Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawan Aladefa.
Hi Lawan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been a creative and designer all my life.
I was blessed to have parents that saw my interests and did what they could to help me explore without pushing me anywhere too strong. When I was 7 or 8 I was throwing together makeshift Lego sandals, building machines and structures with K’Nex and Lincoln Logs, drafting jewelry designs with “IOU” discount coupon graphics for my mother and sisters, and architectural plans of “dream houses” for my family.
My introduction to technology and the digital world came earlier and was very visual, and very interactive. From VHS tapes of movies, Floppy-Disk and CD-ROM Games that eventually evolved into videogame love: Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion, Animal Crossing on the Gamecube, KHCoM on the GBASP, Phantasy Star and Crisis Core on the PSP, XBOX Halo Reach, a ton of “Let’s Plays” on early YouTube. Making actionscript flash games for NewGrounds and RPG Maker, and OC art on DeviantArt. The endless soundscapes and sonic-stories I’d encounter on Soundcloud and my early attempts to transmute my learned orchestral abilities via Audacity.
Fast forward several years, a robust engineering degree, a good amount of time in Chicago, some time abroad, several personal and professional design projects and teams, a few industry jobs, “Design Engineer” is the current hat that I wear as I get opportunities to continue playing with design – be it building a company’s brand identity from the ground up, designing and developing bespoke web and mobile applications, or just collaborating and sharing what I know with fellow curious and/or passionate minds.
Alright, 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?
My challenges have always come in the form of learning opportunities I uncover through the projects I work on. When working with unique ideas, unique solutions are required—so I often find myself in uncharted waters when designing. Thanks to my engineering education and architectural experience, I’ve developed a detail-oriented, problem-solving mindset that helps me use what’s available to build the bridges my clients and collaborators need to reach their desired outcomes.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in taking early-stage ideas and turning them into polished physical and digital experiences—whether that’s a visual brand, architectural plan/render, webspaces, music, magazines, apps, and more. I handle both design and development from the lens of both a creative/art director and production artist to assist those I work with to bring a vision to life.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Find what genuinely brings you internal peace, and craft an environment that helps you both sustain it and cultivates room for others to find there’s when you let them in.
Pricing:
- Consultations + Estimates = Free/Forever
- Full Service Design Retainer = $1000/mo
- Select Service Design Retainer = $500/mo
- Scoped Hourly = $30/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studiolafa.design
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiolafadesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-lafa-llc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/StudioLafa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3PRIQsk04PzeHcbxVm2f0Q
- Other: https://dribbble.com/STUDIOLAFA
