How do you build a design career when the path doesn’t exist?

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with Nigerian brand designer, type designer, and founder of Udi Foundry, Chisaokwu Joboson, to discuss his journey from studying civil engineering to becoming one of the leading voices in African typography.

Chisaokwu shares how he taught himself graphic design, discovered type design, and ultimately created Ojuju, the groundbreaking Google Fonts typeface that supports hundreds of languages and helps bring African stories, culture, and identity into the global design conversation.

Together, they explore the challenges of building a creative career without formal design education, the lack of documentation surrounding African design history, and why typography is much more than letters—it is the voice of a culture.

This conversation is a must-watch for graphic designers, brand designers, typography enthusiasts, creative entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in the future of African design.

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💡 In This Episode:

• How Chisaokwu transitioned from civil engineering to graphic design

• Teaching yourself design without a traditional design school

• Why African typography matters

• The story behind Ojuju and Google Fonts

• Building Udi Foundry and TypeAfrica

• The relationship between brand design and type design

• Why typography is the voice of a brand

• Preserving African languages through design

• Creating opportunities when no roadmap exists

• The future of African typography and design education

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🎙 About Chisaokwu Joboson

Chisaokwu Joboson is a Nigerian brand designer, type designer, and founder of Udi Foundry. His work focuses on creating culturally relevant typefaces that support African languages and storytelling. He is the creator of Ojuju, a typeface featured on Google Fonts, and an advocate for making type design education more accessible across Africa.

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📌 Topics Covered

African Design

African Typography

Type Design

Graphic Design

Brand Identity Design

Google Fonts

Creative Careers

Design Education

Visual Identity

Typography Design

African Creatives

Design Culture

Brand Strategy

Self-Taught Designer

Creative Entrepreneurship

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#AfricanDesign #Typography #GraphicDesign #TypeDesign #BrandIdentity #GoogleFonts #CreativeCareers #DesignPodcast #AfricanCreatives #DesignEducation