Damilola Marcus

Years in Tech

5

Current Role

Art Director, Dá Design Studio

Core Skills

Brand Identity Design, Art Direction, Copywriting for Design, Design Writing & Design Research and Strategic thinking.

Interview Date

14th December, 2018

I’m a very opinionated, passionate human being. I’m a Lagos girl, soon to be Lagos big girl. I’m an award winning Designer and partner at an amazing Design Studio, one of the very best in West Africa. I have a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a master’s degree in Environmental Design. I’m a feminist by day and night and lover of beautiful things. I founded Market March, an initiative aimed at ending the sexual harassment and bullying of women at markets. I like and I’m good at a whole lot of things but love only a few, I’m an all round happy kid.

What experiences led you to technology and how did you develop the skills to compete in the industry?

Tech companies are some of the most progressive in the country. As a Design Studio focused on helping to create radical progressive brands, it’s no coincidence that a big chunk of our audience and clientele are tech companies and tech enthusiasts. This quest for radically better has kept my Studio and me as relevant participants in terms of the output we see from the tech industry in Nigeria.

How has your background helped/differentiated you in the tech industry?

For many valid reasons and factors, there’s a sort of passion that isn’t very common in the design industry in Nigeria. I am extremely passionate and very well educated about design. Design is ultimately about problem-solving & so is tech, so this grounded know-how combined with my contagious passion allows me to be one of those sorts of inevitable figures in terms of where tech and design converge in Nigeria.

What advice would you give to women considering a career in technology? What do you wish you had known?

What works for me is being passionate. I know this may sound cheesy but I have never chased money the way I have chased excellence. It is extremely important to find a niche and own it. The easiest way to do this is to do what you love and learn it hard. Learn it as zealously as possible and learn it like you know nothing about it. At that meeting point of love and personalised deep knowledge lies your own sustainable niche. All things being equal, I strongly believe this works across all sectors, tech, design …etc.