Date
August 2024
Client
NANVIS - National Association of Nigerian Visually Impaired Students, (University of Lagos).
Role Played
Visual Strategist
Project Type
Volunteer
Timeline
April 2024
-
August 2024
Project Category
Brand identity
Event Design
Social Media Design
Intro
As lead graphic designer and visual strategist for the National Association of Nigerian Visually Impaired Students (NANVIS) at UNILAG, I led a complete brand refresh and designed the full suite of materials for their flagship M.A.D. 2024 advocacy event. Previous years had low turnout and inconsistent branding, which affected their reach and funding. Working under tight deadlines with limited resources, I executed a complete visual overhaul: a modernized logo, a full suite of event materials (10+ flyers, 4 banners, tickets, certificates), and merchandise (t‑shirts, hoodies). The result attracted over 200 attendees, raised more than ₦1M, and secured the presence of the UNILAG Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola. The event was not just successful — it became a model for high‑impact, inclusive advocacy for future events on campus.
Project Overview
NANVIS represents visually impaired students at the University of Lagos, an association dedicated to advocating for the rights, inclusion, and empowerment. Their annual M.A.D. event is a major advocacy platform for awareness, fundraising, and inclusion. I redesigned the full visual system for the event, from the logo and tickets to posters, flyers, merchandise, and campaign content, with the goal of making the association look more credible, accessible, and make the event a success.
The Challenge
NANVIS faced a major communication challenge: their event had no visual consistency, no professional materials, and little trust from sponsors and university administration. The old logo was outdated and barely reflected their mission of empowerment. The 2024 event needed to change that perception entirely. The goal: attract over 200 attendees, raise over ₦1M, and get the Vice‑Chancellor to attend. All with no budget for design, just my time and tools. Designing for inclusivity also required an accessibility-conscious design approach that prioritized readability, clarity, and inclusive communication for diverse audiences with different levels of visual literacy and accessibility needs. It also needed to communicate sensitive topics around disability, accessibility, and advocacy in a way that felt professional, culturally relevant, and emotionally resonant.
Design and Execution
The key insight was that inclusive design isn't just about accessibility – it's about dignity, strength, and belonging. Materials for visually impaired audiences must have high contrast, clear hierarchy, and tactile or readable formats, but they should never look "clinical" or othering. I built a visual system with clean, thick, rounded strokes – easy to recognize or screen‑read. The “N” in NANVIS represents a slanted guide stick used by the visually impaired to navigate their surroundings — an immediate symbol of the organization's mission.
I incorporated the University of Lagos logo to signal institutional credibility, reinforcing the event's legitimacy to potential sponsors, dignitaries, and the university administration. I ensured the flyers used clear, bold typography, simplified layouts, ample breathing room, and consistent visual hierarchy — all to maximize readability and accessibility across formats. The campaign required visuals across multiple formats, including event materials, social media content, and promotional graphics. Each format was adapted to maintain consistency while responding to platform-specific needs, ensuring a unified campaign experience.
Production Reality – From Logo Approval to Full Campaign Suite
I started with the logo — seven iterations before approval. The “N” integrates a slanted guide stick used by visually impaired individuals as part of the letterform, immediately connecting the identity to the association’s mission.
Once the identity system was approved, the rest of the campaign expanded from it systematically.
Over four months I produced:
10+ flyers including guest confirmations, volunteer recruitment, countdowns, educational posts, and event promotions.
Venue banners, sponsor recognition boards, branded backdrops, and supporting print materials.
Event tickets with tear-off meal voucher stubs alongside certificates for speakers, volunteers, and organizers.
Merchandise including branded hoodies and t-shirts.
Alongside the print suite, I managed social media rollout assets leading up to the event — guest confirmation graphics, daily countdowns before the event, "Did You Know?" infographics, and post-event thank-you posts. Each post included alt-text descriptions for screen readers, a small but deliberate accessibility step. All assets were prepared in print-ready formats for local printers under tight deadlines.
Outcome
The 2024 M.A.D. event was a turning point for NANVIS. Results included:
200+ attendees – the largest turnout in the event's history.
₦1M+ raised – from ticket sales, merchandise, and on‑the‑spot donations.
Merchandise sold out – t‑shirts and hoodies were all gone before the event opened.
The event received positive coverage on UNILAG's official channels and social media. NANVIS now has a professional association toolkit they can reuse for years. The final visuals communicated the campaign’s message clearly and accessibly, reaching a wider audience, improving public understanding, and strengthening NANVIS’s ability to advocate effectively for visually impaired students.
