Meet the Duo Behind the Designs: Ade & Okiki’s Creative Journey as Cowrywise Ilorin Design Team Leads(2024-2025)

Cowrywise Ilorin Design Team leads (2024-2025)

Adebowale (Design Team Lead) and Okiki (Design Co-Lead) are the dynamic duo behind the Cowrywise Unilorin Design Team. Here is an exclusive look into their journey, achievements, and creative leadership.

1. Briefly introduce yourself.

Ade: My name is Osho Adebowale. I am a Cowrywise Ambassador and the Design Team Lead for Cowrywise Unilorin Ambassadors. I am currently a 600-level Pharmacy student.

2.Okiki: My name is Onifade Okiki Grace, the Campus Co-Lead for the Design Team. I am passionate about design, teamwork, and leadership.

3. Looking back, how do your initial goals compare with what you’ve achieved so far?

Ade: My initial goal was to bring the community together as a space where designers can network, learn from one another, and grow collectively. So far, we’ve been able to build a strong trajectory toward this vision, and it’s something we plan to continue.

4. How has your journey been so far as the Design Co-Lead?

Okiki: It has been a very amazing journey. I have learnt a lot about leadership, design, and teamwork. The team has accomplished a few projects, and I am very proud of the design hangout we had. It’s one of the most amazing things we have done alongside my team lead.

5. What’s one specific project or design you’re most proud of leading, and why?

Ade: That would be the Designers’ Meetup at Grub Town. My core team and I started with just an idea, but bringing it to life involved late-night planning, countless behind-the-scenes efforts, and attention to detail. I’m proud of it because it showed me the power of teamwork—I couldn’t have done it without them.

6. How has being a design lead/co-lead shaped your creativity and problem-solving skills?

Okiki: Being the co-lead has forced me to think a lot, be creative, and bring new ideas and solutions. It has also taught me how to balance being the co-lead with other tasks aside being a Co-lead and my personal life.

7. In what ways has your role improved your leadership and collaboration abilities?

Ade: Before this role, I had never led in a creative space, though I had leadership experience in other areas. I quickly realized that leading a creative team is different. It requires flexibility, openness, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives. I’ve learned that ideas and innovations become stronger when shared and refined within a group.

8. Do you run a business or side project alongside school? How do you juggle it with your responsibilities?

Okiki: I have no business currently, but I have roles in different organizations, including AIESEC (IR Manager), Repro Health (Community Manager), and U-Inspire (the final-year leadership program we held recently). I was able to manage these roles and my Cowrywise co-lead role really well through efficient time management.

9. What has been your biggest challenge as a team lead, and how did you overcome it?

Ade: My biggest challenge was organizing our first meetup. I didn’t know exactly how to go about it at first, but with the support of my core team members, we pulled it off successfully. I remain super grateful to them for that.

10. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working with your team?

Okiki: The most valuable lesson I have learned is the importance of open communication and empathy. When team members feel valued, they are more likely to produce their best work.

11. If you had to describe your leadership experience with one emoji or one sentence, what would it be?

Ade: Emoji: 👌

12. If you could give one piece of advice to the next design team leads, what would it be?

Okiki: My advice would be to prioritize building strong relationships with team members and stakeholders. Trust, empathy, and open communication are all essential tools to be successful as a team lead. That’s what I have learned along the way, although I am still learning.

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Interviewed by Yusuf Oyindamola Amirah