Last month, the third edition of Untitled Designers Conference (UDC), one of Africa’s biggest design conferences, was held in Lagos, Nigeria.

The conference, which was originally slated to hold in May, was rescheduled to August due to “unforeseen circumstances and a desire to ensure the event's full potential,” according to Untitled Designers, the organiser of the conference.

For The Creatives Note, Akinwunmi Popoola writes about his experience and shares his thoughts on the two-day event which brought together some of Africa’s leading creative, talented and innovative individuals.

Untitled Designers Conference 2024

I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 edition of the Untitled Designers Conference (UDC). It was impressive to see how much the Nigerian design community has grown and also witness the popularity of our very own design gathering. 

As someone who volunteered during the first edition of the Untitled Designers Conference in 2022, I would say there has been a significant growth in design events and gatherings, and there’s been a massive jump from the design community hangouts on campuses and the famed era of dribbble meetups we saw in the late 2010s.

Read Also: Tunji Ogunoye: On finding design, leaving physiotherapy for design, paying attention to details, and the impact of teaching design and building a community on his career

Before UDC, most of the design events that were popular (and we used to look forward to) within the Nigerian design community were international events usually hosted by major design companies (such as Figma’s FigCon, Webflow’s WebConf, Adobe’s Max, Apple’s WWDC and so on)—which are characterised by new product and feature announcements. So, the growth and success of UDC was a beauty to witness.

Overall Experience

This year’s edition of the Untitled Designers Conference is the most vibrant and unrivalled design gathering in the country this year, so far. The event branding was remarkable—fun, quirky, and definitely memorable. 

Dubbed ‘‘Behind the Canvas,” the two-day event (August 23rd & 24th) was held in Lagos, Nigeria. The people in attendance showcased the range of Nigerian design talent—from agencies (with some of the more popular Nigerian brand design agencies in recent times such as FourthCanvas, Dá Design (closed) and Belonwus facilitating panel and breakout sessions) to in-house and freelance designers of diverse skillsets and experience levels.

Read Also: Geneza Store: How Geneza Brands, a Nigerian-led design studio, is creating an online store for premium and affordable design mockups, resources, and templates

The conference featured design leaders who shared their approaches and opinions on various topics, including open source (code and font licensing) and improving the design process across multiple disciplines. One of the recurring themes was growth and career development for designers, highlighted in a panel session featuring Emmanuel Faith, Chibuzo Ihetunge-Eric, and Tunde Mason, and breakout sessions by Seyi Oniyitan and Bolutife Awakan. There was also a stage for motion design, illustration, 3D, AR/VR design, and iconography.

Here are some notable highlights from the event:

A11y for All

Accessibility is often treated as a buzzword in the design world. But at UDC 2024, the commitment to accessibility was truly commendable. As someone who attended a secondary school that had special needs students, I was particularly impressed by the intentionality behind the accessibility efforts—from priority parking spaces and ramps for wheelchair access to dedicated American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and an elevator. There was even a breakout session focused on Accessibility in Africa, showcasing a community partnership that worked and can only get better.

Read Also: Osun State faces public backlash for new logo; what is the outrage about?

Celebrating African Type Design

2024 has seen a lot of interesting and positive conversations about the cultural forms of African typography. For example, since the beginning of this year, Google Fonts has spotlighted African typefaces through its type project in Africa, which The Creatives Note has covered and written about extensively. Last year, it [Google Fonts] commissioned several African designers and type foundries to design typefaces of African characters and essence—which it is gradually releasing and making available for download and use for free on its website.

UDC as a gathering was used to reinforce the essentiality of African-type design further. The event kicked off with a keynote speech by Dave Crossland (program manager of Google fonts) and there was a breakout session on type design by Seyi Olusanya. Both forums focused on setting new standards for African-type design. During his keynote speech, Dave gave a recap of Google’s activity in the type design space (10 projects commissioned), career paths for type designers, font licensing, learning resources and materials, and a few contextual case studies.

Related Story

The Creatives Note’s Reader Survey

Help us serve you better stories and content by taking this short survey. (It should take about two minutes).

