Inyegumena Nosegbe’s love for design and art has helped her build the foundations for sustaining a successful career
Inyegumena Nosegbe is shaping how images are made, felt and understood at a global scale. As a multi-disciplinary creative and Senior Art Director on Apple’s Photography team, her work is rooted in a deep love for visual language and sits at the intersection of storytelling, culture, and image-making. Her early fascination with typography, packaging, and design systems and collaborative creative processes also informs her work. Inyegumena approaches art direction as both a creative discipline and a personal language. She is informed by her cultural background, global perspective, curiosity and a deeply intuitive way of seeing the world. Her practice centres on building intentional narratives, selecting casting, creative partners, and visual frameworks that reflect authenticity, nuance, and cultural depth.
Through her work, Inyegumena has brought thoughtful representation and emotional clarity to the images we’ve encountered from global brands. Drawing from her experiences as a Nigerian woman, her dreams and memories, she creates work that resonates and is globally relevant.
In this edition of #MCNWorkLife, Inyegumena shares how her path into art direction unfolded, from studying Communication Design at Parsons to discovering the power of her visual identity. She reflects on creative growth, collaboration, and the ideas that continue to guide her evolving practice.
How did you get into art direction and break into the industry?
I initially wanted to be a graphic designer and just have a career in design. I’ve always loved art, posters, book covers and anything to do with visuals. What I also loved was trying to figure out the purpose behind design choices. To me, it was about problem-solving and figuring out the best way to relay a message or an idea.
I remember going grocery shopping with my mum and being so intrigued by packaging and labels. I wanted to understand why they chose those colours, why the logo looked like that and what those choices meant. Looking back now, I really feel that this longing has always been within me because my father also loved graphic design and studied painting. Both of my parents have an affinity towards the arts.
I went to Parsons School of Design to study Communication Design, which was the perfect mix of several things: learning about typography, graphic design, editorial work, branding, advertising, coding, and even more conceptual work.
Then I was totally certain that I would be working for a cool independent agency where I would sit in front of a computer all day and make cool designs that I would be proud of. When I was job hunting after graduation, I came across Spring Studios and was immediately drawn to their work. Although it wasn’t strictly graphic design–focused, the agency’s advertising campaigns really resonated with me. I have always loved advertising, and that was my first job as a Junior Designer at Spring Studios.
Before that, I had genuinely never heard the words “creative direction” or “art direction”. I had no idea that was a thing. What I did know was that the Art Director at my job was always working with images: exploring layouts, making retouching notes, cropping and uncropping. I just said I want to do THAT. I wanted to be involved in creating an image. Then all the pieces started to come together. I get to pick the casting? I get to pick the photographer? And I get to be in charge of determining what this idea looks like and how it comes to life? I loved it.
What is your role at Apple?
I work on the Photography team as a Senior Art Director. It’s such a special role because the focus really is image-making: working with incredibly talented teams and creative partners to make the best work possible.
How would you describe the philosophy that guides your general approach to all the work you do as a creative?
I really appreciate when storytelling is at the crux of the work that I create. Whether that is a story being told fully or the idea being conveyed is explicit or subtle. My work is shaped by my belief in the power of telling authentic, diverse narratives. I am passionate about creating culturally relevant work that challenges, influences and redefines the lens through which we view our world and each other.
“My work is shaped by my belief in the power of telling authentic, diverse narratives.”
Looking at the trajectory of your career, which project has felt especially fulfilling or meaningful?
This question makes me wonder whether being “proud” of the work that I do is a fleeting feeling. You can feel proud in the moment, but looking back, you can see how things could have been better. Maybe that’s just the evolving nature of being a creative and Nigerian, a.k.a being hard on yourself and never letting things be enough.
But as a creative, you are constantly learning, absorbing and being inspired in different ways. All of that influences how your ideas evolve and how your work takes shape. You may cringe at the things you loved 5 years ago, but that is all a part of the process, even in life.
