ÌníOlúwa Abíódún
Lawyer and couture dress maker turned product designer, ÌníOlúwa (meaning “God’s precious one”) is from the Yòrùbá tribe of South Western Nigeria.
Origin
I grew up in Ìbàdàn, moved to Johannesburg and have lived in London for several years. Nigeria gave me resourcefulness. South Africa gave me resilience. The UK gave me rigour and access.
I trained as a lawyer from age 15 and was called to the Bar at 21. At 16, I ran a couture label that won a national competition from a pool of 62 designers, dressing actress Dakore Akande for the AMVCAs. I handcrafted the dress from 35 yards of tulle — handstitching hundreds of petals with over 20,000 sand beads.
I didn’t know then that I was learning what I’d spend the next decade doing. In couture, the decisions that matter most are invisible, such as the structure beneath the silk, the seam no one sees unless it fails. Product design works the same way. When it’s done well, it disappears. When it’s done badly, it’s all anyone notices.
Law. Couture. Product design. The through-line is the instinct to make the thing. Make it well. Ship it into the world. More than a decade on, I have been privileged to design and ship products across AI, cybersecurity, fintech, hiring, and social communities.
Incoming Lead Product Designer at AirOps. Currently member of Design Team, Intercom/Fin AI Agent. These days, you’ll find me slowly building in the Atelier, my corner on the web, where form and ideas are woven together continuously.