Take the survey now

Exploring the Essence of African Design

From breakout sessions to the unplanned debate that unfolded at the close of the event, UDC was filled with conversations on the ever-present question of the place of minimalism in the African (Nigerian) context. In groups, debates were had about African design, narrative, and storytelling across various forms (brand identity design, graphic design, Illustrations, 3d & motion designs, and many others). Topics focused on what is true, accurate representation of African visual culture and the roles contemporary African design plays in our society.

In summary, African design has constantly been postulated, debated, and examined. It forms pictorial representation based on geometry, repetition, and naturally occurring elements. The colours are rich, vivid and full of expressionism, embodied by its art, sculptures, textiles, and even religion.  There is so much variety in African culture and design. Similarly, strong unifying themes cut across various African cultures. The onus, therefore, lies on African designers to be adventurous but circumspect enough not to reduce or limit African design or threaten its erasure through frequent non-contextual borrowings by revisiting the past, documenting the past and looking forward to the future.

Read Also: African Flags and Who Designed Them (Part 1)

To sum up the experience of the Untitled Designers Conference: ​​it was a celebration of African (Nigerian) contemporary design, fostering community, and providing valuable professional development opportunities. Although distracted by technical issues and production slips, it showcased the talent and creativity of Nigerian designers and also underscored the ever-present need for accessibility and inclusivity in the Nigerian daily experience.

Check out more pictures from UDC 2024

Akinwunmi Popoola is a Multidisciplinary visual designer, who is currently having fun advancing and project-managing global digital marketing campaigns at Mavin Records. His work experience spans entertainment (Nightlife), sports and the music Industry. He is quite fascinated by design, film, and music. He is often described as curious and committed to making cool things that work!

The Creatives Note’s Reader Survey

Help us improve The Creatives Note. Share your feedback.

Take the survey now

Read More

For filmmakers—both emerging and seasoned filmmakers—these film festivals are an opportunity for them to showcase their work, gain exposure and recognition for their work, and network with fellow filmmakers, industry stakeholders and decision-makers, funders and investors. It is also a unique opportunity for them to connect with film enthusiasts, film critics and their fans on a personal level.

Read Also: Inside Creative Nestlings’ evolution: From a community to an African creative network and startup building for African creatives & entrepreneurs

For this list, I have put together 5 African film festivals you should know about and plan to attend if you are interested in film festivals.

1) Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF)

Founded by Ms. Chioma Ude, Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) celebrates cinema and filmmaking talent from Africa and the diaspora.

Referred to as ‘Africa's number 1 destination celebrating film & visual storytelling in Nigeria,’ AFRIFF, through 12 editions, has stayed relevant and ensured its continuity in bringing together authentic storytellers and people who love the cinematic experience and creative filmmaking approaches.

AFRIFF showcase includes drama, documentaries, film features and short films. It exhibits and showcases new creators and emerging talents, and consistently delivers a rich programme to foster invaluable exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships. It features Screenings & E-cinema, Talks & Sessions, Masterclasses & Workshops, Parties & Entertainment, Film Awards, and a lot more.

AFRIFF offers Awards in categories such as Feature, Documentary, Short, Animation and Students Short, as well as awards and prizes in Directing, Acting and Screenplay. It also features special awards for Audience choice and a Jury award for outstanding film.

This November, AFRIFF will return for its 13th edition with the theme; INDIGENOUS TO GLOBAL: CULTURAL WEALTH TO GLOBAL PROSPERITY.

Kanso Ogbolu: On his decision to get a Master's degree in Animation after a decade of working in advertising and running his own studio

2) Durban International Film Festival (DIFF)

Widely regarded as a leading film festival on the African continent, the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is South Africa’s largest and longest-running film festival with over 100 screenings presented—most of which are premieres in this region.

Founded in 1979, DIFF is presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of Kwazulu-Natal with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, Kwazulu-Natal Film Commission, the Durban Film Office, the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Avalon Group.

