Design: My Story, Voice, and Prediction

Design: My Story, Voice, and Prediction

I am Daniel Opoku, originally from Ghana. I migrated to the United States to pursue the dreams of my father, who desired me to be a different Visual Artist. Before high school, I had not considered higher education in Art because of the stereotypes attached to students who pursue careers in Visual Art. There is a general misconception about artists; they are not scholars. And I did not wish that for myself. I dreamt of wearing a similar white lab coat like my father, who was then the director of a blood bank at Okomfo Anokye teaching hospital, Ghana, who also served as a pathologist assistant at the same hospital.

When it was about time to choose an academic area of focus, his counseling which was a bitter pill to swallow turned to be the right advise. He advised that science is mathematics, and I had never scored an A or a B throughout my Junior high school education. "...but you love to draw" he says. “All your teachers acknowledge that” He explained to me how I was unhappy anytime he takes me to visit the hospital. Yes, I often fall sick the next day. Although I was a tipped-up student by society to study science, I diverted to pursue my happiness – Art.

Growing up, we did not have a computer at home, primarily because an individual could not afford one at that time, and the internet was a mystery. My dad had a new old typewriter. Instead of Zoom or Skype meetings, he had his distance education through the mailbox, towards his diploma from a University in England. He receives his course books and assignments through the mail and submits his reading responses the same way. It took him years to complete the course, which should have taken less than a year in our present time. I think.

In the evening, when he is back from work, and there is an industrial loom’s noise in the house, that is my dad weaving his reading response or typing personal letters to his professors from his screaming analog typewriter. His typewriter was complex, and I had no interest in it. When you commit a typographic error, you have to start again with a new clean sheet!…and found it annoying. He says before you type, you should complete at least a sentence in your mind, and hold on to a thought until you have fully and carefully typed it. Nonsense?

When computers became popular, he bought me the Acer brand and enrolled me in computer classes. The goal was that, I will return to teach him how to use it. I was 15 years old, and I do not remember if I was the one who killed his interest in computers. I installed Encyclopedia Britannica to do pretentious research when he is at home, so he would not kill my obsession, in his quest to navigate the digital space. Funny enough, Mavis Beacon teaches typing was kicking the old man’s ass! However, the computer keyboard had the same QWERT arrangement as his typewriter. He could type very fast on his typewriter but struggles on the computer keyboard. I still do not know why. Maybe he could not relate well to the cathode rays beaming out from the digital screen. He never became better on the computer, and I did not like his noisy analog typewriter too. When he is away, it was all about the games and Microsoft paint.

Today, I am dinosaur years old, and there have been some changes in my obsession with the computer as the computer itself. The Encyclopedia Britannica has become the web servers I am constantly digging in for new information. Microsoft paint has become my Adobe Suite, and computer games inspired my interest in software development.

Currently, I am working towards a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Ohio University. To fully understand the reasons for my poor performance in what is broadly accepted as mathematics, my MFA thesis is exploring the native Ghanaian cultural mathematics in the context of Ethnomathematics. However, my practice in Graphic Design resides in the tension between digital product design and user experience design, as I reflect on my teen obsession for digital spaces. I combine function and aesthetics with end-users anticipation in addressing social needs. Through mind mapping, interviews, and user feedback, I strive to develop physical solutions from abstract concepts that serve as tools for community empowerment.

By the principles of field ethnography, I excavate historical data and pair it with current statistics, extract development from systematic challenges to clearly define a social problem. I, therefore, iterate on accessible design solutions through collaborative analysis with community members to visualize equitable design solutions that empowers marginalized communities. This user-centered approach in design and design policy-making is what I termed as Accessible Design Solutions.

I hold a BA. Communication Design, Software Development Certificate, and Visual Arts Management Certificate from KNUST-Ghana and Ohio University respectively.

I am seeing that the speedy decentralization of data and the democratization of Artificial Intelligence will continue to birth new paths, and titles in the design practice. Therefore, all designers must rise to stay relevant.  As a UX/UI design researcher, I am constantly looking for ways to challenge my skillsets.

Education

Master of Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Ohio University, 2022
Thesis: Identimatics; Mathematical Grammar of Kente Patterns

Bachelor of Arts, Communication Design, (Multimedia) KNUST, 2016
Thesis: Managing Access to Students' Residential Facilities


Certifications

UX Certification,
University of California, Berkeley, 2024​

UX, UI Certification, School of UX Design, London, 2022

Visual Arts Management, Ohio University, 2021


Professional Experience

Marketing Communications Specialist
Varian Medical Systems | Palo Alto, CA

• Provides visual design support to various business units.

• Directs and produces leadership communication videos for internal and external audiences.

• UX Designer and content manager for the Radiation Oncology Business Area intranet.


Communication Designer
Cohear | Cincinnati, OH
January 2021– January 2022

• Created visual content for social media and email ads.

• Designed research reports for Cohear, working with both state and private institutions.

• Conducted design research on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in African American communities, leading to a 236% increase in vaccination rates in Columbus, Ohio.

