Osmond Tshuma
Creative Director
Zimbabwe
9TH JUNE, 2025
I think design chose me! I’ve always wanted to say that, haha. Since high school, I had been drawing a lot, here and there. Nothing formal—just making greeting cards for friends or creating music books. I also took a technical drawing class, which I loved. So, after high school, the closest profession I could think of was architecture.
However, I ended up enrolling at the Peter Birch School of Fine Art, where I studied fine art for two years. After that, a friend convinced me to apply to Pace College with the goal of learning how to draw on the computer. That’s how I discovered graphic design.
Sankofa — learning from the past. This is my favourite part of the process: researching cultures, elements, stories, and more. With every brief, there's an opportunity to learn. Some projects have led me to read academic papers, others to buy books or fall down online rabbit holes. All of it is in search of a component that links back to the problem I'm trying to solve. I truly believe that many answers or at least the seeds of them, can be found in our African histories. That’s why I get so excited about research. I only need to find one or two key components to extract and transform into something meaningful and sometimes I blend elements too.
"The idea that design is easy."
I can’t speak for every part of the world, but coming from Zimbabwe, there’s a widespread misconception that design is easy. The relatively low barrier to entry, driven by demand for printing, logos, banners and CV design—leads many to view the field as informal or not serious. This mindset is reflected in the small budgets allocated to design work and the unrealistic deadlines clients often expect. The proliferation of free design tools has only amplified this perception. And now, with the rise of AI tools, I can only imagine how much more this misconception will be intensified.
My career has evolved from graphic design to advertising, back to graphic design, and now into typeface design. Throughout these transitions, the driving force has always been curiosity, a desire to explore what fascinated me. For example, when I moved into advertising, it was simply because I wanted to create TV commercials, how to articulate ideas in a completely different medium. I overcame that by reaching out to people already in the industry. Of course, not everyone will open the door, but sometimes, all you need is one person to say yes.
However, one of the biggest ongoing challenges has been financial stability. And I don’t think I speak for myself alone, this is something many creatives, especially those from Africa, can relate to. I haven’t fully overcome this yet; I’m still figuring it out. But I’ve learned that having just one or two international clients can significantly shift your financial footing.
The Africa Centre rebranding (Creative Director & Designer). This rebranding of 'The Africa Centre' is a celebration of Africa's cultural richness and identity. The design is inspired by Africa’s continent's oldest forms of writing techniques. From Imazighen embroidery symbols, to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, to the majestic Adinkra, Nsibidi, Yaka and Ndebele mural symbols. Using ancient techniques of writing in the design symbolises the endless knowledge and wisdom gained from coming together.
Lelapa AI logo (Creative Director & designer). Lelapa AI is an African-based AI research lab grounded in the philosophy of Ubuntu, aiming to solve contemporary challenges through human-centered innovation. To honor Africa’s deep-rooted knowledge systems, the logo design process explored Afrikan fractals and binary systems before ultimately drawing inspiration from ancient Nguni writing symbols. By synthesizing the symbols for wisdom, home, and family, the final icon embodies Lelapa's values and vision—serving as a culturally resonant emblem for an AI lab built for Africans, by Africans.
The Manor logo (Creative Director & designer)The Manor Africa is a platform for African storytelling. Its logo is inspired by Timbuktu, the ancient city in Mali that is home to Sankore University—one of the world’s oldest centers of learning. The design reclaims the African narrative by celebrating indigenous knowledge through the use of Sudan-Sahelian architectural forms as its visual icon. This architectural influence serves as a fitting metaphor for a platform envisioned as a home for African stories.
I love running it keeps me healthy and fit. I also enjoy bouldering, which I’ve come to see as closely connected to design. Both are about solving puzzles, testing your approach, and finding creative solutions.
There are so many African countries I would love to visit. If I had to choose 1 right now, it would be Ghana. I have a lot of Ghanian friends and I love their food.
'Look inward' is my mantra taken from Prof. Saki Mafundikwa's TED Talk, "In Ingenuity and Elegance in Ancient Afrikan Alphabets (2013)". It means look into Africa for inspiration, observe, question, and research what I don't know about Africa.