The festival proactively promotes the development of the African film industry. It provides a strategic exhibition platform for local products alongside international films within a professionally implemented and reputable cultural experience.

Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) features workshops, panel discussions, seminars and outreach activities that even screen in towns where cinemas do not exist. Last year (2023), with the submission of 3316 films from 137 countries as of the closing of submission ahead of its 44th edition, ninety (90) feature films, documentaries, and short films were selected to be screened, according to the festival.

DIFF features isiPhethu, a developmental programme that includes the isiZulu Scriptwriting Workshop, Industry Programme, and screenings in community centres. It also features the ‘International Student Film Festival,’ the first of its kind on the continent, which showcases 30 student films from all over the world, at the KwaZulu-Natal Society for the Arts (KZNSA) free of charge.

DIFF aims to celebrate excellence in filmmaking by unearthing and showcasing films that provide a memorable and enriching cinematic experience for audiences with courageous untold narratives or new ways of retelling often-told narratives.

DIFF is the only Oscar-qualifying festival in Southern Africa. The Best Documentary and Best Short Films automatically qualify to enter the Oscars race.

This July, DIFF will return for its 45th edition.

Read Also: Highlights and winners at the 44th Durban International Film Festival

3) Joburg Film Festival (JFF)

The Joburg Film Festival (JFF) is that festival that has successfully curated and showcased African and international films and also brought together filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema enthusiasts for a celebration of storytelling through the art of film for 6 years.

JFF tells African stories and rewards spontaneity and excellence in films. It is an essential platform at the heart of Africa’s cultural and creative revolution.

The festival features screenings, discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at nurturing aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals around its four key pillars - the Industry Programme, the Youth and Audience Development Programme, the Joburg Film Society, and the JBX B2B Content Market.

The recently concluded 6th edition of the Joburg Film Festival (JFF), presented by Multichoice, held from February 27th to March 3rd, 2024, and it featured the ‘JFF Young Voice Competition,’ a competition that celebrates the natural creative talent of young filmmakers.

Read Also: The Joburg Film Festival (JFF) set to return for the sixth edition of its annual festival this February

4) Addis International Film Festival (AIFF)

The Addis International Film Festival (AIFF), whose mission is to honour, promote and nurture documentary cinema from local and international artists while fostering cross-cultural communication, started in 2007.

Organised by Initiative Africa, an Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-based non-profit organisation founded by Indrias Getachew and Meseret Lemma, AIFF is comprised of enthusiastic volunteers and people with a common interest in supporting not just filmmakers from around the world but also seeks to use the power of documentaries and short films to support innovative ways of creating awareness of social issues.

For years, AIFF has showcased films from seasoned and emerging filmmakers who have documented information essential for analysing issues that affect society like gender equality, human rights, and climate change.

Since its inception in 2007, the Addis International Film Festival (AIFF) has grown massively and is still successfully advocating its culture within the global population.

The 18th edition of AIFF took place in May in Addis Ababa under the themes of Action for Peace, Security, and Reconciliation, Gender Equality and Inclusivity, Food and Environmental Security, and Health Care.

Read Also: Kelvin Shani: On leading and growing an animation studio and his love for art and music

5) All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF)

The All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF) is a film festival that has developed itself—and as well established itself—as an intrinsic part of the global film festival. AAIFF is a festival that nurtures desires, grooms innovation and creativity, and promotes careers, especially the bold, industrious and independent directors.

Based in Kigali, Rwanda, the All African Independent Film Festival showcases the immense breadth and talent in independent filmmaking from the 54 countries that make up the continent, where independent cinema plays an ever-increasing, and crucial role, in amplifying diverse voices and narratives.

AAIFF focuses on displaying rich African diversity and cultures. It is also keen on tackling societal issues such as social justice, personal struggles, African realities and many more. 

The year’s edition of the AAIFF Festival will take place this September and it offers 14 awards in 10 categories including Africa’s Best Independent Film Director 2024 and Africa’s Best Independent Film 2024.

