Asia's POV- The Nbari Experience

I remember seeing Nbari’s post on my mentor’s IG story, and I was intrigued. For me, one of the reasons I applied to Nbari was the storytelling; the entire brand itself intrigued me, and I wanted to be a part of it.

My first class—I didn’t know what to expect, but at the end of it, I was like, woahhh, I am sattt. In a few hours, introverted me had started networking and taking pictures. It was an amazing first day, and I looked forward to the remaining days of the program.

We were opened to another level of design thinking, breaking down concepts and dissecting briefs. In the first month, we were divided into groups. My group was assigned to design chairs for primary 1 pupils. We called schools, parents—just to ensure we were doing the right thing. Working together with amazing women like Uri, Lola, Sandra, and the “blessed among women” Sam was an interesting experience, as we shared our thoughts and ideas together while navigating our tasks.

In the second month, we specialized in our various areas, and I picked Brand and Information Design. Huge shout out to our chief priest, Ferricool, and our facilitator, Bez! I was exposed to another layer of design thinking, seeing branding from a whole new perspective that was bigger than just logo design and colors. My favorite session was when Bez taught us about brand impressions. He broke it down to explain that a brand impression is like using a pen to write on your hand or a tattoo on your body; the pen effect can easily be wiped out, but the tattoo? It has a lasting effect.

Brand and Information Design (BID) class was fun because of the agba storyteller, Tayo, my fellow kinsman. Working with him helped me translate brand storytelling into visuals beautifully.

Our classes brought out a new approach to design thinking, brand strategy, and hours spent brainstorming, all while forging connections with fellow kinsmen.

The Third Month

For my project, I focused on a brand refresh for D’UNWINDER BRAND, a brand founded on the beauty of friendship, encouraging people to be part of the adventure, building connections, and winning together. I had a lot of fun on this project because I have known the founders for a while and have been to some of their hangouts, which have all been amazing. They had some inconsistency in their branding and overall expressions, and I wanted to help improve that—give them a fresh and distinct outlook.

I worked closely with my facilitator, Bez, crafting the brand impression and elements. Working on this project, Bez pushed me; I remember the first direction, and he was like, Asia, keep pushing, and I did keep pushing, lol.

Exploring typefaces, colors—it was exciting and intriguing. We had classes outside Nbari program hours; I remember one of the sessions, we spent almost four hours on a meet call working on brand expressions. We were pushed to not just do more than average but to understand what exactly we were doing.

The final hours of Nbari were tedious. I was working on my project alongside two other kinsmen, and it showed me the beauty of collaboration and what happens when we combine our strengths. I experienced the beauty of brand strategy and design.

At the project showcase, I was so nervous. I didn’t know who the judges were, and it felt like I was exposing myself and my work to someone I didn’t know. One of the reasons I applied to join Nbari was to push myself. I have been working as a brand designer for the past three years, and I wanted to see what it felt like from the classroom. It’s one thing to present your work to a client; it’s another to present it to a designer. The judges, especially Mary Afolabi, the color fairy, were amazing. I saw a different POV on my work process. She loved my use of color, btw, and encouraged me not just to stop at the presentation but to keep pushing—and that’s what I love about Nbari. Nbari sees what you are capable of before you get to see it yourself.

While running the Nbari program, I noticed that at work, I had grown more confident; I pushed myself more and became more vocal. Fericool would always say, “Don’t stop at the first, second, or third attempt; keep pushing. There’s always something more,” and for this push, I am grateful to the entire Nbari Village.

Shout out to Kath—I never skip your emails because they are beautifully written.

I am excited about what the future holds post-Nbari, collaborating with fellow kinsmen and just doing amazing work. Telling the African story, one day at a time.