Why I believe Ifeoluwa Sopeju Deserves the Designers Arise Live Contest Win.
The Live edition of the Designers Arise Contest #EllaeDACLive hosted by Ellae Creative Agency was a huge success. Although I did not win, the experience was priceless. 40 Designers from around the Nation were present at the event, from the reserved to the quiet and observant, to the outspoken and confrontational, even the neutral ones that are neither this or that. It was a pleasure meeting some of them.
It was an event of fun and interactive sessions.
As it is with all competition, There’s always A Winner (I believe all designers present at the event are winners actually, we were deemed worthy of the prize). Ifeoluwa Sopeju won the first prize! coincidental as it is, in our little chit-chat before the contest, He mentioned that he was supposed to be Ibadan and not the contest but he just had to come.
After he was announced the winner, it just seemed proper to take a look at the winning design. The designs may not be the most beautiful but I must confess, they were totally worth it! They were simple but functional, totally awesome!
Fortunately for me, He could no longer make it to Ibadan and we were both headed the same destination (I never knew until we met the BRT Bus Terminal), the ride gave me the opportunity to discuss at length with him. I was able to understand his design process and I saw why he deserved the win. Here are some peculiar reasons why:
1. He did his homework. I believe most of the designers did this (well I did) but he was diligent and thorough in his background study before the event, This availed him the opportunity to understand the best approach to the designs.
2. He took his time to understand the brief. As he had explained, he said he took an hour away from the computer to reread the brief, develop content, and plan the layout of the design, He literally used half of the time to sharpen his axe so cutting the tree was seamless (well, that’s a luxury I can’t afford at a contest, He already understands the speed of his PC, my own case is different. LOL).
3. He was careful and dutiful to select the best images and mockups that best showcase his design. This is actually noteworthy because, as part of the test, we were given mostly Low res images and jpeg mockups! we were caught unawares, some of us used most of the time complaining about it, I’m sure he did too but I guess he made the best use of what he has.
4. He did more than was required in such little time. He went beyond just design but to the functionality of the design. I still wonder how he could do so much within such short time, aside from the speed of his PC and his best-laid plans, his attention to intricate details and finesse is excellent.
5. His design copy (message) is clear and it speaks to the target audience and demographics.
Well, the above are my deductions from my reminiscing and observations. I’ll like to say a big Thank you to Ellae Creative for Hosting us, you guys are wonderful! and to our judges Noella, Fisayo Fosudo and Banke Alawaye, I pray you’ll continue to grow in wisdom and discernment, You all did a great Job. Thanks to our sponsors too Wakanow, Guarantee Trust Bank and Red Bull Nigeria. Shoutout to all designers that participated, you beautified the event with your creativity.
Congratulations once again Ifeoluwa Sopeju.