Read More

The announcement stated, “Governor Ademola Adeleke has assented to a bill adopting a new logo for Osun state, describing the new symbol as a signal of new rebirth for Osun state.”

The new logo, it says, is significant because it rhymes and meaningfully represents the state’s historic anthem, values and tradition. “The new logo is also an educational resource material for our younger generation as it contains symbols of our landmarks, strengths, resources and history. The logo is also a tool to market the state at home and abroad,” the announcement noted.

The rationale behind the new logo

The rationale behind the new logo as revealed by the announcement:

STATE SYMBOLS/ICONS:

The Circle- The circle replacing the shield symbolised perfection and wholeness.

Y - Though not clearly depicted through the placement of the water, earth, and mountains, in the circle. It represents the three Senatorial districts in Osun State united as one hence the lack of delineation between all three elements.

Osun River: is represented, connected to a Waterfall; Osun state being “State of the Living Spring”, the River situated on the upper part of the Y supplies water to the fertile Brown Agricultural soil of the land on the left. It also wets the Mountains on the right of the Y. The Waterfall also supplies water that nourishes the Leaves and the Cocoa seeds, which also houses the fishes. In essence this represents the source of life and nourishment in Osun State.

Brown Agricultural Soil- This represents fertility and is a source of food. It is located on the left side of the Y.

Mountains- Osun State is renowned for its hills and mountains, hence the distinct representation. It is located on the right side of the Y. Mountains in various contexts represent tourism, hospitality, and spirituality. It is a symbol to draw strength.

Ori Olokun- The Ori Olokun stands for the common origin of the Yoruba race and a great symbol of Osun State especially for Royalty.

The rays of light (Imole in Yoruba)- This represents one of the state symbols as it is depicted in the State Anthem. It symbolizes clarity, enlightenment, hope and guidance, often representing knowledge, truth and understanding. Its placement at the top clearly represents its importance in the state as its rays touch every element/symbol of the state thereby bringing light (progress, success and clarity) to it.

1991- the year the state was established.

NATURAL RESOURCES:

Cocoa leaves / Fruits/Tree / Cocoa Beans- at the base of the coat of arms symbolizes agriculture and the natural resources of the land from food crops to logging to cash crops.

Leaves - (in form of a garland)- These are universally used at the installation of Obas and Chiefs in Yoruba land including Osun State to signify longevity and triumph.

Gold - this is one of the precious stones found in Osun State and it is available in commercial quantities and a great source of revenue for the state.

Fishes – this is one of the natural resources available in Osun State and a source of livelihood for Osun State indigenes.

COLOURS:

Gold - signifies royalty, nobility of the Osun race.

Ruby Red- also associated with nobility.

Orange - symbolizes the hospitable nature of Osun State people.

Yellow - symbolizes the happy nature of Osun State people.

Public response to the new logo

“I am not judgmental at all with design. I am the type to say “it depends… there are different ways to look at these things”… I am a very open-minded commentator on design but… THIS IS THE WORST LOGO EVER! No ifs, buts, maybes…,” wrote Victor Fatanmi, lead partner at FourthCanvas, one of Nigeria’s leading design agencies.

Leye Ogunsaya (Leye Connect), lead designer at Risevest, shared, “As much as most of my colleagues wants to work for a Fortune 500 company and many want to travel, don’t you all think you service will greatly improve the perception of public offices across states and MDAs? Leave fintech alone and apply to your local government today!”

Read Also: Victor Fá: The artistic kid now helping people find what is special about them

“I swear, some Nigerian designers are conspiring to test my sanity. This isn't a logo... This is a full-on assault on my eyes, a war crime against visual harmony, a grotesque cacophony of poorly conceived elements. And to make matters worse, it’s from my state. #MakeItStop,” Tomiwa Allan wrote.

A look through the responses establishes that the new logo is a misstep. The general consensus is that the logo is BAD! Check out more responses

An Honest Assessment

While the effort by the state government to take on such an audacious project is commendable, the result is horrendous, considering the number of talented designers and creatives available in the state.

The previous logo, while not great, is honestly way better than the new logo.

