The narrative surrounding Africa’s creative economy is rapidly shifting from celebrating raw talent to building sustainable, world-class enterprises. At the heart of this transformation is the often-underestimated power of design.
For Olasubomi Archibong, CEO of Colorteam, a design-focused marketing agency helping brands turn strategy into stories that scale and one of the official Creative Partners for NECLive 2025, design is no longer a decorative element but a strategic engine that drives business success.
In an exclusive chat with Nigerian Entertainment Today, Olasubomi discusses his journey in the creative industry and the role of design in Powering Africa Through the Creative Enterprise.
“I was able to see a different way of how marketing or design was done,” he recalls his first foray in the industry after completing an exchange program in Europe. He worked for different agencies in Nigeria before founding Colorteam in 2017. When Colorteam first started, it initially focused on providing high-quality, yet affordable, logo and website designs for individuals and startups.
This foundation quickly expanded, leading to work with multinational corporations (MNCs) and agencies, including ID Africa. Today, Colorteam’s portfolio includes global names like Sonova, Electrolux, and Netflix, a journey that has grown to working with established companies, as well as Fortune 500 companies.
The most significant change in design and branding needs he has observed over the last eight years is the evolution of the client conversation. Where companies once focused on aesthetic appeal, saying ‘I want my logo to look this way,” the dialogue is now centred on tangible business outcomes.
“Now founders are not just looking out on how to be aesthetically pleasing with their branding; they are asking more questions to how does this affect sales and how does this boost the trust of the brand… how does it work as a strategic partner with the company to ensure that it’s just not beautifying but contributing to the revenue of the business,” Olasubomi said.
This strategic approach to meaningful design is particularly critical for the African context. Olasubomi stresses that the continent’s creative talent must move beyond being self-taught and embrace standardisation. He points out that the global market is competitive, and clients will pay for value regardless of location. “If I see your portfolio and I’ve seen you have done great work and you put a price tag of 1,500 dollars on your portfolio, that’s what I’m going to pay you.”
However, he cautions African designers against losing their cultural identity. “For us as Africans, we need to understand the basis of design and get the education right. And one other thing is for African designers to not lose context because most of our designs today are very Western in form.”
He advocates for prioritising the “African context” to resolve design problems, ensuring that the continent’s unique perspective is reflected in its visual communication.
As for the role of design in powering the continent through creative enterprise, he encourages designers to find a balance between passion and profit, and also find the time to discuss their work. He explains that every designer eventually has to choose what drives their work.
“If you design for passion, you create whatever you want, whenever you want, display it, and let people buy it on your terms. But if you design for money, you have to follow the client’s needs and preferences.”
One of the most important conversations in the industry today is the impact of Artificial intelligence. Olasubomi views AI as a tool, not as a threat: “AI is a tool like every other tool,” he asserts. He advises creatives to “sign a pact with AI” because those who fail to integrate it into their workflow will be left behind. The key, he notes, is not just using the tool, but knowing how to “think strategically and how to build things” to harness its benefits.
Colorteam’s partnership with NECLive 2025 is a full-circle moment for Olasubomi, who first engaged with the conference in 2019 to redesign its logo. Now, as a creative partner, he sees NECLive as a vital platform that “lends the platform to the decision makers” to discuss issues shaping the industry.
Ultimately, Olasubomi’s message to the creative community is one of strategic patience and relationship-building: “The part where you become successful in designing is you have to build the muscle of creating solid relationships.”
By combining strategic design, cultural context, and technological adoption, he believes African creatives can fully realise their potential and drive the continent’s economic future.
