Meet Adeniyi Okeowo, a multi-disciplinary designer and photographer.

There was a period in his boyhood when he was often left to do life with his devices. He treasured his alone time, mostly generating ideas and formulating diverse worlds in his head, unperturbed by the ambience of the large household in which he was raised. His name is Niyi Okeowo Mohammed, and that was the period that set the tone for his artistic ingenuities.

Niyi Okeowo obtained his Degree in Mass Communications from Covenant University, Nigeria. Apart from co-owning a design studio with a specialty in Art Direction, he also simultaneously freelances as a graphic designer. He is also a photographer with deep interest in travel and intimate portraiture. Through his collective work in visual design and photographic storytelling, he continues to demonstrate his passion for problem-solving.

Design includes “understanding the problem, researching the problem and those affected by it, and finding effective ways to solve the problem.” Niyi thinks that design should solve problems critically and creatively, employing visual and non-visual elements. This is the process he brings to his work as an art director. He believes that beyond its aesthetic value, design must be human-centered; that empathy must form the core of its features.

Since 2012, Niyi has worked as a graphic designer with a variety of talented individuals and brands like Fidelity Bank and SME Market Hub. Most notably is Ndani, where he’s worked longest, combining graphics design, photography and motion design. All these years, he has drawn inspiration from Da Design Studio, Tobias Van Schneider, Fabio Sasso, Karo Akpokiere, Ola Olowu, Daniel Emeka, Behance, Artstation, Abduzeedo, From Up North, Shockblast, 99designs, Form Fifty-Five, Creative Review, Digital Arts, BP&O, and It’s Nice that. Mortality has also always been a huge inspiration to Niyi. “Knowing that I will die someday inspires me to get my ideas out there before my time is up,” he says.

Niyi is one Nigerian multidisciplinary designer who loves research, loves music and enjoys talking to himself in first, second and third person pronouns. He challenges today’s designers to learn and teach two major things: the business side of the industry, and the history and principles of design.

Coming from a past in which, prior to learning Photoshop, his notebook drawings meant the world to him, Niyi Okeowo now he sees a future in which design is a seamless virtual real-time collaboration.