For context, Osun State is one of the six states in Southwestern Nigeria. It is the home to over 25 tertiary institutions such as Bowen University in Iwo, Osun State University in Oshogbo, Federal Polytechnic in Ede, and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife—which is home to a thriving community of designers and creatives. (OAU has also produced some of the most notable designers and creatives in the country).

Read Also: Is it a design problem or a customer’s problem?

The new logo looks like a joke taken too far. It looks like something someone who just learnt how to use CorelDraw (no shade to CorelDraw, I also use it) conjured together while being instructed on what to add to the logo by a ‘council of elders.’

Nothing about the new design indicates that the designer understands design not to talk of designing an identity of such magnitude and scale.

In simple terms, the new design broke the 5 golden rule of logo design: SMART.

The SMART rule states that a logo/identity should be Simple, Memorable, Appropriate, Responsive, and Timeless.

Before ‘delving’ into what this means, let me mention that the most depressing thing about the logo was the use of low-res images. Who does that?

Read Also: African Flags and Who Designed Them (Part 1)

Now let’s analyse the logo based on the SMART rule:

Simple: Nothing about the logo is simple. There’s a lot going on in the logo because it is trying to say a lot of things. And again, the use of images even makes it worse.

Memorable: One of the common characteristics of good logos is that you can easily draw/sketch them—which ties back to simplicity. And this logo blatantly breaks the rule.

Appropriate: A good logo should be appropriate and relevant to the audience. While the new logo tries to communicate and represent some of the known symbols/icons of the states, it fails to capture them appropriately.

Responsive: For something that would be used across a wide range of cases—from prints to digital platforms, the complexity of the logo, and even worse, the use of images, is going to be a nightmare for designers and printers because when scaled down, most elements of the logo will be lost.

Timeless: Do I need to speak further? I think this speaks for itself. The new logo looks like something that was designed aeons ago.

Read Also: Tomiwa Allan: The problem-solving designer who designed the first Agri-investment platform in Africa

A design recommendation

The team behind this should go back to the drawing board and reevaluate their decision. They need to define why they are doing this and what they hope to achieve with this.

Also, they should hire an actual designer! And let the designer do their job, please.

My design recommendation is that the elements should be stripped to their simplest state and the important and relevant ones should be combined in a simple, memorable, appropriate, responsive, and timeless manner.

A very good example is the identity of Ondo State, Osun State’s neighbouring state.

Related Story

This conversation has once again brought to the fore why we need a functional public office that handles the government’s design and creative projects across state and federal levels.

Read More

Over the years, we have seen massive investments in companies and people building products in fintech, health-tech, prop-tech, agri-tech, e-commerce, ed-tech, and other fascinating tech-enabled sectors. These investments have seen to the growth of the spaces. For example, if you need to send or receive money, you have at least 10 options to pick from because of the level of investment in the fintech space.

In all the growth happening, a group of people are still left behind in terms of investment and people building for them. They still have to look to foreign digital products, tools, and platforms to get their work done. Who are these people? They are the African Creatives and Creators.

The African Creative Industry

In 2021, UNESCO published a report that showed that the African creative sector is underfunded and underdeveloped. It estimates the sector currently employs only five million people and accounts for only $5 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the continent.

Africa No Filter, an organisation working to shift stereotypical narratives of Africa, also stated that “the creative and cultural industries (CCI) across Africa generate about US$4.2 billion in revenue and has a growth rate that outpaces other sectors on the continent.”

An exposé on the African creator economy noted that "even though the creator economy is said to be worth over $100 billion and growing fast, Africa seems to be an afterthought in the conversations that shape it.”

Read Also: Geneza Store: How Geneza Brands, a Nigerian-led design studio, is creating an online store for premium and affordable design mockups, resources, and templates

Okay, stay with me for a second. As a creator or creative in/from Africa, make a list of 10 tools, products, and software you use every day and tell me how many of them were made/built in Africa. While we have greatly benefited (and continue to benefit) from using the tools made by ‘non-African’ companies, the problem is that they do not account for the bottlenecks Africans face when building these products.

