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Sylvia Mwihaki Kimathi

@the_designersguide

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✍🏾 Author of The Designer’s Guide to Surviving Absolute Bullsht*
💀 Deadpan humor. Burnout truth. Revenge in book form.

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For those nerds who love a deeper dive here's a breakdown of my though process and what went into the designs by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

This direction explored a more intense interpretation of “vibes” during voting season.

Instead of approaching the brief through softness and humor, I leaned into the visual language of Kenyan political campaigns, bold typography, urgency, authority, emotional intensity, and high-energy public messaging.

The idea was to explore how design creates atmosphere during election periods, and how campaign visuals can carry tension, power, reassurance, hope, or pressure all at once.

“Piga kura. Chagua amani.” became the emotional anchor of the direction, focusing on peace as both a message and a mood.

Different energy.
Different vibe.
Same brief. by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

One thing about this challenge?
The conversations behind the work matter just as much as the final posters.

Really appreciated seeing @made.by.olives take the time to walk through the thinking, the references, the emotions, and the design decisions behind the project. It’s always refreshing seeing creatives talk about process instead of just dropping polished work and disappearing 😭

This brief was funny on the surface, but it clearly pulled out a lot of real thoughts around Kenya, politics, fear, hope, and the kind of future young people actually want.

Good design should make people feel something.
Good process explains why.

Season 2 is already cooking btw 👀🔥 by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

What if political campaigns actually promised things we needed?

Rest.
Peace.
Good Wi-Fi.
Affordable therapy.
Soft life.

“The Vibes Party” started as satire, but somewhere in the middle of designing it, it became a very real reflection of what young Kenyans are craving right now.

Not chaos.
Not noise.
Just better energy.

#VoteForVibes by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

THE VIBES PARTY.
“Vote for vibes only.”

This brief started as satire. A fake Kenyan political movement built on peace, joy, soft life, emotional survival, and good Wi-Fi 😭

But while working on it, the project naturally split into two directions.

One explored the Kenya we dream about:
rest, safety, functioning systems, soft life, good energy.

The other reflected the emotional reality many Kenyans are carrying right now:
fear, tension, uncertainty, exhaustion.

Same brief.
Two completely different moods.
Both very honest.

I wanted the work to still feel unmistakably Kenyan, funny, loud, emotional, political, uncomfortable, hopeful… all at the same time.

Because honestly, protecting your peace during election season has become its own full-time job.

#VoteForVibes #KenyanDesign #CreativeDirection #PosterDesign #GraphicDesign DesignChallenge Kenya ArtDirection VisualStorytelling by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

Season 2 starts NOW 🔥

Very excited to introduce our first designer of the year, @made.by.olives .

New talent. New energy. New creative chaos.
We’re here to express ourselves, make cool shit, and kick some ass. by @the_designersguide

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5 months ago

Season 2 is here.

Designer vs Designer is officially back, and I’m not looking for safe designers… I’m looking for the ones who actually have something to prove.

If you’ve ever looked at my work and thought “I could do better”… this is your moment. by @the_designersguide

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6 months ago

Week 6 and we’re switching it up a bit.
Really honored to have this insanely talented designer join the challenge this week. I’m genuinely excited about this one. Watching how different minds interpret the same brief is always the best part of this whole thing. Big respect to him for jumping into the process and trusting the chaos.
Glad to have you here, let’s get into it. by @the_designersguide

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9 months ago

This project was genuinely fun to make.

I loved playing with the idea, the characters, and the storytelling, and letting the work evolve naturally as I went. It’s always satisfying when a concept feels both personal and relatable.

Here’s a quick look at my process.

#DesignerVsDesigner
#CreativeShowcase
#CouchCoach
#DesignersGuideToSurvivingBullshit
#CreativeShowdown by @the_designersguide

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9 months ago

This was meant to be a Designer vs Designer brief, but the collaboration didn’t come through on the other end.

I still loved the brief too much to drop it, so I explored it anyway.
This is my take on the Class of Njanuary — a campaign inspired by a very Kenyan January reality.

If any designer wants to respond to the same brief with their own idea, I’m open.
Same brief. Different minds. Different solutions. by @the_designersguide

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9 months ago

New year, new brief.

For the first Designer vs Designer challenge of the year, we’re starting with a very familiar Kenyan reality: January.
After December spending, the energy shifts. Money is tight, pressure is high, and habits get exposed.

The brief is simple: take this shared January experience and turn it into a campaign idea.
Any format. Any tone. Just strong insight, cultural accuracy, and clear thinking.

This is my interpretation of the brief.
The other designer approached it differently — and that contrast is the point of the challenge.

Same brief. Different minds. Different solutions. by @the_designersguide

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9 months ago

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9 months ago