Graham Nhlamba

What Program did you graduate from and when?

Graphic Design, 2018, Medal Winner

What is your current title or role? (e.g. freelance designer, art practitioner, etc.)

Junior Designer, Anomaly

Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?

I had been at the Toronto Film School prior. A professor there let me know that OCAD U was the place to go if I wanted to go further. I was interested in production design but at the time, I didn’t know it was a possibility. Through my research, I found that OCAD U was one of the top schools in Canada for Art & Design – and this was appealing for my parents. I had to justify my choice of going here. My mum had wanted me to be an engineer, so I moved to Canada specifically for that. On the other hand, my dad was more open, so there was a little bit of leeway to negotiate. I am one of 4 children – so it seems that my parents had given up by the time they got to me because they gave me more freedom than any of my siblings had. 

Please briefly describe your current job/practice.

I am a Junior Graphic Designer at Anomaly, a top-tier creative agency with multiple awards under its belt. They have multiple offices around the world with HQ in NYC. My job is to do world-building around what brands can do with their visual brand identity. I work in a small team of five designers led by Shaun Lambino, an OCAD U alumni. We work within a bigger network and across brands. On our roster are companies like Budweiser, BRP, etc. 

In my personal creative practice, I view design as art. I specialize in photography and videography. Videography is my side hustle. My personal creative practice is taking the narrative of world-building, and I am transferring this to film and production. I work with a collective of folks from OCAD U including Andre Baynes, Meghana Ravi and Ruhina Bharmal. My goal is to build my own version of an Anomaly and be inspired by what I continue to learn. 

When looking at design as art, I think about how designers can live within the realm of artist spaces. The work that I create is critical, speculative and could live in gallery spaces. It’s not commercial and more for social commentary. I explore themes of identity, colonialism, Black Liberation and what that looks like today; tying themes within the diaspora and connecting that to histories back home. Histories of my people, who are of the Bantu nations. My primary focus is to see how to bring elements of South-Eastern Afrika into the present while digging deep and going thorough research into the time periods in which they thrived. Projects like my thesis, my fashion brand UBUNTUCUL, and even my work at Anomaly have come out of this research.

How did you get started in your career? 

Through a lot of trial and error. I was fortunate to get a job at OCAD U while still in school. It was difficult to work as an international student, with a maximum of 20 hours that I could work each week. I worked for the Advancement and Marketing team at OCAD U. I started to form groups such as MxD Steps (OCAD U dance classes) and the Black Student Association. Through these student groups, I was able to meet a lot of folks and network. Being able to start clubs helped me to build a network that eventually led to opportunities. A big part of that network was Zev Farber, Director of the CEAD, who connected me to companies like the Konrad group through the Design Career Fair and got me thinking about how to create work in a commercial setting. I took some of Zev’s classes and he brought in folks who spoke about new media and this opened my mind up to the possibilities of production design and learning more about the industry. Lewis Nicholson, another Professor at OCAD U, previously worked in the agency world and spoke of how he broke out of that and into an educational space. That was inspirational.

Another person who had an impact on me was Dean Dori Tunstall. She doesn’t self-identify as a designer but fueled my interests in the narratives around Black consciousness. She validated a lot of things we were doing as students; encouraged monetizing opportunities and being entrepreneurial; encourages working with students in other courses. I have been inspired by different entry points into design. It is important to learn how to be confident enough to go for opportunities that your label as a designer wouldn’t get you, have the ability to speak about your transferable skills and the things you want to do.

To begin working at Anomaly, I sent a Facebook message to the right person to let them know what I appreciate about the company and asking for an opportunity to work with them. It’s not always about how good your work is – that's not the reason people get jobs. Go out of your way to let people know what you want to achieve. I’m grateful to have found a world where I don’t have to identify only as a graphic designer. My advice is to think of job applications as an exchange. Learn about the environment you want to go into and how it works. What can you offer? What skills do you have? Anomaly values that I am a designer of Afrikan descent living in Canada and offering a different perspective. Get comfortable talking about yourself. You never know who may be listening and may have something for you. Throw out a lot of emails, put it out there. Opportunities will come. If people know what you are passionate about, good at and interested in – they will connect you with opportunities.

What were your policies regarding internships, volunteering, and paid work?

My understanding of internships as a student was a one-way street. I would do whatever the companies needed. Postgrad - it's a two-way street between you and the company. Here are my rules:

1. Always make sure you are being compensated for your services in whatever way makes you comfortable. If compensation is low and not up to standard, don’t take those opportunities.
2. Always go in with an open mind. When we graduate from OCAD U, we have high egos and may be oblivious to the realities of the world. Our courses don’t necessarily show us the realities of working collaboratively in an environment – e.g politics in workspaces. Go in with intentions set. Take it always as a learning opportunity. Understand as much as possible so you can carry lessons with you wherever you end up. Learn the good and the bad.
3. Approach internships with an entrepreneurial mind. Always think about yourself as a service or business offering something, because you are. 
4. Always give time – if you have a 3-month internship, stay for that time period. By the time you reach 3 months, you are starting to get into the flow of things and would’ve built relationships with folks/that could lead to more opportunities. Allow for time and be patient. This also works the other way. Know when to leave. 

What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

I enjoy Flexibility. Work, in a good way, doesn’t feel so separate from my life.  I appreciate the flexibility to do life things at the same time as work things, e.g. I am able to go to the park if needed.

I am grateful for the exposure to different kinds of work that I never thought I’d be working on. Anomaly covers work in TV, the print world and digital, so there is a widespread of things I get to work to. I get exposed to multiple brands and executions of design. I work with brilliant creatives so the opportunity to learn never ends. I am also learning a lot from our executive creative directives. There are no silos or boundaries when it comes to speaking to higher-ups in the company.

Challenging: The pace in an agency environment is challenging as it moves very fast. It's important to keep track of trends, our competitors’ work and the brands we are working on. If you don’t stay on top of updating your skillset, you fall behind very quickly. 

What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?

I would’ve collaborated a lot more with industrial designers because they have an interesting and valuable view of design. It would’ve been interesting to do more team projects or capstones like in the Advertising program. Had I known, I would've loved to take a couple of Digital Futures classes because of my personal interests. I could’ve learned certain things but didn’t know where to look. In Graphic Design, we were often told to stay in our lane. I would’ve loved to have the chance to diversify my skillset while still in school. The first 3 years of OCAD U helped to set up fundamentals of good vs bad design, design principles, etc. This is a huge asset I use every day. It’s become so ingrained in me that I do it organically now and don’t have to think about it. Being introduced to critical and speculative design keeps me on my toes. I am constantly thinking about what my work/research means in the general social context.

Folks who helped me participate in my field are Zev Farber, Dori, Tunstall and Lewis Nicholson. I met Zviko Mhakayakora at OCAD U. She was always introducing me to people and showing me ways to navigate OCAD U. I’ve built many friendship bonds with Andre Baynes (Clever Society Collective), MxD Steps Dance Club, Black Student Association and many more groups on/around campus.

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice? 

Staying on-trend and finding the niche target group of each project I’m working on. What do you offer that people around you aren’t? How well are you doing that? I am developing an Afro inspired design system. There will be a market for it one day. I want to be known for Afro-inspired design.

What are your personal and professional goals for the coming years?

To transition from an opportunity seeker to an opportunity maker.