A very good example to illustrate this is the pricing tier. A lot of the pricing of these products does not tally with the economic realities of most African users. The reality is that disposable income is low in many African countries. Let’s assume you are a high earner and can even afford to pay these subscription fees, finding a reliable and acceptable payment option and method is another issue and bottleneck. So the point is that we need to build indigenous products that cater to creatives and creators.

Building global products for African creatives and creators

Despite the issue of investment and funding, we still have people building for African creators and creatives. So I have curated ten (10) of the products and platforms made by Africans for African creators and creatives. This article covers digital products and platforms you should know and use as an African creative and creator.

1) Retna

Retna is a platform that provides access to beautiful African images to help everyone tell relatable African stories. Though it was launched in public beta in November 2022, it went live to the general public in March 2023. In a brand press, it says it is building Shutterstock for Africa and wants to revolutionise marketing content creation in the region.

According to Retna, “It is a free library of high-quality photos of Africa and Africans featuring a vast collection of photos contributed by talented photographers across Africa.” It also stated that it “aims to challenge stereotypes and showcase Africa’s diversity through the eyes of its people while empowering African photographers and creatives, providing greater exposure, extra income, and vital education and resources to navigate the business side of creative work effectively.”

Check out retna.io to find African images for your next project. Also, check out this interview with one of Retna’s co-founders.

Read Also: A conversation with Jabulani Sigege and Roderick Laka of Machine_ on using creativity and insights to create solutions for businesses

2) Color Space

Color Space is an innovative online platform that caters to the creative community by providing a diverse range of high-quality stock photos and digital assets. With a focus on delivering visually captivating content, Color Space aims to inspire and empower photographers, designers, marketers, and other creative professionals in South Africa and beyond.

Color Space says “It is committed to supporting both contributors and customers.” In a bid to support talented photographers and artists, “It provides a platform to showcase and monetize their work, offering fair compensation and the opportunity to reach a broader audience.” It also stated that it prioritises collaboration, fostering a community where creative professionals can connect, learn from one another, and share their artistic journey.

Check out colorspace.co.za as a photographer to showcase your work and as a user to find amazing African photos for your next project.

3) New Comma

New Comma (still in Beta) is the social media platform for African creatives to connect, create, learn and earn. New Comma says its mission is to connect African creatives to lucrative opportunities.

New Comma is a space for African creatives to connect, create, learn, and earn. It’s also open to people of all ethnicities looking to hire and mentor them.

It is a home for budding creatives - the new commas, and experts are welcome too. “We’re here to spark innovation by uncovering and stimulating African talent,” it stated.

Born out of a mission to support the upcoming generation of African creatives, every month, New Comma awards a one-time contribution of £100 to support an African creative with no strings attached under The New Comma Creative Fund.

Visit newcomma.com now to sign up, share your work, and find opportunities.

Read Also: Netflix's First African Animated Original Series, 'Supa Team 4' debuts on its streaming platform

4) Trybe

Trybe is a platform built to enrich, improve, and ease the lives of creatives. It calls itself The Home Of Creative Africa.

Trybe says it is solving the biggest problems of creatives by providing opportunities to make money, advice, tools, and a platform to make the creative experience less stressful. It also curates exhibitions, consults for brands, and conducts surveys on the creative industry. It added that it is “committed to improving the creator economy across the continent.”

On Trybe, you can: Find Creative Opportunities; Discover Creative Events; Buy African Art; and Get Curation Services.

Visit trybeafrica.com to get started.

5) Amaka

AMAKA is a MediaTech platform, spotlighting diverse and nuanced stories for women from Africa and the diaspora. AMAKA provides a platform that highlights and maintains the diversity, dynamism, and vigour of Pan-African womanhood.

“Despite the feats recorded by Pan-African content creators in the creative economy, the odds have stood against them. Content creators and entrepreneurs across Africa and the diaspora have found monetising and amplifying their creations challenging. Existing digital space often overlooks, shadow ban, or underpay creators resulting in missed opportunity and little global visibility for their work,” AMAKA says it aims to change this narrative through a publishing technology creator platform that opens the door for young African creators to reach new audiences and monetise their content through subscriptions.

