The past year for me was one for growth. As much as it was one for big wins and even bigger failures.
However, I have learned crucial lessons which I believe would be helpful to you reading this. The central message behind this would be RESILIENCE and GRIT.

If you’re just coming across my writings for the first time do well to check my previous articles. They would help give some perspective to my lenses as you read.

2023 started on a “decisive note”. I had just returned from an annual retreat, by the way (I recommend everyone has one at the close of every year). It was clear to me that I had to improve in certain areas of my life, of which the majors were;

· Spirituals

· Mental/Career

· Financial

So, I set out to layout a sustainable plan. As a Christian, I set out to improve the hours I committed to my devotion daily. Giving more times to prayers and reading of scriptures.

I also planned to improve my design skills by mastering more design tools and adding more stacks.

For my financial targets, I had hope to land a role or gigs that consistently paid at least $500(N440,000 at the time).

How did all these pan out? Just keep reading and you’d find out.

As spiritual progress was made, I kept encountering challenges with my finances.

I have a saying I live by, “For you to earn like they earn, you must know what they know and do what they do”.

This saying guides my constant pursuit for improvement in whatever I do because I believe Growth and increase is earned and not given.

It was sometime in May that I jumped on my first Twitter tech space and even made contributions. It was surreal because I made connections and interactions with folks across 4 continents.

I began taking two design courses from YouTube and Udemy. These were basically to improve my design processes and overall delivery.

Of note was me showing up more on Twitter which by the way is my most preferred platform for creatives. I began putting out designs, connecting with other designers and even joined communities to increase my overall reach.

Of note was feedback given to me by Lawrence DCode on one twitter space to be intentional about my LinkedIn and build it to 500 connects at least. This was sometime in June/July, and since then till now, I was able to optimize my profile, grow my connect to 500 and improve my overall followership to almost 1000.

Getting in touch midyear with a colleague who eventually turned a brother Abayomi Gerard, opened my eyes to the possibility of consistently making 7 figures monthly. Oh boy! The young man had done about $500, $750 and even thousands of dollars in a month.

I knew I had to get to work.

I had already landed a $500(N450,000) per month job. It was a great time. I left the role due to differences which I discussed in an earlier article.

I was out of work for a while, about a month.

What did I do?

I went looking for my colleague in Jos, Plateau Nigeria.

In that period, my mind opened to the endless possibilities of increasing my income, particularly because I was seeing a young person doing same.

It wasn’t long afterwards I got another job with a web3 startup, for which I was being paid about $400(N400,000) per month. It was a great time being a UI UX designer.

I had a great experience working on a cross sectional team. Being able to interact with different people of diverse skillset including writers, programmers, community managers and marketers.

As one who has experience in crypto and the web3 space- I have actively traded crypto since 2016/2017.

I was able to grow my funds from about $500 to $2000.

In all of this, I was consistently turning up on LinkedIn and ensuring I was giving value.

MENTORSHIP

At some point I ran a mentorship for UI UX designers looking to get started with honing the craft.

I was able to mentor 4 designers who have gone on to make their first $100 at least from designing.

This was a proud moment for me because I have always been a believer in giving back to the cause that makes you. This was my contribution to the community. Here and now, I still receive requests for guidance and direction. Always willing to help.

SPLINE AND PROTOPIE

As part of my commitment to becoming valuable and marketable, I decided to learn industry prototyping tool Protopie and also 3D scene tool Spline. These were very helpful in improving the overall user experience for users of products I design.

Learning this put me on the spotlight and helped me land a website redesign gig.

RESILIENCE

Towards the end of the year, I was making colossal progress. The crypto market was favouring me.

Then came the turbulence. The startup I was with said they couldn’t compete anymore as the CEO couldn’t pay. We were all laid off. This was sometime in November. I had figured that it was time to use up the funds I had saved up from the year of work since I wasn’t planning on taking any job as it was the holiday season, and I had my retreat again. Remember I told you about it in the opening paragraphs.

All was ready, until a Monday morning in December, I tried accessing my wallet and saw there was a D’app attack. The funds in my wallet were drained. I had just lost $2000(N2,000,000) I was left with just $20.

This was a true test of resilience and courage. Like I told my brother “I feel like I worked the whole year only to be robbed”. We laughed it off together. But deep down I was pained, because I couldn’t do all I wanted to do.

WHY HAVE I WRITTEN THIS?

For most people like me, you may be in a tight spot or an unpleasant position. My encouragement to you is to keep going. For some people. They had a great 2023 and you might be pressured from the posts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. You know what? Take some time off.

Reflect on the intangible positives from 2023.

· The relationships made

· The improvements; career and psychological

· And steps taken towards your goal

You’d realize this, little progress is still progress.

Like Martin Luther said

“If you can’t fly, then run,

If you can’t run, then walk,

If you can’t walk, then crawl,

But by all means, Keep moving”

That’s my message to you.

That’s my message to me.

It’s going to be a great year. Trsut God!

