Unveiling the Creative Genius of Nigerian Graphic Designers: Redefining Typography with African Expression
In a world dominated by digital fonts and design software, it's easy to overlook the rich history of type design in Nigeria. But beneath the surface, a vibrant community of graphic designers is breathing new life into the country's visual culture. These designers are not just creating fonts; they're crafting a unique typographic identity that reflects Nigeria's rich cultural heritage and everyday aesthetics. And they're doing it with a twist: by blending traditional sensibilities with digital innovation.
One of the pioneers in this movement is Chisaokwu Joboson, who understands the challenges faced by type designers in Lagos and Africa at large. With limited infrastructure, tools, and peers, the journey can be isolating. But Chisaokwu is determined to build a community for type designers, ensuring that future generations don't have to start from scratch. His own journey into type design was fueled by a desire to create fonts that truly represent African culture and identity.
Chisaokwu's process is a blend of cultural inspiration and technical precision. He starts with an idea that is somewhat cultural and visual, then sketches and tests it digitally. His latest project, Mekanikal Display, is a monospaced, industrial-inspired font rooted in African vernacular. The name comes from the local spelling of mechanic, and its beveled cuts mimic the shape of a nut section, a small nod to workshop aesthetics. To Chisaokwu, it's bold, raw, and mechanical but with a handmade spirit, supporting African languages.
Chisaokwu has also created the Ụdị Foundry, an independent type foundry that creates typefaces rooted in African expression but made for the global design space. His brand, Studio Ansa, blends strategic designs with storytelling, helping other brands find their unique voice. And he's built Type Afrika, a community for creatives to share knowledge and build a new generation of type designers across the continent.
Another notable designer is Seyi Olusanya, who sees type design as a means to learn about the continent and contribute to its visual vernacular. He wants designers to add genuinely African types to their design vocabulary, moving beyond pattern tropes and expected color schemes. Seyi's process involves exploring archives and drawing inspiration from his environment, including bus stops, signage, and small businesses with capital constraints.
Seyi's most significant work is Danfo, a project inspired by the vinyl cut-out lettering found on Lagos's public buses. His second project, Tac, was created in collaboration with Google Fonts and inspired by the wordmark of Festac '77. These projects solidified his interest in type design, leading him to set up Afrotype, a platform to build a catalogue of typefaces inspired by African history, environment, and culture.
David James Udoh, another talented designer, started his journey as a graphic designer without formal training, driven by a passion and a dream. His curiosity led him to brand design, where he could experiment with typography constantly. He spent months obsessed with details, refining his craft to create typefaces that make his work easier and more engaging.
David's process involves collecting photos, sketches, objects, and even sounds, then sketching loosely on paper or directly in glyphs. He draws inspiration from type designers like Ohno Type, whose expressive and stylistic typefaces captivate him. David currently runs an independent visual archive, Caveat Emptor, that documents vernacular design culture in Nigeria, shaping his view of letterforms as reflections of people's stories and ingenuity.
His work, Funky Waka, is a funky, highly stylized serif typeface inspired by hand-painted transit and signage designs found across Lagos and Mombasa. The font captures the essence of local visual culture, infusing elements of spontaneity and dynamic, energetic letterforms. David is currently working on an extended version, adding comprehensive support for Sub-Saharan African languages, further solidifying his impact on the design world.