The Benefits of AMAKA's Creator Platform for Creators include writing and publishing your story; building your own community; earning money from your creativity; multi-currency payment solutions; tipping; sponsored branded content; and access to events.

Visit Amaka.studio to get started.

Read Also: Disney Plus premieres 'Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire', a 10-part series animated anthology of African sci-fi films created by African creators

6) Nigerianmockups

As the name implies, Nigerianmockups is a library of photorealistic mockups, for Nigerian (African) designers by Nigerian designers.

Nigerianmockups is a brainchild of the people at CheckDC, a design agency based in Lagos, Nigeria. “While working hard to ensure that the solutions we create are authentic and precise reflections of every brand’s message, having to use foreign mockups and elements to represent them— because that’s what is mostly available — always felt like adding tribal marks to the Mona Lisa. These mockups just could not portray the authenticity we seek. But how do we use Nigerian mockups in our designs if there are hardly any available? Simple: we create them!” they wrote in a post on why they created NM.

Visit Nigerianmockups.com to get free mockups for your next project.

7) Vzy

Vzy is an AI-powered website builder. It makes it easy for you to create amazing websites without coding, from your mobile device or computer. It has pre-made templates, fast customisation, simple analytics, and CRM all in one platform.

“Vzy uses AI to automate your website design process. Just tell Vzy what your business is about, and watch it get to work! You can create a stunning website effortlessly, even without coding or design skills. Best of all, you can manage multiple websites on one account and use your custom domains. It's perfect for freelancers, small businesses, landing pages, and portfolios,” it says on its website.

It is a good way to set up your portfolio as a creative. Visit vzy.co to get started.

8) Selar

Selar is an e-commerce tool creators & entrepreneurs use to sell their content, products & services globally without stress. It allows creators and creatives to easily monetise their knowledge and audience through digital products and services.

"Someone that signs up on Selar has six currencies by default. All they might need to do is set the currency they'd like to be paid in," says its founder.

The process solves the payment problem experienced with similar services over the years. Selar's payment infrastructure allows a Ghanaian to pay in cedis while a Nigerian gets the money in naira.

Visit selar.co now to get started.

Read Also: Adam Safiya (AISU): On how pure enthusiasm, sharing her works, and getting commission requests led her to pursue her passion for art — #013

9) Mainstack

Mainstack is an all-in-one platform for creators and entrepreneurs to showcase and receive payments from their global audience.

Like Selar, Mainstack also allows you to showcase your work, sell products and services, create invoices and payment links, track analytics and revenue, manage customers, and build your community - with access to global payment options.

Mainstack allows you to create an elegant link in bio, a stylish portfolio, or a microsite to showcase your incredible work and services with its drag-and-drop builder. It requires no code.

Visit mainstack.co to get started.

10) Fullgap

Fullgap (still in Beta) is an operating system helping freelancers streamline their work and onboard their clients like a pro. With Fullgap, you can onboard and chat with your clients, manage projects, and automate your processes, all in one place.

Fullgaps offers project management, invoicing, agreements/contracts, payments, and more tools to power how you deliver value for your clients.

Visit fullgap.co to get started.

These products and platforms are some of the ones built with African creatives and creators in mind. So when next you need to do anything that has to do with what they offer, do well to check them out. Using these products and giving feedback is what will make them improve and how we can grow to attract the kind of investment needed for the African creative industry.

Share

PS: If you are building or know of any interesting African products and platforms we should highlight in future articles, please feel free to recommend them in the comment section.

You can reach me via tunmiseafape[at]gmail[dot]com or reach me at tunmiseafape on major social media platforms if you would love your product to be featured.

Read Also

It's a common belief that ‘creative’ people tend to be more isolated than people in other fields/professions. This can be attributed to the fact that creative people being in their world helps them activate their creative side and bring forth ideas so they tend to favour and enjoy solitude. However, like every human being, creative people crave human connection and interaction.