Go again!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

If this has inspired you, please let me know.

You can also share this with friends and family.

Feel free to reach out to me if you want a writer or someone to properly articulate your thoughts.

Send me an email at victoralmonduzoma@gmail.com

Need a designer for your project?

Check out my links here linktree

2023; How My Failures can help you grow was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

For the best part of the last 7 years, I have been on my tech journey. It’s been a topsy turvy ride. Starting out as a mere repairer and fixer of some sorts, before finding my footing in graphics design which I learned and mastered for about 5 years until now, I began coding in 2019, but the demands of my education at the time, being a medical student didn’t allow me finish that up. Discovering Ui UX design in 2020 was the game changer.

I’m not here to share unrealistic claims but allow you journey with me through the eyes of a young Nigerian navigating his way through the murky tech waters.

Being a self-taught designer in hindsight now, wasn’t the best approach I could have possibly taken, And here’s why, it was basically a scattergun approach to my learning. A’s there wasn’t a dedicated learning path, I made use of the greatest school in the world which I call YouTube School, I remember doing Night Subs (A subscription package in Nigeria that gives up to 2GB of data per night) to be able to download multiple videos I could watch and practice with. I did this while mastering different environments like Corel suites, Photoshop and illustrator.

While doing this, I also had to face the battles of poor power supply. I attended an institution that doesn’t have power supply around it, Abia State University. So, to achieve much, I had to spend hours after the close of school practicing with the videos I downloaded the previous night.

I tried my hands on different things while at it. Like I said earlier, I began writing code, started out with dream weaver, then Vs Code, finished the basics of Html, CSS and was getting started with JavaScript. I couldn't keep up This was when I began with UI UX. Mind you, up until that moment, the highest I had earned from tech, aside sales and marketing was just about $50(N35,000) in one sitting. I knew I needed to do more. I leveraged social media creating a social media page and even getting quite active on Facebook. This still didn’t cut it.

I was tired.

I’ve always known that if you’re not getting the desired results you feel you ought to be getting, it’s most likely because you know as much as you think you do.

I almost quit with tech entirely and delved into understanding human psychology, sales and marketing. This was because I wasn’t seeing the big numbers, I only read stories on Bloomberg and Inc.com of successful professionals who didn’t have as much exposure but still somehow made it to the top.

I made some money off sales and marketing through affiliate marketing, approximately $1200(N1,000,000) over time. Amazing, but deep down, I wanted this money to come from what I loved solely- Tech.

I discovered Product design/ UI UX, I told myself “This is the bridge between web design and web development” I liked it there. I began to gain mastery.

It would be until after 830 days, countless cold DMs, different portfolio projects that I landed my first international high paying gig. I spoke about this in my last article. It would take me showing up consistently on Twitter now X, joining communities, building real connections and jumping on spaces before someone sent a Dm about joining for a contract role and I was hired, got paid about $550(N400,000) per month for the role and it was for close to two months. While it didn’t end in the best way possible. I proved a few things to myself. They include;

1. That you could still be at the end of the world and be relevant.
2. No matter how the odds are stacked against you, there’s always a way.
3. If I did it before, I can do it again and even better.
4. My experiences could inspire others to dream as I did and even reach for the stars.

TLDR:

1. Tech in Nigeria is not beans (It’s not easy).
2. Find a learning pathway for whatever tech skill you want to learn and follow it religiously.
3. Show up daily, build connections.
4. Learn to sell.
5. Believe in yourself. No one else might.

If you’re a Nigerian reading this, I suggest you acquire a tech skill today. You’d be grateful ! year from now. same goes to you from any part of the world.

I’d try to keep it short as I have to get back to making myself valuable through design and writing.

I help startups create beautiful user experiences through aesthetic product designs, copy and content writing.

I love helping young people break into tech with my experience and insights to help make their journey smoother.

P.s Yomi is my friend who is a stellar SaaS copywriter helping over 20 brands convert and improve adoption.

You can reach me on victoralmonduzoma@gmail.com or my shots at Dribble

By the summer of 2023, I had just landed a paid UI UX role for a beautiful Startup called Tempbutton. It was a big step seeing it had been months since I had been in a paid position. The pay was juicy and a step up. What was really interesting was how I landed the role. I will tell you how I did.

I began showing up more regularly on social media, particularly (formerly Twitter). I began networking with more people on X. It seemed very slow, painful and looked unproductive.

I sent loads of cold DMs. They all proved abortive.

One thing I have known about failures is that with each failure, there’s something to improve. So, I set out to find out what I could do better.

I got my resume updated and also have a standby cover letter for this design role as I have resumes for other roles I’m a good fit for.

