Deji Ajetomobi on how The Torsche is illuminating Africa's design landscape

At Creative Boom, we aim to bring you the best of new creative work from around the world. And we try to vary things as much as possible in terms of things like discipline, genre, corporate vs individual works, and big names vs newcomers. (You can read more about our mission here). But as a small, independent publisher we can't cover everything, nor would we want to.

So we were intrigued to hear from Deji Ajetomobi, who's launching a magazine to specifically showcase work by African creatives and studios.

The Torsche is named after the idea of a 'spotlight' (adding letters from 'Porsche' and playing on the way 'torch' is pronounced in Nigeria's Yoruba dialect). The new title seeks to address the widespread underrepresentation of African creative work, particularly in art and design. And while it only currently exists as a demo site, we're very excited to see it develop.

So, we were keen to chat with Deji about his plans for the platform and how both African and non-African designers can get involved.

Founder's journey

First, though, we'll share a little about the founder himself. A chemical engineering student at Landmark University in Kwara, Nigeria, Deji discovered his passion for design back in 2017. "My creative journey began one summer afternoon when my mom asked me how I wanted to spend my summer break," he recalls. "I picked up studying graphic design, and through YouTube, I learned a ton about Corel Draw before moving on to Adobe Suite."

In 2020, he secured his first freelance project, designing gym wear for an overseas client. This experience opened doors to collaborations with both local and international brands and studios.

Deji's curiosity and drive have led him to continue to expand his skill set. "In 2022, I learned Webflow development, which allows me to develop a project from strategy to web development, as I did for fintech platforms Augment Branding and Finy," he explains.

Based in Middlesbrough, UK, Deji is pursuing opportunities to further his professional growth, including an internship as a brand designer at global payments service Wise. This combination of self-taught expertise and professional experience is serving as a solid foundation for his new publishing venture.

Spotting a gap in the market

The inspiration for The Torsche arose from Deji's observation of a critical gap in the African creative ecosystem. Despite a rising number of exceptional creatives and studios across the world's second most populous continent, there remains little documentation or recognition for their work.

As such, Deji recognised the need for a platform that could serve multiple purposes: documenting creative achievements, providing inspiration, improving the perceived value of design, and fostering collaboration within the industry.

Of course, social media and the wider internet both provide a means for creatives to share their work. But Deji strongly believes there's a need for curation to separate true talent from those who are just 'talking the talk'.

"In the design space, particularly in Africa, there's been a surge of what are known as 'patchwork designers'," he explains. "These people are only concerned with positioning themselves as thought leaders, with little to no work to show for it. This is often done by sharing lots of controversial thoughts or continually spamming people with tutorials or work they didn't actually create themselves.

"In a continent where few universities offer design as a course, and most creatives are self-taught, it's easy for a beginner just starting their creative career to be led astray by these self-proclaimed 'leaders' or 'inspirations'".

Instead, Deji believes self-taught creatives need access to reliable and relatable African role models, as well as examples of excellence that can inspire them to pursue a similar path. For this reason, his vision for The Torsche is to highlight exceptional projects and their impact on brands and companies.

A related aim is to demonstrate the tangible value of good design to African businesses, encouraging greater investment in creative services. Furthermore, through its directory of African creatives, studios and agencies, The Torsche hopes to facilitate connections and collaborations within the continent and beyond.

Selection process

And there's plenty of good stuff to share. "While developing the platform," he says, "I've encountered a lot of amazing African creative work, especially in arts and design, spanning motion, illustration, branding, website development and digital art.

"Some unique projects likely to be part of our inaugural issue include Enpower By DashDigital Studio from South Africa, TheOne project by Keli from Ghana, Tac font by Afrotype from Nigeria, Tabby Rebrand by Pew from Egypt, and StreetSouk 2023 by Studio Unruly from Nigeria."

He adds that it's not just African creatives who'll be covered. "We're also looking to feature work by international studios or agencies in service of African brands, such as the Flutterwave rebrand by Verve, and the Afcon done by Designwerk."

When selecting creatives and studios to feature, The Torsche prioritises projects that encourage collaboration and push the boundaries of creativity. "I find this important as we're moving into an era where most creative projects tend to look similar," says Deji. "We choose projects that inspire and interview people who have done, or are doing, the work to back their leadership in the space and serve as a good source of inspiration for others."

Vision of the future

His long-term vision for The Torsche, meanwhile, is ambitious and far-reaching. The aim is to continually add features that support the platform's mission of showcasing and amplifying African creative talent.

"I want The Torsche to be a beacon for art and design in Africa and foster continental and intercontinental collaborations while also improving the value of arts and design on the continent," says Deji. "Ultimately, I envision a future whereby design is regarded as a strong companion for African brands and products."

In short, The Torsche presents an exciting opportunity to be part of a movement that is reshaping the narrative around African creativity. Whether you're a creative professional, a business leader, or simply someone passionate about African design, The Torsche invites you to join in illuminating the rich and diverse creative landscape of Africa.