Why aren’t there many black digital designers?

I think a lot of it is just exposure to the design world. I think in black culture, it’s very easy to see what a graphic designer might do for a living, but Design Researcher? User Experience? Design Strategist? The path is probably a bit easier to navigate now with structured programs existing at design schools, but I had to create my own major to find something between Graphic Design and Computer Scientist.

Living in New York City. What is the best and worst thing about NYC?

The best thing for me is always crossing a bridge and seeing NYC alive at night, it’s usually when I’m most grateful to be here and think about how there are a lot of people that live and die dreaming of visiting The City just once. The worst? For me, it’s just the grind. People here are very focused on their careers, at the expense of everything else.

What is your favorite museum in NYC

The Guggenheim. Well designed with a clear start and end. You’re also not just staring at a grain of rice in a cube of jello, trying to extrapolate the meaning of life.

Why do creatives in NYC always seem to wear black?

Black never goes out of fashion, you know this.

How many cameras do you own and what was your first camera?

I’ve lost count, but I only have two digital cameras. The rest are all film cameras. My first real camera was the Visitor v3800N, purchased for a film photography class in undergrad. I remember it cost $200, and that was A LOT to me at the time. I don’t even think they make it anymore.

What was your first computer? 

It was an Acer, we sure as hell couldn’t afford a Mac back then. I remember it had a 56k dial-up modem, I was hyped.

Before the whole android vs apple thingy. What was your first dumbphone? And would you use one today?

Motorola StarTAC, hell yeah I’d use it today. The thing was slick. I think it was the first-ever flip phone, felt like I was a secret agent when I answered it.

What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Some fool instructor in undergrad tried to convince me I should be a sculptor. I mean who knows, maybe I’d be a millionaire if I’d taken up sculpting but I doubt it.

What is the one advice you would give your young black self-starting out in the design industry?

Dream bigger. I’m notoriously a slow starter, I think I set myself back by being too conservative in terms of setting goals when I was younger.

Who was the last person you texted?

Probably my wife. I’m not a big texter or digital communicator in general, sometimes it’s a problem.

What was the last thing you ate?

I made a bangin’ Nigerian chicken and beef stew over the weekend because I was feeling homesick for some of the classic African food.

What was the last film you watched at the cinema?

The Gentlemen by Guy Ritchie, it was a good time.

Who would play Oje in a Hollywood biopic? And what would be the name of the film?

Too Tall to Fail. Obviously, I’d play myself and go full Tommy Wiseau.

Where was the last place you went on holiday and why?

We go to upstate New York a lot, nice to get out of the city and spend some time in nature.

What are your top five creatives in any industry?

Virgil Abloh, Dieter Rams, Naoto Fukasawa, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stanley Kubrick

Check out Oje’s prints! Also, his dope insta @oihonvbere

Cheers mates!