I led art direction for Awumba’s rebrand and website, collaborating with UK illustrator Mike Lemanski and a copywriter. We crafted a story-driven illustration style to authentically express Awumba’s core values in a human and engaging way.
For Awumba’s rebranding and website redesign, I led the art direction in collaboration with UK-based illustrator Mike Lemanski and a copywriter. Awumba wanted a distinctive, story-driven illustration style that would bring their core values to life in a way that felt authentic, human, and engaging.My role was all about guiding the creative vision—making sure the illustrations flowed naturally with Awumba’s storytelling and digital presence. I provided creative direction, hands-on feedback, and refinements to shape a cohesive yet flexible visual identity. We focused on organic patterns, abstract human forms, and textured compositions, giving the brand an expressive and approachable personality.
Since these illustrations would be woven into the digital experience, I made sure they worked seamlessly with the site’s layout and user journey. Each piece was thoughtfully positioned to enhance the rhythm of the page, ensuring a balanced mix of structure and openness. By refining color contrasts, spacing, and visual hierarchy, we made the content more engaging and digestible.
Instead of taking a literal approach, I encouraged an abstract and symbolic illustration style to convey Awumba’s brand essence. For example, in "Teamwork Done Differently", we used a swarm-like pattern of dots to represent individuals forming a larger, dynamic whole. This visually communicated Awumba’s belief in collaborative innovation and collective intelligence.
Collaboration with the copywriter was key to ensuring the visuals and copy felt like one unified narrative. Each illustration was carefully paired with its respective section, reinforcing the tone and message. We tweaked placement and composition so that the artwork supported, rather than overpowered, the storytelling—creating a more immersive and intuitive experience.
Art direction is all about iteration, and this project was no exception. One example is the "Comfortable with Thorny Problems" illustration, where I guided refinements to the spike formations to create a more balanced contrast between fluid and structured elements. We also adjusted color harmonies and textures to ensure the visuals felt cohesive, professional, and inviting.
This project was an exciting blend of storytelling, design, and user experience. By balancing expressive visuals with thoughtful UX integration, we created an identity for Awumba that is bold, human-centered, and memorable.
This project was an exciting blend of storytelling, design, and user experience. By balancing expressive visuals with thoughtful UX integration, we created an identity for Awumba that is bold, human-centered, and memorable.
