BIO
WHO I AM
I'm Emem, hello!
I'm an interdisciplinary artist and designer with keen interests in architecture, design, tech, and everything in between. These interests translate into various independent roles I play including Freelance Designer, EMEM Atelier (eponymous studio) and Creator, Sites & Sights (design blog).
How did I get here?
Well, I've always loved art and computers. I may not know which I loved first between them- but one thing I do know is that right from a very tender age, somewhere within the mix, I had an unmistakable eye for design. My background in visual arts and an appreciation for the technical aspect of design inspires my understanding of the elements of form and function in whatever I create. I shuttle between Lagos (Nigeria) where I'm originally from, and Toronto (Canada), as the main base of my design practice. Living in two distinctively major cities has given me the privilege to explore architecture and design in the dual realms of the Eastern and Western worlds.
WHAT I DO
SPATIAL DESIGN
- Architectural & Interior Design
- 2D & 3D Rendering & Modelling
- CAD Working Drawings
VISUAL DESIGN
- Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration)
- Graphic Design (Motion Graphics, Publications)
- UI/UX Design
- Web Design
TECHNICAL PROFICIENCES
- Adobe CS Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
- BIM Software (AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Rhino3D)
- Productivity (Microsoft Office, iWork)
- UI/UX Design (Sketch, Figma)
- Web Design (CSS, JS, HTML)
CREATIVE SKILLS
- Design Thinking
- Research & Writing
- Data Visualisation
- Project Coordination
The best part about what I do is embarking on exciting projects with scores of talented individuals and seasoned designers, whose knowledge and experience are nothing short of inspirational!
WHERE & WHEN I DID IT
EDUCATION
- OCAD University, 2016- 2020 (BDes, Environmental Design; Minor: Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation)
KEY PROJECTS
Selected projects throughout tertiary career in Toronto, Canada:
- Riverdale Villas, 2020
- Grange Gatehouse, 2020
- Piergloux Pavilion, 2020
- Circa Hotel on King & Spadina, 2019
- Bulwer House, 2018
- Seashell Seafood Kitchen, 2018
- South Parkdale Community Resource Centre, 2018
- H4Less Ad by ZELTHA, 2018
- Hot Chocolate Consumption Infographic, 2018
- High Park Pavilion, 2017
- Fibonacci Spiral Luminaire, 2017
- Colour of Culture, 2016
- “E” Graffiti Block Font, 2016
WORK EXPERIENCES
- Web Designer, blackocadu.ca (OCAD U), 2020
- Spatial Designer, A Different Booklist Cultural Centre (ADBCC), 2020
- Junior Designer, VFA Architecture & Design (VFA), 2019
- Technology Trainer, Grew Up With Mac (GUWM), 2018
- Design Assistant Intern, Danforth Carpet Company (DCC), 2018
HOW & WHY I DO IT
"Design is a medium where one can think the unthought and voice the unvoiced by creating the uncreated to solve the unsolved, in order to significantly impact the lives of the audience, for whom the design is centred."- Emem Essien.