• Conducted design research for the Black Homeownership project in Columbus, Ohio.


Graphic Communications Designer
Ohio University | Athens, OH January 2020 – April 2022

• Collaborated with marketing, PR, and the Social Media team to produce creative assets for print and digital media.

• Designed branded souvenirs to support the School of Music’s Alumni fundraising campaigns.

• Revamped postcards to meet the new Ohio University’s brand guidelines for recruitment purposes.

• Participated in a weekly brainstorming session to design and implement recruiting and retention strategies for the School of Art + Design.


Graphic Design Fellowship
Adleta Galleries Ltd | Athens, OH
September 2019 – May 2021

• Designed the book titled Drawing the Feminine and Masculine Form: Studies Interpreting the Human Form by Don Adleta.

• Designed the Focus Visual Translation book to revolutionize graphic design education in higher learning and design agencies.

• Curated, photographed, and coded over 4000 artworks to synchronize with a digital database.

• Designed a book titled "Drawing the Feminine and Masculine Form: Studies Interpreting the Human Form" by Don Adleta.


Assistant Visual Design Instructor
Real Skill Academy | KNUST, GH
January 2018– August 2019

• Assisted in organizing weekend Graphic Design and 3D Modeling Classes.

• Guided design students in examining meaning through visual elements like typography, image generation, and manipulations.

• Assisted students in mastering the fundamentals of DSLR cameras for photography and video production.


Visual Multimedia Designer
Seventh Street Media | Accra, GH
January 2015 – December 2017

• Edited behind-the-scenes music videos

• Collaborated with colleagues to manage light, cameras, and prop rentals for video production

• Collaborated with the creative team to design motion graphics, lower thirds, backdrops, posters, and movie covers


Graphic Design Intern
Active | Kumasi, GH
June 2013– December 2013

• Worked with senior designers and other team members on design projects, assets, and deadlines.

• Researched design trends and best practices.

• Assisted in designing marketing plans and design concepts for events, campaigns, and promotions.

• Prepared files for print production.







Skills

Research
Contextual Inquiry, Competitive Analysis, Persona, Journey Mapping, Responsive Design

Collaboration
Design Critique, Prototyping, Flow Analysis, Detail-Orientation, Communicative, Strategy and Vision Presentation

Design
Style Guide, Storyboard, Information Design/Architecture, Gestalt Principles, Visual Design, Motion Design

Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, Figma, XD, Webflow, Powerpoint, Balsamiq, Miro, Maze


Honors and Awards

Student Enhancement Grant, $6000 | Ohio University, Athens OH, 2022

The Billman Award, $2500 | Ohio University, Athens OH, 2021,

Adobe EDU Design Achievement Award | California, 2019

Verified International Academic Qualifications, WES | New York, 2019

Graduate Recruitment Scholarship | Ohio University, 2019


Solo Exhibitions

Identimatics, Porter Hall, Pittsburg State University, Kansas, 2024

Global Arts Festival, Alden Library, Ohio University, Ohio, 2022

Identimatics, Ohio University Art Gallery, Ohio, 2022


Group Exhibitions

Storytime, Majestic Galleries, Nelsonville, Ohio, 2023

Legacy: Don Adleta and Karen Nulf, 60 years of Graphic Design, Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio University, 2021

Silver Lining
, The Ohio University Art Gallery, Athens, Ohio, 2020

Precipice, Trisolini Gallery, Athens, Ohio, 2020

Open Studios, Ohio University School of Art + Design, Seigfred Hall, 2019

Open Studios, Ohio University School of Art + Design, Seigfred Hall, 2020


Publications

Identimatics; Mathematical Grammar of Kente Patterns, Lulu Press, 2022

Studies Interpreting the Feminine Form, Don Adleta, Lulu Press, 2021

Studies Interpreting the Masculine Form, Don Adleta, Lulu Press, 2021

Managing Access to Students Residential Facilities, KNUST Press, 2016


Research Assistantships

Assistant Design Researcher: Focus Visual Translation and Seeing Harmony, Don Adleta and Tricia Hennessey, Ohio University Press, 2024 

Lead Design Researcher: Black Home Ownership in Columbus: Opportunities for Wealth Creation, Cohear, 2021·  

Lead Design Researcher: Leading Change: The Cincinnati Art Museum as a Catalyst for Reconciliation and Inclusion, Cohear, 2021·  

Lead Design Researcher: The Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Racial Equity and Economic Mobility, Cohear, 2021

Lead Design Researcher: 15 Years of Achievements: Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Osei Akoto, 2015


Volunteer

Media Lead, Nsesa Foundation, Suacode.ai  Kumasi, Ghana, 2021

Graphic Designer, Ohio University, Center for International Studies, Ohio, 2020

Curatorial Team, As Not For: Dethroning Our Absolutes, Ohio University Art Galleries, 2020

Multimedia Content Producer, CoolxDad - Texas, 2021

Graphic Designer, Mother of Mothers, Manhyia Palace, Kumasi, Ghana, 2015