15 Issues, One Brand Editorial Design & Creative Direction | Girl Effect / Nike Foundation Role: In-house Designer → Creative Lead | 5 Years

Background

Ni Nyampinga — which translates from Kinyarwanda as "a girl who is beautiful inside and out and makes good decisions" — was more than a magazine. It was a cultural identity, created by and for Rwandan teenage girls, backed by Girl Effect and the Nike Foundation. At its peak it was the most widely distributed publication in Rwanda, reaching over 15,000 villages through a network of 30 Girl Ambassadors across every district in the country. Every issue was an event in itself — ambassadors would hold community gatherings each time a new issue was published, bringing girls together around the stories inside.

I joined the creative team as a junior designer and spent five years growing into a creative lead role, with the magazine at the center of that journey.

Where I Started

I came in as a junior designer, learning the publication inside out — page layouts, print production, working within the brand system, hitting deadlines. The magazine had a strong visual identity and a clear editorial voice, and my job early on was to serve both faithfully.

What I didn't expect was how quickly the work would start asking more of me. Each issue was built around a strategic theme, and the more issues I worked on, the more I understood how design decisions — a photograph chosen, a typeface weighted differently, a colour used with more or less restraint — could shift the emotional register of an entire spread.

Growing Into Creative Direction

Over time my responsibilities expanded. I began writing photography and illustration briefs, working with photographers and illustrators to shape the visual language of each issue before a single page was laid out. I contributed to creative direction decisions alongside the broader team, helping translate the strategic theme of each issue into a cohesive visual approach. And I took on the role of brand guardian — making sure Ni Nyampinga's identity stayed consistent and recognizable across every issue, even as the content evolved.

The creative team fluctuated between 4 and 10 people depending on the project, often bringing in freelancers for specific issues. It was genuinely collaborative work, and the quality of each issue reflected the whole team's effort.

Issue 20 — A Moment That Stayed With Me

Of everything I worked on across those five years, Issue 20 stands out most. For that issue, our team traveled across Rwanda — visiting rural communities, cities, and schools — to gather stories directly from girls whose lives had been shaped by Ni Nyampinga. They shared how the brand had changed them, what it meant to see themselves reflected in it, and what it had given them permission to become.

Sitting with those stories and then finding ways to bring them to life on the page reminded me why design matters. It wasn't about aesthetics. It was about giving people a way to see themselves. That issue is a big part of why I love what I do.

What 15 Issues Taught Me

Sustaining a brand across 15+ issues — each with its own theme, its own creative challenges, its own production pressures — teaches you things that no single project can. You learn the difference between a design decision that serves the moment and one that serves the brand. You learn how to push creatively within constraints without losing the thread that makes the publication recognizable. And you learn that consistency isn't about repetition — it's about trust.