Look closely at the world around you and you’ll find it – in the curve of a logo, the restaurant design on a billboard calling to you while you fast, the font you have begun to identify with Spotify, the way a design makes you feel something you can’t explain. Someone spent their time creating that.
Graphics design is one of more recent forms of digital art which has gained momentum in past years. It involves creativity and precise planning to make sure the colours blend together to create a stunning work of art. For Adedolapo Akinwale, a 400level medical student of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, this is not just a side hustle to make ends meet but a source of joy when a blank page is turned into something beautiful.
The UIMSA Press sat down with the brain behind some of the most beautiful designs you’ve come across in recent years. Adedolapo Akinwale is of average height, brown-skinned ambivert whose work you’ve most probably seen on a WhatsApp status in the form of birthday posts, event countdowns or even for her class, Mavericks. She is a disciplined medical student who enjoys hanging out with friends and watching movies to ease the stress off. She also participated in athletics, specifically running, in preclinical school but hasn’t had time to do that in clinicals due to how strenuous the work has been. Despite how strenuous the hassle is of combining medical school and a business, she has served and is still serving in various leadership roles ranging from positions at Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NiMSA), Students Enterpreneurship and Innovation Hub (SEIH) and even the Deputy Social Director for her class. It’s easy to surmise that it takes a lot of capability to do different jobs and be efficient in all.
She got into design in 2022 accidentally. She tried her hand at editing a picture she took of a bottle on her phone and realised she was very good with colours. Quickly putting her newfound talent to good use, she joined a free graphics design class, a budding prodigy, she recalls being disappointed with the teachers designs and felt they could be improved so she left the class. She then joined a Canva class organised by TheKingBenji and spent 6 hours trying to recreate a design for a footwear brand and even then, she couldn’t finish. This was a real challenge for her and spurred her on to take more classes and practice more using Canva until she began to create designs and not just copy templates.
Her switch from being a hobby to business was gradual and happened in 2024/2025. It wasn’t stimulated by lack of money but the mindset that some of the jobs she did deserved payment. Prior to this, she had done a lot of free jobs and a few paid ones because her intention was to learn and grow. Her intentionality about every design she makes set her out amongst her competitors in the job market making the switch easier for her. Despite the switch to being a business and similar to the artist with a pen, she feels immense joy when she finishes a design. The part of her job she loves the most is the finished product where she looks in awe and surprise at the fact that she did that.
Medical school, a demanding lover, has put a lot of strain on her. In the beginning, she couldn’t improve or do as much as she wanted to because she lacked time. Especially in the beginning, where creating even a simple design took hours of her time, it felt like a tussle between medical school and her work. This began to ease when she started volunteering. Now, despite it still being a present challenge, she believes the entire initial struggle has taught her time management and setting her priorities rightly.
The issue with learning a digital skill is that from time to time, certain styles of design become obsolete and constant learning must be inculcated to being part of the persons life. She constantly takes classes on YouTube and other sources, takes inspiration from great designers on social media and makes sure she practices from time to time. A skilled author of her craft who has upgraded from Canva, she uses tools like PixelLab, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
A skilled creative or not, she’s had periods where designs took much longer than she initially budgeted for it, with design she made taking up to 8 hours which spanned across 3 days. There are days where medical school has affected her work rate, and she had to dedicate less time to it because of the high workload. On the bright side, however, she mentions it has done a lot of benefit by bringing her closer to organisations like NIMSA and the design team in UIMSA where she’s had to lead and serve as a designer. She has had no choice but to design every month and this has greatly improved her skill.
A Day in her Life As A Designer
She usually wakes up early to start her day. She participates in different activities with a specific time set to each of them, designs for two hours and rests before doing the same routine the very next day. This doesn’t negate the fact that there are days she gets absorbed in her design and it takes much more time than necessary, but she tries to keep a tight leash on it. For her, creativity is much more than using tools but how far the mind can go. This is why she involves God, because in her words, “He’s the greatest designer of all time.” She believes he’s the source of her captivating designs and talent is beautiful, but he makes the entire journey much smoother.
Her advice to budding designers:
- One doesn’t become so good in one day, it takes sacrifices and hours, days and weeks, months and years of constant practice.
- It’s more than learning and knowing how to use the tools. One also has to feed his/her eyes and mind with amazing designs. One would only reproduce what one is constantly exposed to.
- Also, don’t try to box yourself with one took or style. Be innovative, express yourself using different tools and don’t be shy to try new styles.
You can check out a library of her past works here.
