin word "novem," which means nine. It was the ninth month of the old Roman calendar, before January & February were added & pushed it down the line.... ...and nine has its own air about it. The British say "dressed to the nines," meaning dressed in your absolute best, impeccable down to the last detail which is quite fitting for a month that feels this refined. The research also led me to Black Friday, which November has become synonymous with. The term is most often traced to Philadelphia, where police used it to describe the chaos of crowds & traffic the day after Thanksgiving. I also noticed how brands show up for it with their branded assets carrying a touch of Black, or the darkest shade of their brand colour. Deep. Refined. That fed the mood I already had even more. So the colour was already speaking to me. Burgundy palette softened with copper & cream Deep, warm and refined. From a colour psychology point of view, it holds the same essence I feel in this month. That was one of the easiest decisions I made, & I'll credit years of experience for that. Coming up with concepts was the hard part. I didn't want the usual text on a background that says Happy New Month. I wanted something that felt like an arrival. Something told through a visual metaphor. So I explored a few concepts and set up a little race for them😂 Two of them crossed the finish line together.🏁 Concept 1: The Typewriter (The Hero) I'm a big fan of the John Wick series, and I remember scenes where a name and details get typed out on a typewriter whenever a bounty is placed.......In a world full of screens and digital devices, there was something very deliberate and intentional about a message being typed out on a machine like that. It feels vintage, classic and distinctive. So I flipped it. Instead of a quick WhatsApp text in DM Idea which I original had, I Ieaned more into this, the typewritten letter welcoming you into the month. The inspo for the lighting came from me observing how sunrays hit my room's window. I'd been watching sunlight cut through the window frames and throw shadows across the walls. It doesn't sound profound at first, but when I sat with it, it became a real source of inspiration. So I borrowed it and recreated the same effect as the backdrop. Then I added a vignette to draw the eye to the centre & soften everything around it. Concept 2: The Cloche(Runner Up) Same mood, different story. This time, November is being served, literally. A gloved hand lifts a copper cloche, and underneath it is the card. Think five star hotel service. The light falls in at an angle, and the vignette keeps all the focus on the reveal. built the images with AI, then blended and refined them in my design software until they matched what was in my head. The tools accelerated the process, but the thinking came first. That's how I work. It starts in my head. I research, build a few concepts and let them compete. The strongest earn their place and the rest get archived. Every visual choice needs a solid reason behind it. None of these ideas came from nowhere. A little research, a movie I love, sunlight on my bedroom wall. Good ideas don't form in a vacuum, they're a product of what you feed your mind, and the more deeply you engage with the world, the more your output reflects it. I solve real brand problems with strategic thinking and creative visuals. If your brand needs to stand out and be remembered, my DMs are open or email [email protected].

I once saw an African designer make a full social media flyer using only the WhatsApp photo editor and his media gallery. Not Photoshop. Not Canva. Not AI. Just the same little editor we all use to crop or add a filter before sending a picture in the app. It did not surprise me. It reminded me of how I started some years back, with very few resources and lots of limitations, yet I remained mentally limitless. My mind was, and still is, my power. Before artificial intelligence, the excuses sounded like this. "I don't know Photoshop, it's too hard." "Illustrator is difficult." "Canva designs are bad." "My PC keeps crashing." Then people started designing on their smartphones & made it work. Smartphone designers are still here. It just stopped trending and became normal. Now there is AI, another tool that helps people get ideas out extremely fast. But AI does not think like a designer. It generates what you feed it, & what you feed it comes from you. The tools keep changing. The excuses keep changing. The one thing that decides the quality of the output has never changed: the human mind. If your mind is not prepared, or you place limits on yourself, you will always find an excuse, even when a new tool makes the work easier. Take an invention as simple as a "knife" Long before anyone could write a word, an early Stone Age human picked up a broken rock and noticed its edge was sharp. That was the observation. Then came the thought: this could slice through hide, through meat, through things bare hands never could. That was the possibility, then action was taken to test the theory Someone bound a stone blade to a handle of wood or bone. Now the edge had a grip. It could be held firm, pushed deeper