If you are a creative reader reading this or happen to know one, then I’m sure you know—and for a fact—that creatives do not make much money. And it’s not solely because they’re undervalued and not deemed as prestigious as the sciences, it is also because creatives, when venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, do not approach decisions with a money-making mindset, i.e., a business mindset. That is, a mindset that knows that structure has to be in place; a mindset that understands that business plans must be drawn; the hard hat of negotiations must be adorned. The mindset that does not ‘wing’ it. Luckily for you (the creative reading this) or you who knows one or a few, Rion Willard, an architect, has a podcast called Business of Architecture where he hosts his fellowed architects and designers and they talk about, from their experiences, the ‘secrets’ on running profitable and impactful architecture practices.
The episode, The Business and Identity in Architecture with Tosin Oshinowo is centred around the potential of working in emerging economies such as Nigeria, the power of an MBA in the Business of Architecture and how this changed Tosin’s paradigm and way of doing business and the importance of developing a personal brand.
Tosin Oshinowo
Tosin Oshinowo is a Lagos-based architect & designer and the founder of Oshinowo Studios, an architectural, urban, and interior design practice based in Lagos, Nigeria. Like many creatives, Tosin’s design practice was birthed by the constant gnawing feeling of dissatisfaction. After she moved back to Lagos, Nigeria in 2009, she worked at a Nigerian firm where she stated that she was not particularly excited about the work she was doing at the practice and was also frustrated that the design skills she had acquired and nurtured during her study at the Architectural Association (AA) and work at the Office of Metropolitan Architecture were not being utilised and in her words, “It just felt I was not doing design. I was doing architecture—I was producing buildings.”
The Transformative Power of an MBA in Architecture
During the lockdown in 2020, Tosin took up an MBA in the Business of Architecture from the IE University, Madrid which she says was instrumental in her entrepreneurial journey.
When asked what the pillars of a successful practice are, Tosin answered that it is the ability to negotiate. According to her, “It is always easier to negotiate down than to negotiate up.
She stated that it was best to create role distinctions earlier, if possible, meaning that whoever deals with negotiations should not be the same person in charge of the project. She also stated that designers must always apply wisdom to avoid the negotiations dragging for too long or ending abruptly.
Designers can implement Toisn’s separation of concern method as early as possible in the design project.
Crafting a Business Plan: The Roadmap to Sustainable Success
Tosin also mentioned drawing up business plans that help gauge where the business is at and where it can be, basically thinking about the bigger picture, in a nutshell. Tosin is of the opinion that the decisions that drive the business plan should be approached intentionally and that creatives should not just wait and let business or life happen to them. Doing this curbs the need to ‘freestyle’ and causes the designer or creative to think rationally and sustainably.
Whether you are a designer or an industrial cleaner, nobody starts a business with the hopes that it will collapse after 6 months, that is why the process involved the drafting a business plan is so crucial because it forces you to think about the details that you would have considered inconsequential, like how many staff you would need to employ or the framework that you would need to promote them. Or the soft intangibles, like how you would need to keep your team happy or the ways in which you would reward them if money ever became an issue. With a design practice, like any other business, you would need people to run it. So coming up with a business helps you identify the means of sustaining the business both in the fiscal and human capital capacity.
Balancing Generalist Needs with Specialist Expertise
In terms of a design practice model especially in a “freeway” context like Nigeria, where designers or firms cannot afford the leisure of specialisation, the business plan helps to flesh out certain aspects that one can specialise in whilst being a generalist because, like it or not, bills must be paid. In Tosin’s case, it became clear to her that her business would be sold on aesthetics: a young practice that produces clean minimalistic architecture. So, clients who resonated with that idea gravitated towards the business identity, and within the aesthetic, the business could handle any design typology. There is a famous saying about how knowing the rules can help you break them. Designers can learn from Tosin how to make the most of what is available and still maintain authenticity.
The Cost of Design: Strategies for Keeping Your Business Profitable
Another aspect Tosin addressed was the cost of keeping the business afloat. Her rule of thumb is thus, “Whatever fee you make, you have to double it, plus an additional 20 per cent to be able to keep your business profitable.” Designers must know the design typologies that can be combined to keep their businesses afloat. For example, as much as handling residential buildings can give your business prestige, the amount of time usually invested does not necessarily match the profits generated. Designers should be able to balance that out with commercial designs or any work that can offset their books. She also mentioned that it is important for designers to gauge how many iterations a design, especially a residential one, will go through so as not to be on the losing end. She further stated that designers should convey the design milestones and the realistic time frame to their clients from the get-go so that every one of the stakeholders is well aware of their expectations and can be held accountable if and when the need arises.
Identity and Architecture: Merging Tradition with Modernity
On the topic of managing the pitfalls of being a generalist, Tosin states that it’s important for you to know what you know and also what you do not, and in the event that you get a project that is outside of your scope, it is best to seek help and partner up or collaborate with someone who already has the needed skill set.
In terms of identity, Tosin talks about the dissonance between her training in school in relation to where she was from & the tension that existed between the two entities. She talked about finding common ground and creating a niche for herself, a niche that is a product of all her experiences combined. Designers, especially those of us that are existing in post-colonial societies emulate Tosin and learn to find ways to merge where we used to be, what we have been through, where we have now found ourselves, and where we intend to be.
Lessons from Tosin Oshinowo
In a nutshell, from Tosin’s vast expertise in life and design, those of us in the creative and or design industry can pick up her penchant for intentionality, structure, and sustainability. Tosin does not fail to remind us that as designers, we provide services and those services are dependent on our team & our teams are made up of people and people will stay for as long as they can wherever they feel valued and those values are solely dependent on how thoroughly and thoughtfully that we choose to create our business framework.
The recording is available on YouTube: Business and Identity in Architecture with Tosin Oshinowo and on Spotify: Business and Identity in Architecture with Tosin Oshinowo
References:
Oshinowo Studio. (n.d.) About Oshinowo Studio. Available at: https://www.oshinowostudio.com/about-oshinowo-studio/ (Accessed: 31 August 2024).
Gamolina, J. and Sanusi, T. (2024) ‘Culture and identity: Oshinowo Studio’s Tosin Oshinowo on calculated risks, apprenticeship, and moving forward,’ Madame Architect, 31 January. Available at: https://www.madamearchitect.org/interviews/2024/1/16/tosin-oshinowo (Accessed: 31 August 2024).