On one of those days on a Twitter space, I spoke and made some contributions to fellow designers. Shortly afterwards, someone was in my DM, a recruiter who asked if I could get on an interview.
I did. We scheduled a meeting with the startup founder, a middle-aged American. We can call him Mr. B for the sake of this write-up. We spoke on meet and he asked about my experience in the design space, I told him about my 3 years experience in the UI UX space. Also told him about my sales and copywriting history. He asked what my previous salary had been, so I told him. He opined great and said would add an extra to the previous payment. My scheduled work hours were 9–5 daily, excluding weekends and my job description included;

• Creating multiple iterations for the web page that was being recreated.
• Designing high-fidelity mockups.
• Also improving the messaging on the webpage

HOW WAS THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT?

It was friendly as it was flexible for me, I could create multiple iterations ahead of time and share them with Mr. B and receive feedback.

One of the most important things I learnt was scheduling meetings. Mr. B taught me how to have meetings scheduled using Google Calendar and send out invites for a meeting. He said this showed that you valued the other person’s time.

At first, he would leave me messages at awkward times, 2 am, 4am GMT. I also struggled with his terminologies as he was a developer himself, so much so that I began to lose my confidence.

Also, there wasn’t a specific objective, all he told me all the time was to make the messaging clearer and “send me more pictures”. I kept doing my best, he tried to get me comfortable, telling me to always ask questions. I always did, as I can never pass up on an opportunity to get better informed.

As time went on, we began having some friction. For starters, I reached out to Mr. B. I stressed that I had not received an official email with my employment offer, specifying the pay and also work responsibilities, this was because I was already feeling unproductive. He always said, I wasn’t doing enough and he didn’t have time for calls.

I always enquired what exactly he meant, and I couldn’t get a proper response.

However, he always said that he expected me to send 7–10 screens per day. It was draining as I didn’t know the metrics for measuring my success or failures. Also be informed that I was the only one on the design team. I kept asking if there were others.

I kept researching competitors in the field and making multiple iterations off their product and tried to close the gap. I researched over 4 different competitors, signing up for the staffing service of some, just to get a hang of the interface.

Here is what we had when I joined, vs various improvements I came up with

It was as though there was no end product to my designs as I wasn’t seeing any implementations based on my inputs, but somehow he was just asking for more and more pictures.

Yet, I felt excited about the prospect of making a real impact on a live project. And always tried to keep a positive disposition.

I met with the development team and they barely spoke, nor could they understand my pain points. Of course, they couldn’t, they were developers.

Mr. B replied to me subsequently and said he understood I wanted to leave, I could do a calculation of my full workdays so far and send in an invoice so I could get paid. I let him know it wasn’t the case, that I only needed clarity on my job description and expectations. It went well until about time for payment.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Based on our agreement, the payment comes in on the 14th of every month, I had just sent my invoice in and didn’t hear from him, he said he had been in different meetings.
I placed calls across and he kept saying hold on. He said to “trust him”, I reiterated it wasn’t about trust, that I had finished my job for a month and my pay was due. It was just the proper thing to pay and no need for back and forths.

It was now the 17th, about 3 days afterwards, then he calls me by 2am GMT, and asks for my bank details which I had given him earlier when we began conversing.

He sent the funds through Western Union which I could confirm he did, but then it took another 6 days for me to receive, this was partly my fault as it came in 2 days earlier. But as you can guess, I was already stressed out.

WHAT NEXT?

Communicated that I had received payment and asked how we may proceed, Mr. B said to hold on and he’d let me know. He became dodgy and began acting really funny. By this time, I had been sending about 6 screens per day, login screens and userflows. I was also the copywriter. Haha!

A few can be seen below;

He eventually played the “Nigerian card”, saying Nigerians had a sense of entitlement. At this point, I knew it was pointless to service that relationship any further. The relationship was now toxic. He couldn’t bring himself to say he was letting me go because he defaulted on a payment date, and I asked for what was mine.

There’s that friends. I tried to keep it as real as possible because I’m also using this as documentation for my journey and growth in this space.

Here are some of my takeouts;

1. Keep learning and increasing value.
2. Never undervalue your worth.
3. Always receive an official employment offer just in case there’s a breach.
4. Always turn up daily.
5. Your location should never undermine you.
6. Always receive feedback and try to be heard.
7. Never continue with what you do not accept fully.
8. Give your 100% or quit.
9. Network!
10. Live ready.

Currently, I’m out of work and open to UI UX roles and writing roles.

You can check out some of my shots here https://dribbble.com/ventlabs or on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/vickAlmondo

Loved what you just read? Do well to leave a clap and follow me.

HOW I LOST MY UI UX ROLE was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Financial literacy borders around the necessary skills, knowledge and trends needed to make informed money decisions. This would involve learning and mastering some financial concepts like budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, and planning for retirement. More often than not, it is not just about the technicalities, it involves practical steps like reading and understanding financial statements, understanding risk-reward returns on financial products and ultimately making positive financial decisions that would improve one’s personal and professional financial life. In short, financial literacy is the ability to understand and manage one’s finances effectively.

Financial literacy levels vary among individuals, and many people may not have a complete understanding of all aspects of financial literacy. According to various studies, financial literacy rates tend to be lower among certain demographic groups, such as those with lower income, less formal education, and younger individuals.

