Meet Oluwamodupe Oloyede of DUOdesigns in Lithonia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Oluwamodupe Oloyede.

Oluwamodupe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been the student who strived to achieve excellence. I have always been the overachieving, artsy student. I quickly became used to teachers loving my illustrations and graphics for projects and classwork. But it was when they started printing out my work to display in their classrooms and around school that people took notice. As more people started to see my work posted in school, they’d ask if I could make posters for them. I was really just making posters on Canva (I wouldn’t even call that graphic designing) but people kept requesting my work, so I provided.

Clients began to ask for more sophisticated and professional looks that Canva couldn’t offer so I began to sharpen my skills and venture into other mediums of design. I combined my drawing talents, eye for detail, and computer skills and became self-taught in Adobe Illustrator. My initial designs were just for exposure for my school’s clubs, campaigns and extracurricular activities, especially for my band. Then, graduation season 2020 arrived and completely changed the trajectory of my budding business. With the loss of a traditional graduation ceremony and all the festivities around it, parents around the city still wanted to announce their children’s accomplishments. They saw what I did for the seniors in my school’s band and requested I do the same for their graduates. My work started looking official so my sister encouraged me to officially turn it into a business, and that’s how DUOdesigns was established.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was smooth until I realized what I was actually doing: branding and potentially creating a permanent aesthetic for my clients. Which meant I had to be more consistent, more organized, upping my skills and charging for my work. Fully committing to a side business while in high school and adding it to my already demanding schedule of extracurricular activities was a very bumpy transition. But the rain nurtured me into a better time manager and professional. No kidding, it still is quite a bumpy road in that regard! Life can be so overwhelming, especially when deadlines are fast approaching, that the luxury of creativity can be hard to come by. That’s when my inner critic starts to make me think that the best of my ideas are behind me and any of them that looked good were a fluke. Instead of ignoring that voice, I really dial into what it’s saying and compare it to who I am at this weak moment versus who I really am: a resilient, multi-talented human who sometimes experiences the woes of life… but always gets back up.

We’d love to hear more about DUOdesigns.
DUOdesigns is an inviting graphic design business that connects personally which each client to meet their personal needs. I pride myself on fostering that connection so my clients can essentially use me as a vessel to make whatever they had in mind a reality. Along the journey, I provide artistic advice but ultimately allow the client to make the final decision.

My personality is evident in my designs: lively, engaging and versatile. And when clients request work, they want it to be an extension of their expression. My ultimate goal as a graphic designer is to explicitly state the overall message, create a timeless, cohesive look that is pleasing to the eye and potentially spark conversation. These are the attributes that get clients referred to me and are my business’ pride and joy. If you want to make your graphic design ideas a reality, send a personalized message to your audience or create a brand for you business, consider my business to help you achieve that goal.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Above all, resilience. When the flood of client turns to a trickle, money is low and ideas aren’t flowing. Even when times get rough and I’m discouraged, I strive to remain resilient. Most people don’t stick around long enough to see the fruits of their labor. They dabble in a variety of things, overexert and give up instead of focusing on one thing and sticking it through. However, success is defined; it’s unobtainable if you don’t stick around for the long run.

Pricing:

• Custom Greeting Cards – $25
• Advertisements, Posters, Flyers & Promos – $20
• Logos – $3o
• Original Artwork – $30

Contact Info:

• Phone: 6784782703
• Email: theeduodesigns@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/theeduodesigns

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