The BIMA 100 celebrates those individuals who are pushing the digital industry forward. They are the leaders, pioneers and entrepreneurs who are making a tangible difference to our increasingly digital world. Kin + Carta sat down with Eve Ofosu, Senior Designer and BIMA 100 finalist in the Rising Stars category for 2022, who is a passionate advocate of inclusive design and a member of the BIMA Inclusive Design Council.
What does it mean to you to be recognised as one of the individuals who is shaping the future of the UKS’s digital industry?
It’s crazy to hear that I’m one of those individuals. For a long time, I’ve kind of struggled with embracing who I am and making sure that I stand tall when it comes to what I believe in. If anything, this kind of recognition made me feel like I’m actually doing something right and I’m so, so honoured.
With the fantastic family I’ve grown up with, I’ve always wanted to try and make an impact based on my own experiences, so to be recognised as part of a group of people who are shaping the digital industry gives me that lift. It’s made me think “yeah, go for it” with the things that I value most, so it’s an amazing thing. I’m still stunned by it, to be honest with you!
How did you feel when you found out you’d made the list?
Honestly, when I got the email that I made it to the list, I was so shocked and my eyes widened, to be honest I was grateful to be nominated! I’ve gone through a journey from not believing in myself to gaining the confidence to believe, so when other people see that and recognise that, it’s a lovely feeling.
What do you love about being part of the digital industry right now?
With the digital industry, I’ve always known that there’s this potential to create. Digital is always changing, it’s always evolving, there are always new ideas, so there is a space to own and create impact for something that matters which is so important to me. That’s what I love about it because there’s opportunity; there’s room to challenge as well as be the best and authentic role model because people who look like me don’t always get to see people like me in this industry space.
With digital, we have that opportunity to look at new technologies and ways in which they can lift people’s lives and experiences, so that’s what gets me so excited about it all.
What’s the greatest thing we can do as an industry to build a world that works better for everyone?
We hear a lot about inclusive design and accessibility, we hear a lot about diversity, we hear a lot of great stuff, but if we actually look within our businesses and the ways in which we’re structured and build all that in from the ground up, that’s the route to building a world that really is better for everyone.
You have to have an environment where you can work with people from different backgrounds and experiences, people with disabilities, people with different first languages and ways of consuming information etc. If you have a team that embraces those differences at every level, you’re going to be nurturing an environment where people are going to want to share their experiences and the impact of the work we create.
It’s all well and good for businesses to be saying these things, but if you’re not set up to do them, you’ll never actually achieve them. Embracing those differences needs to be done, but the framework has to be right, too.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their digital career?
Do not quit! Honestly, there have been times when I’ve felt a bit lost and unsure where I was going, but that was actually beneficial to me because I realised you don’t always have to have the answers straight away. The opportunity is there.
The main thing is: do not try to be anyone else but embrace every bit of you and your experience because you are awesome! Be who you are and carry that through your digital career. It’s important to keep asking yourself why you’re pursuing this or that. I received some great advice from someone who told me to ‘ask myself why five times’ whenever I was making a call, so I could dig deeper for the real answers to why I was doing what I was doing.
What’s next for you?
My main thing is to build a career in design that gives me purpose. I’ve always loved design, but I used to feel like there was something missing for me. I’ve grown up with so many different perspectives, so it’s empowered me to use design in a way that can help and benefit people and work with those different experiences in mind.
It’s all about having and valuing different perspectives and experiences, so I’m always open to challenging the design process.. What’s next for me is channelling that inclusive design into everything I’m a part of and sharing the knowledge, whether it’s at work, schools, in councils, anywhere I can help make a difference.