Aha! Enter Africa, my Africa.

While materials for financial literacy are widely available, it is not so accessible or even well presented to folks in ways that can be easily understood. Why? Because most financial writers and advisors believe if it is not laced with errant financial jargons then you’re not doing it right. Well, today’s your lucky day. This would be as basic as possible.

Financial literacy levels among Africans vary depending on the country, age, gender, education level, and income. However, studies suggest that financial literacy rates tend to be lower in Africa compared to other regions. (Not surprised, Africa has had over 200 conflicts since 1970 according to Uppsala Conflict Data Program).

For example, a 2019 study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that financial literacy levels among adults in Africa ranged from 13% in Chad to 30% in Mauritius. The study also found that women, rural populations, and those with lower education levels tended to have lower financial literacy rates.

In Africa, as I live here, the financial literacy levels are higher with younger people and folks of higher education and income levels. There’s a lot of room for improvement. This is why we are here. Yikes!! Writing, educating and exposing everyone to the requisite information.

It is also noteworthy to state that efforts are being made to improve these levels in Africa as NGOs, governments and even parastatals are actively engaging in programs to turn the tide. By improving the financial literacy levels in Africa, the overall financial life of the Continent improves. Tada!!

In my country Nigeria, there’s quite the reverse. While general studies indicate that the financial literacy levels are generally low, a 2019 study by the Central Bank of Nigeria found that only 39% of Nigerians were financially literate. The study also found that financial literacy levels tended to be higher among men, those with higher levels of education and income, and urban residents.

Other studies have shown that financial literacy levels tend to be lower among older Nigerians, those in rural areas, and those with lower levels of education and income. Additionally, some studies suggest that many Nigerians lack basic financial knowledge, such as how to budget, save, and invest.

With improved access to financial literacy resources, Nigerians can make a well-rounded decision as touching their finances.

Conventional methods of teaching financial literacy include:

1. Classroom-based instruction: Schools and universities often offer courses in personal finance, economics, and accounting that teach financial literacy concepts. Here in Africa and most parts of the world, the information about finances been dispersed is rather defunct and sterile. There is need to improve on this front to current realities.

2. Workshops and seminars: Financial institutions and non-profit organizations often provide workshops and seminars that teach financial literacy concepts. These events may be held in-person or online.

3. Personal finance books: There are many personal finance books available that teach financial literacy concepts in an accessible way. One of my favourites is Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone.

4. Online courses and tutorials: Many organizations offer online courses and tutorials that teach financial literacy concepts. These courses may be free or paid.

5. Financial coaching: Some financial institutions and non-profit organizations offer one-on-one financial coaching sessions that help individuals improve their financial literacy and manage their money effectively.

6. Community-based programs: Some organizations offer financial literacy programs that are tailored to specific communities, such as low-income individuals or seniors.

These conventional methods of teaching financial literacy can be effective, but they may not be accessible to everyone. Financial education is not always cheap. Hence why most folks resort to informal mediums of financial education which could include family, friends etc. Most times these folks might not be thoroughly equipped to inform or educate concerning finances. This is the more reason why financial literacy materials ought to be available to just about everyone.

There are also non-conventional methods that can be used to improve financial literacy. Some include the following below;

1. Gamification: Using games and simulations to teach financial literacy concepts can be engaging and effective. For example, there are online games that simulate managing money or investing in the stock market.
2. Mobile apps: There are many mobile apps available that can help individuals manage their money, track their spending, and learn about personal finance. These apps often use gamification and other interactive features to make learning about finance more engaging.
3. Social media: Social media platforms can be used to share financial literacy resources, tips, and advice. Many financial institutions and organizations have social media accounts that provide financial education content.
4. Peer-to-peer learning: Peer-to-peer learning programs can be effective in teaching financial literacy. For example, some organizations have established financial literacy clubs or groups where individuals can learn from one another and share their experiences.
5. Financial literacy podcasts: Podcasts can be a convenient way to learn about personal finance concepts. Many financial experts and organizations have started podcasts that provide financial education content.

These non-conventional methods can be very useful to folks who do not easily learn via traditional mediums of education. These methods often employ technology and make the patterns of learning flexible and engaging. Which brings me to AI!

WHAT ROLE WOULD AI PLAY IN FINANCIAL LITERACY??

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has a role to play in financial literacy. With the rise of fintech, there has been an increase in the use of AI-powered tools and platforms to improve financial literacy and education.

Some examples of how AI can be used to improve financial literacy include:

1. Personalized financial advice: AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized financial advice to individuals based on their financial goals, spending habits, and risk tolerance.

2. Budgeting and expense tracking: AI-powered apps and tools can help individuals track their expenses, analyze their spending patterns, and create personalized budgets.

3. Investment management: AI-powered investment platforms can provide individuals with automated investment recommendations based on their risk tolerance and financial goals.

4. Fraud detection and prevention: AI algorithms can be used to detect fraudulent activities and alert individuals to potential scams.