and used with control. Then someone found metal, and it changed the whole game. Blades could now be shaped, sharpened and used again and again.... ....and it did not stop there. Today there are knives that vibrate at tiny, rapid speeds and glide through food with far less effort than a regular knife blade. Someone looked at a tool thousands of years old and still asked, "How can this be better?" Do you digggg? Every major upgrade mostly followed the same path. Observation, thought, possibility, then action. Whether it would fail or work out, they acted on it. So start with the mind. Lead with curiousity and possibility first. How to make it possible comes next. If your tools limit you, upskill, or manipulate and get creative with what you have. The aim is to create and achieve a the desired outcome. Every design in this post was made in Canva. Yes, the one people say is not an industry standard. I am not arguing its limitations. They exist. But Canva is part of my process, as a matter of fact about 80% of my workflow, and other tools come in where needed. The tool never decided the quality. The mind did. I simply manipulated the tool to my advantage. It starts with what the mind can conceive, and what it believes can be achieved with the tool in hand. Before the first element lands on the canvas, the design has already been decided somewhere in your head. The tool only carries out what the mind has already seen. That is why two people can open the same app, with the same features & the same fonts, & walk away with completely different results. Where one sees a limit, the other sees a puzzle to solve. Three habits shaped how I think and how I solve brand problems with design. I would be breaking them down in the next post, so keep an eye out for it. Until then, hold on to this: whatever tool you have today is enough to start. Conceive your idea. Believe it is possible. Then find a way. I'm Ayobami, a brand designer and creative strategist. Want to learn how I made these designs, or how to think creatively and build designs on solid concepts? Send me a DM & let's talk. Need brand design & strategy built on a meticulous thought process that delivers outstanding results? Send a DM or reach me at ↓✉️ [email protected]

My work does not start when I open the design software. It starts way before that. Anybody can open Photoshop, Figma or Canva, place a few elements, add fonts and call it a design. Whether the output is good or bad, it is still a design. What separates an excellent designer from someone who just makes designs is something we call design thinking. It is everything that happens before, during and after you open the software, and a lot of it happens in the mind. Here is how I break it down: Before the screen • The brief: I dissect it first. What is being asked, who is it for, and what is the real problem behind the request? Someone may ask for a flyer when the real problem is that people do not understand the offer. I make sure I am solving the right problem. • The research: I study the audience, the location, the culture and the brand. I look at what similar brands have done, and I pull inspiration from outside design too, like architecture, fashion, music and everyday life. Good ideas usually stem from how well you understand the real people you are designing for and the realities they live in. • The ideas: I explore different directions, concepts, and the motifs that could carry them. At this stage I want options, not just perfection. • The decision: I test every concept against the brief, the audience and how fast it reads. I keep the one that is solid and let go of the rest, even the ones I love(sometimes) During • The design: this is where I finally open the software. The direction is already clear, so my time goes into execution: layout, typography, color, hierarchy and detail, instead of hunting for an idea. After • The review: I step back and test the work against the brief. Does it communicate at a glance? Does every element earn its place? Is it still on brand? Then I fix whatever falls short before it ships. • The feedback: I ship the deliverables, I watch how the audience and the client respond, make corrections and adjustments (if need be) and I carry the lessons into the next project. Notice that designing is just one stage of the whole process. Everything around it is where the real work happens. If the concept is weak, no amount of polish saves it. If the thinking behind it is not grounded, every other thing is more likely to have issues down the line. Design thinking also tells you what does not belong. Anybody can keep adding stuff. A good designer asks: does this earn its place? Does it help the audience understand the offer? Am I still on brand? That is the part most people never see. Designing is the part of the process concerned with visual output and aesthetics. Design thinking is what makes that output work, for the audience, the brand and the goal. Design makes it look good. Design thinking makes it work🔥 I brand events with solid thought behind every choice, send me a DM📩 [email protected] #designthinking #Branding #branddesigner #graphicdesigner #brandstrategy