The Origin of DODO Design

“Sooo… what does DODO mean?” a CEO of a branding firm asked me during a meeting. This meeting was our first and the start of a potential partnership.

I hesitated, as I often do, because the meaning isn’t as important as why we named our design company DODO Design.

DODO doesn’t refer to the extinct bird or the fried plantain Nigerians love 🙂

I’ll try to make it short… so I grew up in Northern Nigeria…born and bred, though I’m Yoruba, so basically, I am more Hausa than Yoruba :), also means I’m more team Suya than team Asun…(hey…if you know, you know!)

A Legacy of Generosity

So the story is my Granddad (he’s late now) moved up north in the early 1900s, back then many Yorubas were moving up north to better their lives. Though uneducated, he went into business and he thrived. I believe one of the reasons he was so successful is because he didn’t just do business to do business. Beyond just making profit, he impacted many people’s lives positively… so much so that today, over a 100 years after he moved North, I, a 3rd generation still feel the impact.

Everyone knew him for his generous giving. He gave his time, money, and business products, never asking for anything in return. My Dad still recalls how Grandpa gifted free goods, in large sizes, to a White Bank Manager during colonial times.
My Dad, a kid at the time, opened his mouth in awe, not understanding why my Granddad would be so incredibly generous.

When Grandpa passed away at around 112, (we didn’t exactly know his age because at the time he was born, they didn’t register Dates of Birth), his life and impact were celebrated. He passed this trait on to my father, who also went into business and just like his dad, used business as a platform to positively impact people.

As a kid, I struggled to understand why they gave so much, sometimes even at a loss. As an adult, I now understand the powerful law of giving. I learn more about it every day.
Denzel Washington said one time, giving is one of the most selfish things a person could ever do. Why selfish you ask? Well because you will always receive more than you give.

Giving is one of the most selfish things a person could ever do

Truly, I have seen and felt the impact of this truth as 2 generations before me have leveraged business as a platform to help people.
The result is rewarding in most every way.

How DODO Design is Making a Difference

As I grew older, my passion for design started before I even knew what it was. As I grew older, business instinct kicked in, and I found a place where business and design met. I truly believe in design’s impact in business and we continuously aim to see businesses improved through creative processes. Now, my drive is to use this passion and DODO’s platform to impact lives.

And so simply put, the name DODO comes from a place where profit (business) and people (altruism) meet.

Like my Granddad and father have shown, we use business as a great opportunity to give back.

At DODO, this defines who we are and what we aim to do.

DODO (noun) | dough-dough |

Defined as running business to not just make profit but to also enrich people’s lives while doing it.

Also to Note:
Synonyms for DODO: lovers and fanatics of Design, advocates for design’s benefits to business, believers in using our skills to better people around us.