5. Gamification: AI-powered games and simulations can be used to teach financial literacy concepts in an engaging and interactive way.

6. Data analysis: The nonprofit organization, Financial Health Network, uses AI to analyze financial data and identify trends related to financial health. The organization then uses this information to create financial education programs that are tailored to the specific needs of different demographic groups.

7. Personalized financial coaching: The financial wellness platform, Best Money Moves, uses AI-powered chatbots to provide personalized financial coaching to employees of companies that offer the platform as an employee benefit. The chatbots provide real-time guidance on financial issues such as budgeting, debt management, and retirement planning.

But are there really real life scenarios where AI has helped? A big yes!

Some real life instances where AI has helped with financial literacy includes the following;

1. Capital One’s Eno: Capital One’s AI-powered virtual assistant, Eno, provides personalized financial advice and recommendations to Capital One credit cardholders. Eno uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand customers’ questions and provide relevant financial advice, such as suggesting ways to save money or avoid fees.

2. Ally Bank’s Ally Assist: Ally Bank’s AI-powered virtual assistant, Ally Assist, helps customers with various financial tasks, such as transferring funds or checking account balances. Ally Assist also provides personalized financial advice, such as tips for saving money or paying off debt.

3. Robinhood’s Snacks: Robinhood, the investment app, uses an AI-powered newsletter called Snacks to help users learn about investing and finance. Snacks uses NLP to summarize financial news stories in a fun and engaging way, making it easier for users to understand complex financial concepts.

4. BlackRock’s Aladdin: BlackRock, the investment management company, uses an AI-powered platform called Aladdin to help investors manage their portfolios. Aladdin uses machine learning to analyze market trends and provide personalized investment recommendations to investors.

5. Binance: Binance is a crypto exchange also uses AI bots for automated trading and funds hedging. This “guarantees” some profits with minimal risks. NOT Financial Advise.

These examples show how AI is being used to help people learn about finance and manage their money more effectively. By providing personalized financial advice and recommendations, these tools can help people stay informed and make better financial decisions.

CAN AI STILL IMPROVE IN FINANCIAL LITERACY?

AI has the potential to make several improvements in the area of financial literacy, including:

1. Personalization: AI algorithms can analyze an individual’s financial situation, behavior, and goals to provide personalized financial education and advice. This can help individuals learn about financial topics that are relevant to their specific situation and make better-informed financial decisions.

2. Accessibility: AI-powered tools and platforms can make financial education more accessible to individuals who may not have access to traditional financial education resources. For example, AI-powered chatbots can provide financial coaching and advice to individuals on their mobile devices, making financial education more convenient and accessible.

3. Interactivity: AI-powered tools and platforms can make financial education more interactive and engaging for individuals. For example, gamification techniques can be used to teach financial concepts in a fun and engaging way, which can increase individuals’ motivation to learn and retain the information better.

4. Real-time monitoring: AI algorithms can monitor an individual’s financial behavior in real-time, alerting them to potential financial problems and providing guidance on how to address them. For example, AI-powered budgeting apps can track an individual’s spending and provide recommendations on how to save money or reduce expenses.

5. Analytics: AI-powered analytics can provide insights into financial behaviors and trends, which can help financial educators and policymakers design more effective financial education programs. For example, AI-powered analytics can help identify common financial mistakes or misconceptions and provide guidance on how to address them.

Overall, AI has the potential to improve the financial literacy and decision making of not only Africans but the rest of the world.

It is also important to note that while AI can help with a multitude of financial tasks, it would not be totally replacing human advisors anytime soon.

That being said, AI can complement the work of financial advisors by providing them with data-driven insights and recommendations to help them make better-informed financial decisions for their clients. AI can also help financial advisors scale their services by automating routine tasks, such as data entry and analysis, allowing them to focus on more value-added tasks, such as providing personalized advice, guidance and also providing them the much needed time with family and other loved ones.

In summary, while AI has the potential to disrupt the financial advisory industry, it is more likely to complement the work of financial advisors and enhance the quality of financial advice and guidance that they provide to their clients. Thereby making it possible for a larger number of Africans to learn more about their finances at the same time.

If you liked this and found it helpful, clap as hard as you can.

If you want to get in touch or even want me to write for you, do well to send an email here https://www.vickuzoma@gmail.com.

Other than writing, I’m also a product designer, you can check out my portfolio here https://www.dribbble.com/ventlabs

For the best part of the past few years, I have been submerged by the thoughts of a “day of Judgement” level takeover by Artificial intelligence. Questions like “would I be out of work with the rise of AI?”. As a native designer, I cannot help but get worried by these prospects, but should I really be worried? Let’s find out.

I can tell you that the rise of AI and automation has certainly brought some changes and challenges to the field of graphic design. However, whether graphic designers should be worried about AI depends on various factors, including the nature of their work, their skillset, and their willingness to adapt (take note of this*).