Most of the projects that I’ve worked on, I am proud of for different reasons, whether it was my first time making a music video, or my first time designing, making, printing and binding a book, or even re-doing and finishing my entire thesis on time. And even when a computer glitch deleted all my work a couple of days before the deadline (yikes), or when I created beautiful campaigns that shaped the way people experienced a product or brand. I’ve learnt that each project is meaningful because it’s part of the journey.
What is one belief that has shaped you as a person and leader in the workforce?
I’ve learned that you have to be confident (even if you aren’t, you’ll grow into it —eventually) and grounded in who you are and your ideas. Your unique combination of experiences and past work informs your contribution to any project.
Who are your biggest influences, and who do you have on your mind when approaching your work, if anyone?
There are so many people and projects that influence me. I can’t really think of anyone or anything specific right now. However, my culture is influential to me: being Black, being a Nigerian woman, growing up in the South (Atlanta), going to an international school — this has given me a global POV, and there’s so much to take inspiration from. My own personal experiences, memories, humanity, shared stories, both new and old, from friends, family and even strangers are where I draw inspiration. I’m very inspired by so many things like poetry, art, photography, film, design, illustrations, music, nature and my dreams. I have a giant ‘Inspo’ folder that’s full of soooo many different things that seem random, but they all elicit something in me. A feeling.
“I draw inspiration from my own experiences, memories, humanity, shared stories, both new and old, from friends, family and even strangers.”
How important is collaboration to your work, and how do you approach it when working on projects?
Collaboration is super important, and it’s necessary to do my job. I have to work with so many people: photographers, gaffers, digitechs, casting agencies, set designers, make-up artists, hair artists, stylists, producers, location scouts, directors, talent and more. I also need to be clear about the idea and vision so everyone can come together to execute it. It’s so fun, but it is a ton of work being responsible for everything. It’s a process of constant communication, feedback, adjusting, directing, listening, but always going with your gut. My biggest priority is always making sure everyone feels welcome, especially on set. Everyone is welcome. Ideas are welcome, but ultimately the responsibility falls on me, so I have to be sure of things to some degree.
How do you decide who to collaborate with?
You choose who you want to work with, sometimes based on an ongoing relationship that you may already have with some folks. It frees up more space for you to focus on your job because there’s a level of trust you have built, and you know what they’re capable of, so you don’t have to spend too much time checking their work. Mostly, it really just depends on the project: whose skills are better suited for your idea? I want to work with people who share my kindness, vision and passion and who are talented and aren’t afraid to also share their thoughts and ideas.
My goal is to make the best work possible and meet incredible people along the way. I also love to work with people whom I am inspired by so that I can learn from them. Top of mind, I think about Crystabel and Amidat, who are actually both Nigerian now that I think of it. They’re both SO talented and have beautiful spirits and are a joy to work with. I admire them outside of their work practices, just as who they are and what they’ve been able to achieve in their respective fields. Super inspired by them.
What habits or boundaries have been most important for sustaining both creativity and a life outside of work?
This might sound cliché, but carving out moments to come back into my body and be still has been important. I’ve been learning what a priority is and what can wait, and also learning to be patient with myself. Every day I grow, and every day I practice something new or interact with something I need to learn again. I’m also learning to have boundaries with how much I’ll let my work consume me.
What legacy do you hope to leave through your art direction?
It feels too soon to think about legacy. But I know that in the future I always want to be making work that I am proud of and that changes or shapes new perspectives and gives people a new way of looking at the world. I want my work to elicit an emotional connection. I don’t think of myself as just an art director; I’m so much more than that.
While I don’t always prioritise titles, “multidisciplinary creative” feels appropriate for my work since it allows for flexibility. My ideas are powerful, and that’s the foundation for everything; that is where it all begins. I have different skills. I love different mediums of art, design and writing. The past couple of years, I found so much inspiration and love for moving images, or I guess what we call film, but not necessarily just film, because they can combine so many things – imagery, sound, colours, etc. The past couple of months, I’ve also been loving creative writing.
Read more: Sosa Omorgbe on curating culture and amplifying Nigerian art globally
