Every designer, at some point in their career, has imagined what it would be like to work on a project that shapes brands at a global scale. The kind of project that makes headlines, defines industries, and leaves a lasting impact. But what does it really take to lead these massive, high-stakes design initiatives?In this conversation, we sit down with Mary Afolabi, Design Director at FourthCanvas, whose decade-long career has been defined by leading brands through transformative design processes — from Nigerian Breweries to Ventures Platform. Featured in the Best of Ife Art Hall of Fame (2015) and a Fine & Applied Arts graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Mary has built a reputation for delivering strategic, impactful design at scale.But beyond the work itself, she is also deeply passionate about mentorship — guiding fellow designers to grow in their careers — and is the author of Mae’s Book on Colours (2023), a resource on the power of color in design.For the design community — especially those with the ambition to work on agency-level, high-impact projects — this conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, trade-offs, and skills required to operate at the highest level.How do large-scale design projects come to life? What does leadership look like when managing multiple stakeholders, evolving creative demands, and business objectives? And most importantly, how can ambitious designers position themselves to one day be part of, or even lead, such projects?This episode isn’t just a conversation — it’s a blueprint for those who dream of designing at scale.Connect with guest on X (formerly Twitter): Mary Afolabi
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