While I yet worry, I cannot underemphasize the importance of AI and the outrageous help it has been lately to designers and digital creators alike. Whether its resizing photos, generating AI images or pixelating images or correcting grammatical texts. The automated help it provides is rather astounding! Thus leaving the designers to focus on other strategic and creative tasks.

It is of great importance to state that AI is not yet capable of replacing the creativity, imagination, and human touch that graphic designers bring to their work. Design is often subjective and contextual, and AI may struggle to understand and respond to the nuances and emotions that designers aim to convey through their work.

The grouse shouldn’t be with the AI revolution, because AI is definitely storming the entire tech space and would even take over in the near future, but the task should be for designers and tech stakeholders to leverage the power of AI and the immense benefits it brings to the tech, particularly the design space to improve their efficiency and creativity.

However, those who solely rely on their traditional skills and resist the changes brought by technology may find themselves at a disadvantage. It’s important for graphic designers to keep learning and adapting to the new tools and trends in their field to remain relevant and competitive.

“To lead, one must adapt.”

HOW CAN GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LEVERAGE AI?

Graphic designers can leverage AI in several ways to enhance their work and improve their productivity. Here are some examples:

1. Automating routine tasks: As I mentioned earlier, AI can automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as resizing images, formatting text, or even creating basic designs. This can free up designers’ time and allow them to focus on more creative and strategic tasks.

2. Personalizing designs: AI can help designers create personalized designs based on user data, preferences, or behavior. For example, designers can use AI-powered tools to create product recommendations tailored for each user, customized layouts, or even personalized branding solutions

3. Improving design accuracy: Most professional design gigs require certain ISO standards to be met. AI can help designers ensure that their designs meet these standards, such as accessibility or brand guidelines. For example, AI-powered tools can check for color contrast, font size, and other accessibility requirements to ensure that the design is inclusive and user-friendly

4. Enhancing creativity: AI can inspire designers by generating new ideas and designs based on input data or parameters. For example, designers can use AI-powered tools like Canva, Adobe Sensei, or AI-powered chatbots to generate ideas or even suggest design solutions based on user input and data caches.

5. Collaborating with other professionals: AI can facilitate collaboration between UI/UX designers and other professionals, such as marketers, developers, or data scientists. For example, designers can use AI-powered tools to analyze user data, conduct A/B testing, or even create visualizations and dashboards to communicate insights which would in turn help the development process of products.

There are many free AI-powered tools available for graphic designers that can help automate tasks, generate designs, and improve workflows. Here are some examples:

1. Artisto: Artisto is a free mobile app that uses AI to transform photos and videos into artistic animations and paintings.

2. Deep Dream Generator: Deep Dream Generator is a free online tool that uses deep learning algorithms to transform photos into surreal and dream-like images.

3. AI Image Enlarger: AI Image Enlarger is a free online tool that uses AI-powered algorithms to enlarge images without losing quality or resolution.

4. Designhill AI Logo Maker: Designhill AI Logo Maker is a free online tool that uses AI to generate custom logo designs based on user input and preferences.

5. Fontjoy: Fontjoy is a free online tool that uses AI to generate font pairings based on user input and preferences.

6. Remove.bg: Remove.bg is a free online tool that uses AI to remove the background of images automatically, making it easier to isolate objects or people in photos.

7. NVIDIA GauGAN: NVIDIA GauGAN is a free online tool that uses AI to transform simple sketches into photorealistic landscapes and scenes.

These are just a few examples of the many free AI-powered tools available for graphic designers. By leveraging these tools, designers can automate tasks, generate designs, and enhance their workflow, ultimately saving time and improving productivity.

While AI-powered tools can certainly help improve graphic design efficiency, it’s important to note that they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Therefore, the outcome of the designs and products would depend on other factors which would include the task at hand, the expertise of the designer and importantly the quality of the input data.

Additionally, these tools can certainly help automate certain tasks or generate designs more quickly, they may not always produce the same level of quality or creativity as a human designer. The human mind is an incredible intelligence on its own.

In summary, the goal for graphic designers is to master and leverage AI to automate routine tasks, enhance creativity, improve design accuracy, personalize designs, and collaborate with other professionals. By embracing AI as a tool, designers can enhance their skills, deliver more value to their clients and users, and have more time for themselves and their families or other important engagements.

If you loved this, clap so hard!! Remember to follow!

To communicate with me or want to hire me, email vickuzoma@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you. Kindly leave your feedback as well.

Look up my design portfolio here VentLabs. Let’s do big things!!

Should Designers Be Scared of AI? was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Many times, the largest messages I get from folks that have been in the tech industry, especially design fields is centered about how to make money off their skills or how they feel undervalued. I felt the same way too, I began my design journey in 2018 with a HP 650 laptop, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, just good enough to run the basic softwares for design. Funny enough, I was arguably terrible when I began, but I got a lot of support from my family members who used my services irregardless of how shitty it was at the beginning.

