The Journey

Isaac Fayemi and Seyi's paths crossed during the pandemic, a time when many were reevaluating their careers and life choices. Beginning his career in a somewhat unconventional way, Seyi studied accounting but soon lost interest in the field. This led him to explore new paths, including coding. “During the pandemic, I started exploring design and coding, sharing my projects on Twitter, which surprisingly caught a lot of attention,” Seyi recalls. "In October 2020, Paystack reached out to me about working on a project. They were literally my first client, which was a pivotal moment for me. The experience taught me a lot about collaboration and the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in creating impactful work." After his experience with Paystack, he went on to work with Printivo and another studio in Vienna, where the idea of starting his own studio began to take shape.

For Isaac, design and digital media were always a passion, pursued initially as a hobby. “I dabbled in animation and other creative apps just for fun. In secondary school, I was the kid with a flash drive collecting the most interesting applications from everyone to install on my computer for no particular reason.” The pandemic provided Isaac an opportunity to dive deeper into design, taking up an internship that highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of digital product creation. “It helped me realize that to launch something, it requires an interdisciplinary effort because we had to work with motion designers and developers, helping me realize that these apps don't exist in a vacuum.”

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The Birth of Studio Null

Studio Null officially came into existence in February 2022, but the seeds of the partnership were sown a while before that. Their first collaboration happened when Seyi sought a designer for a side project. “The idea to create my own studio struck when I was working remotely for a studio in Vienna, and I wanted to start with some personal experiments with more creative and lifestyle-oriented people in Nigeria. So that’s when I thought about the Korty project. Looking at her current site, I felt it did not reflect who she was and could definitely be better. I tweeted out asking for designers interested in working on something cool. Isaac reached out, and we jammed, realizing we shared a lot of the same ideas and references,” Seyi explains.

Their first client project together was a collaboration for a client in the Netherlands, setting the tone for what Studio Null would become. "The client showed me a designer's work, and I was like, yeah, this is not the man for the job. So I said, I have a designer, which led to the question of whether we were a studio, and at some point, I just said Yes," Seyi recounts.
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Their Collaborative Synergy

The success of Studio Null lies in the perfect balance of collaboration, taste, and open communication. Their synergy is rooted in shared backgrounds and complementary tastes. "Our synergy stems from a shared background and similar interests beyond design. We both grew up with strong influences from music and visual arts, and this has helped us in many ways," Seyi reflects.

Isaac adds, “We have similar interests in music and fashion. It's not like we like the exact same things; sometimes he likes something I think is absolutely off, but more often than not, if he likes something, I find some appreciation for it too.”

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Navigating Creative Differences

In any creative partnership, differences in opinion are inevitable. For Studio Null, these differences are not obstacles but opportunities. “Our approach to creative differences is about being constructive in what we think and, if possible, offering solutions,” Seyi says. Isaac emphasizes the importance of being open to compromise, especially in technical aspects, “Being open to iteration on an idea is crucial, particularly for performance reasons. Most of the sites we design are less about being design spectacles and more about what's possible in code. And a lot is possible with us,” Seyi adds.

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Showcasing Their Craft

When asked which project best represents Studio Null, the duo points to the Studio Null Rewind site. "It captures our newer design style and humanizes the studio," Seyi explains. Isaac agrees, saying, “It’s the project we spent the most time perfecting, and it reflects who we are as a studio.”

Discussing their development process, Isaac notes, “We start by identifying the essence of the brand and then think about how we could interpret this on the web. We engage in workshops with the client to align on the vision before diving into design and development.”

Seyi adds, “From my side of things, there are three things I optimize for: the style of framework, the content management system, and performance considerations. These drive our decisions.”

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Unique Strengths and Future Prospects

Discussing their unique strengths, they note Isaac's mastery of typography and layout. “Isaac is insanely good with typography. I've never said no to any of his font choices. Some people call him the Type God,” Seyi says. Seyi excels in discerning subtle design elements that enhance the final product, with Isaac agreeing, “We have this ability to see something and know it's not there yet; it has to keep going. The final product must be outstanding.”

Isaac reflects on how his environment shapes his creativity, balancing the vibrant chaos of Lagos with the elegant aesthetics found in Europe. "I embrace quirkiness in my work, things you wouldn't necessarily do if aiming for a clean design," he says, highlighting the cultural duality that influences his work.

Studio Null has already achieved notable recognition, including nominations for Studio and Developer of the Year in their first year. “Being recognized alongside more established studios was surreal. It showed us that we’re on the right path and motivated us to keep pushing forward,” Seyi adds.

Looking ahead, they plan to expand their creative exploration into product and commerce, leveraging their strengths in design and collaboration. Seyi mentions, "We are creating Null Product and Null Commerce, while continuing to push boundaries with our studio projects and collaborations."

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