Genuine human connection and interaction can be achieved by being intentional as it requires directing efforts toward it. With the invention of technology and social media, people often feel a sense of deep connection -which can be false- to their social media followers and mutual, most of whom they have not seen or met in real life and may possibly never see or meet. 

Social media has given people the feeling that strangers somewhere care more about them than people surrounding them which is definitely not true in most cases. Although, when used correctly, you can amass genuine support and friendship from people on social media.

In life, every person falls into one or more categories of relationships such as friendship, romantic relationships, family, work colleagues, and many more. Building on these relationships and connections is crucial because they can help you achieve things you never thought possible and also make life much easier. 

According to a study from The National Institute Of Health (NIH), "Quality relationships serve to shield you against mental illness and prevent stress. It also boosts your self-confidence and esteem, gives you a broader perspective, and strengthens your immune system."

Now that we have established how crucial building relationships are, let's get down to how you can build meaningful and deep relationships as a creative:

Be Intentional

Every change we make in life begins with a change in mindset. As creatives, we can achieve great things once we become intentional and conscious about it. To be intentional about building meaningful connections, we need to actively seek them out by directing our time and effort into nurturing these relationships. You can do this by making use of every interaction and platform to ensure that we optimise every conversation we have. Each new person is an introduction to another person, a unique skill, opportunity, and perspective waiting to be explored. We can make the best out of meeting people by supporting, understanding, and giving value to the other person.

Build A Personal Connection With Your Co-workers

As a creative person who is constantly engaged in collaborating with a team, the best way to start building meaningful relationships is at work. This is even more important if you do not have the luxury of having days to yourself (work takes up most of your time). Your co-workers are deep connections waiting to be explored.

To connect with them on a deeper level, you can: 

• Be genuinely interested in your co-workers.

• Be friendly and helpful.

• Ask questions without being too intrusive. 

• Practice active listening. 

• Share some personal things with them which could open lines of communication. 

• Set boundaries.

If they notice you are genuine, they will be willing to open up. Although not all co-workers would be open to having friends in their work colleagues. Don't feel burdened or discouraged by that.

Reconnect With People Outside Of Work

We lose touch with some of the most important people in our lives due to focusing on our careers and immediate family before we even realise it. These are people we have shared fond memories with and are irreplaceable. Why not give them a call? You can reconnect with people in your life outside of work by being honest with them about what you have been through. They might be open and willing to create more amazing memories with you. You can also create a means of hanging out and making it a routine to check in on them once in a while.Practice Active Listening 

The world is noisy because everyone wants to be heard. Only a few people have the skills of a great listener. Being a great listener involves more than just thinking of a reply. It involves understanding and comprehending the speaker's words and taking in things from their perspective. 

Actively listening shows you respect and value the other person's words, enables communication, sparks inspiration, and fosters collaboration. Bonus points to you if you remember what the other person says in any other situation, it proves to them you are listening and they are being heard. Next time you are thinking of a reply or even cutting off the speaker to speak your mind, take a step back and practice active listening.

Attend Creative Events, Workshops, And Conferences

One of the best ways to build meaningful relationships is by meeting up with people who share the same interest as you. Some of the best places to meet these people are at conferences, local events, or workshops. These gatherings provide creatives with the avenues to meet like-minded individuals, expand their network, nurture relationships, and share experiences. These events foster collaboration and help stimulate inspiration.

Share Your Work And Seek Feedback: 

Sharing your work with people and expecting their feedback can help you connect with people who genuinely want to see you win. They would provide you with constructive criticism which can help you grow and improve your skills. You can also inspire other people who would be willing to connect with you by sharing your work.

Subscribe now

As a creative, staring at that computer all day without being able to come up with anything is not as productive as you think. Why not take that walk you are dreading or have a meaningful conversation with that neighbour you only say 'good morning' to? You get to experience the world through different sets of eyes which might be the breakthrough you have been looking for. There are more ways to build meaningful connections as a creative and you must be willing to put yourself out there to make the best of it.

Read also