My father was one of my biggest patrons, I had believed i was good enough to start demanding at least $10(N5000 at the time)for my services. I was met with steep rejection. It didn’t deter me, however, I kept practicing and continued putting out incredible designs, one at a time. The image below was from 2020.

Attaboy!! I knew I was definitely up the charts, but I needed this to translate to actual financial value. It wasn’t until I learned to sell that I understood being profitable as a designer. While sales skills are not the primary skillset of a designer, an absence of the same would greatly impede the growth and returns of you or your brand. The following sales skills are what help me make my first 150k on the job. I hope they help ypu too.

1. Negotiation: Sales skills can help a graphics designer to negotiate effectively with clients and vendors. This can be important when it comes to agreeing on budgets, timelines, and project scope. You don’t just angry to any $10 job that comes your way. Knowing when to engage, when to walk away with your heasd high makes the difference. I once rejected a design gig from a research medical organization because they felt since I was a designer from Nigeria, I ought to be paid lesser that my North American counterparts. I didn’t bother proceeding. There are times like this and it would happen.
2. Communication: Sales skills helped me communicate more effectively with clients and even prospects. This can be important when it comes to understanding the client’s needs and goals, and then conveying design concepts and ideas to them. Remember as a designer, your first port of call is to understand your client’s needs. Do not assume you already know what the client wants. Ask questions even to the barest minimum.
3. Customer Service: Sales skills helped me provide excellent customer service. This can be important when it comes to building long-term relationships with clients and ensuring that they are satisfied with the designer’s work. As I was working alone, I had to make my calls myself. So I learnt to understand human psychology. How to talk, listen more than speak. Above all provide awesome feedback. This is part of UX/ User research.
4. Marketing: I cannot overemphasize the importance of marketing. This can be strategic when it comes to building a strong brand and attracting new clients. Learn FB ads or outsource. But ensure by all means more people see what you have done. You are only as regarded to the extent to which you are visible. Massive ad campaigns, referrals. Take the most advantage of social media.

I employed these sales skills along side cold emails and I landed my first 1k job and the move was exponential. Because of how proficient I was, I kept getting referrals. All these were only possible because I proceeded to learn and master this.

Remember, knowing sales skills doesn’t automatically mean you’d have wads of dollars being thrown at you, but it definitely guarantees that you’re on course for a certain expansion!

Keep designing!

Keep selling!!

If this inspired you, don't forget to let me know in the comments.

If you’ve found this helpful and would love to see a few of my designs, check me out on dribbble at https://www.dribbble.com/ventlabs.

You can also write me at vickuzoma@gmail.com or ventlabs.

I was a graphics designer for 4 years. was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s quite simple, go look up the app on the Google or iOS store. The ratings are terrible. On the web interface, there isn’t a hit about an app. Much like most things run by our government, the standards are poor because of a lack of excellence, and a lack of real servitude. But we’re not all cut from the same cloth.

So, I thought to design a simple app that would be seamless for the average user. I had already designed something similar previously, although unpublished. The wireframe helped me with the design. This app is supposed to reduce the glitches users currently complain of and ultimately improve the user experience. As someone with a solid finance knowledge, I’ve always wanted to see Nigerian financial institutions have seamless and useful design with an excellent use case. Yes, I know most times designers can design the impossible and just want a developer to wave a magic wand and recreate. LoL. 2 days of code for a “minimalist” design might not even be enough.

Major Nigerian colours of Green and white gradients were used. The font used were Gilroy Medium and SFPro text.

It’s my biggest desire to see young people champion the cause for a tech savvy Nigeria.

For developers too that want to build something similar, I’m very open to working with you.

I’m pro-Nigeria, are you?

I’ve attached a link to run a prototype of this design on your devices.
I’d love your comments and reviews.
I know we can be better and do better.

https://xd.adobe.com/view/00e3b981-baf0-4986-8b60-0719d3ae1650-55b0/

Want to get in touch or want a design? Feel free to reach out to me via mail at vickuzoma@gmail.com

We are alsoon dribbble here; Vent Labs | Dribbble

Why I redesigned the Nigerian Exchange Group App was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This message is further strengthened by the talent pool of these young people who are giving their resources and importantly their skills to ensure the emergence of a candidate that resonates with them. The campaign has seen lots of designers, video editors, content creators and even developers emerge in the scene.

In a bid to contribute even my own quote, what you see below was designed to further help the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria’s sole Electoral institution further maximize the profitability of tech.

These screens are primary layouts of what could be a solid app to help registered and unregistered voters alike with necessary information and also the ease of getting the PVC(Permanent Voter’s Card).

I for one, believe that a new Nigeria is possible and it would be championed by the intellectual prowess of we, very talented Nigerians.

It’s PO-ssible.

Need a proficient designer? Send an email to theventlabs@gmail.com.

Or want to get in touch with me? Send an email to victoralmonduzoma@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you.

If you found this write interesting, please give us a clap!

“Fireflies”; such beautiful creatures.

Emitting glowing lights enough to beautify the night sky.

