MY FOURTHCANVAS EXPERIENCE

About FourthCanvas

FourthCanvas is a frontline Nigerian design agency on a global journey to create deep and lasting experiences with brand identity and visual communication.

About Victor Fatanmi CEO, FourthCanvas

Victor Fatanmi is the Art Director and Co-founder at FourthCanvas — a brand consulting and design agency that partners with good businesses to build great brands.

With a number of key responsibilities over the past 5 years that include directing graphics design on highly-renowned and successful presidential election media campaigns in Nigeria and Ghana, Victor Fatanmi readily comes with a wealth of experience in the creative sector. He has also led on visual communication on a number of groundbreaking online media campaigns including the StopEbola (2014) and several other major brand identity projects for businesses in Nigeria and around the world.

Victor believes that a product, no matter how great it is of value, stands a better chance if looks different and people are attracted to it in the first place. This reflects in his knack for creating compelling identities that strengthens the image of brands in the minds of people.

Prior to co-founding the agency FourthCanvas, he worked as graphic designer at the inception of the unconventional Rele Gallery, and was art director at Red Media Africa.

With a flair for excellence, Victor Fatanmi has supported over 100 young and upwardly mobile graphic designers using different platforms through training in the art and craft of graphic design, as well as hands-on mentoring, via the YesOrWow in conjunction with the Future Project, as well as the recently-launched Victor Fatanmi Design Network

LESSONS FROM VICTOR

I was privileged to listen and learn from the branding guru as he shared some of his experiences, giving answers to all of my questions. So I will share few things he told me. I mean few. As in very very few…lol

HANDLING COMPETITORS

The sky is big enough for everyone. The creative industry is filled with different people providing diverse good and services. Study your competitors. Learn from their strength and weaknesses. Define your space in the industry. Be strategic with implementation of ideas. Be different.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

You are going nowhere without people. Team work enhances the growth of a brand and proper management of team members enhances their productivity.

· Tips for Team Productivity by Victor Fatanmi

  • Communicate/Show them the big picture for the brand.
  • Show/Tell how valuable they are to the growth of the brand.
  • Be a model of what you want to see.
  • Don’t be a BOSS.
  • As a leader, you don’t have to be the best or the smartest.
  • Be on the same level with you team.
  • Help them build their strength.
  • Pay more attention to their differences.
  • Empower your team.

I promised to be very brief about my stories. I really learnt a lot from FourthCanvas’ work culture and the way Victor manages his team. These are the little things I can share with you. I think I deserve some claps.

Team FourthCanvas, thanks for having me. 

Francis Abolade Odeyemi
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