Considering how small they are, yet able to alter the state of a room. Most times people believe in their weaknesses and shortcomings over their own strengths. This is the case because they expect the strengths to have astronomical effects. But like the fireflies, they are brightest when they fly together.

Hence the need to collaborate. This is because fireflies shine brightest together.

You might wonder what you could offer in this world. Well, I implore you to begin with the world around you. It could start with a mentorship program for high school students, a community service, a faith-based reading club.

The idea of astronomical returns on immediate efforts has deprived a lot of people of the actualization of their dreams.

Statistics show that most businesses end with 5 years of starting. They simply do not have what it takes to keep running for 10 years. Statistics also shows that businesses become very profitable from their sixth year.

The ideal scenario for some if not most people would be to throw in the towel and give up. Well, like the good book says “if you fall in the day of adversity, your strength is small”. Building strength however doesn’t imply that you have to do it alone. I used to love caving in and never soliciting help, because I felt being vulnerable was defective. Truly, being vulnerable can leave you at the mercies of exploitative schmucks. In any case, no true champion has done it alone. Cristiano Ronaldo had Modric and Ozil, LeBron James had Anthony Davies. Nobody does it alone.

Like an African proverb says “If you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go in a group”.

Fireflies produce a chemical reaction inside their bodies that allows them to light up. This type of light production is called bioluminescence. The method by which fireflies produce light is perhaps the best known example of bioluminescence. When oxygen combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the chemical luciferin in the presence of luciferase, a bioluminescent enzyme, light is produced. As adults, many fireflies have flash patterns unique to their species and use them to identify other members of their species.

They don’t do it alone.

Building strength for the days ahead would require openness and reliance on the wit of others, not just yourself. Other than just appearing prideful, it’s just disgusting when all people hear from us is “I can do this myself, I don’t need you. Be like the fireflies- Shine brightest with others.

If you’ve found this inspiring, feel free to write me at vickuzoma@gmail.com

For most of my adult years, I’ve been awestruck by the construct of success and attaining the same. I’ve read different books, subscribed to various newsletters, joined different Facebook groups and even signed up for countless paid courses. All these have been great and even expository. But when you’re doing this and the statement still reads $100, then you’re very certain you’re in an alternate reality. If you come from a third world country like myself where the opportunities and the “qualified persons” would be best described as a “needle in a haystack”, you’re further disadvantaged and often times pre disposed to failure.

So where do we start?

Here of course.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

Giving you a textbook definition of success would be funny at best. Why? Because like I said, it would just be one man’s or one organization’s definition of success. Therefore, I can humbly say that success is relative. It could range from getting and raising a pup to an adult dog, or annihilate all the enemies from space or finish your college study with honours or even get vaccinated from COVID. Point is that success is different things to different people.

The part of the world where I’ve grown in equates success to having a lot of physical possession and rightly so, as they as “money makes the world go round”. However, there are areas in the world like parts Asia where success can be equated to spiritual awakening where Zen Buddhism has a remarkable following.

I think of success beyond just things. Like Bob Marley said, his success and riches weren’t money or possessions but peace, joy and spreading love. Might I add leaving a beautiful legacy for the world.

But…

We were exploring failing forward, right?

How could one fail and still move forward? Mine be the most paradoxical garbage you’ve ever read, maybe not.

The concept of failing forward has been explored and exploited by different people and people groups at different stages of humanity. For the sake of this write, we’d closely examine Martin Luther King Jr.

MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr

The man Martin Luther King Jr- an icon of revolution, reformation and idealism. Popular for his Birmingham peaceful protests against racial segregation.

Why is Martin Luther King Jr in the mix concerning success?

He was assassinated in 1968. That’s right. It should have been a complete failure for the movement. Rather it gained widespread acceptance and even began influencing different struggles globally, some notable ones include

· The Northern Irish Civil Rights Movement and the Good Friday Agreement in the UK

· The United States Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed after his assassination

· The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa

While martin Luther may have failed by his assassination, He ultimately failed forward. How?

Little consistent revolutionary movements ultimately led to a global raging fire to exterminate racial segregation and separation. King began from his 20s. I do not suppose when he began, he said to himself “Soon, I’d lead a nationwide march and be killed as a result of the same”. Rather he was just poised to doing one thing daily, which was to level the plain for brothers who were segregated.

Success to King wasn’t grandiose possessions- he so wanted to leave a mark that his life was marked and taken. He wasn’t held by the shackles of trying to impress people.

That is true success and failing forward.

NOW YOU,

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” — Martin Luther King Jr

You might say to yourself as you read this, “I’m no revolutionary or freedom fighter”, you’re right, probably just a construction worker, developer or salesperson. Success for you should escalate past just monetary returns, while this is very frankly necessary to win in our times. But even if you fail, remember it’s just a little kick in the entire kickboxing round.

Always turn up!! Give your best. Reinvent yourself. Learn more, do more.

Above all, FAIL FORWARD!!

Victor-Almond

To communicate with me email vickuzoma@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.