Hailing from Nairobi, Kenya, Victor Nderitu has been a long time customer and then designer on PosterMyWall. We talk to him about his education, his designing expertise, football and strategies to promote templates on PosterMyWall.
Tell us about yourself and your work
I was raised in the rural areas of Kinamba, Nyhururu in Kenya and lived with my parents and younger brother. My parents had a hard time paying for our education, which was a driving force for me to work hard and not let them down. I excelled in high school and soon after joined the Multimedia University in Nairobi, where I not only graduated with a degree in marketing but discovered the wonders of graphic design, which came into fruition when I started designing for myself as a designer on PosterMyWall.
What’s a typical day like?
I am a freelance graphic designer, and I create design solutions for my clients and local agencies via contracts. I work from 8 am to 5 pm, with a lunch break in between. When I’m done, I either hit the gym or play football. Football is good exercise and it’s fun as well. At night, I sit back, relax and watch some of my favorite television shows.
How did you join PosterMyWall as a designer?
I joined PosterMyWall in December 2015, but as a regular customer. I would often customize templates for the youth group I was a part of while I was still at campus. It was during this time I discovered my interest and talents in graphic design. Over the next three years, I taught myself the basics of graphic design such as typography, texture, colors, motion graphics alongside my regular school work.
PosterMyWall provided a great learning experience to me because of the large variety of design tools available. I could create expressive yet simple designs very easily.
As soon as I finished university, I submitted my first template on PosterMyWall and began my design journey.
Tell us a little more about you!
My interests include an unusually equal mix of both indoor and outdoor activities. I spend time watching football matches as I am a big football fan and a supporter of Arsenal Football club. I often find myself playing football often with friends.
I enjoy travelling, especially when a good hike is involved. One of my favorite spots is the Mt Kenya National Park. As you climb, you get to experience all manners of vegetation and wildlife. The climb and and the camping experience along the park’s many routes is fun and exhilarating.
I also read in my free time, and I highly recommend The Art of War by Sun Tzu to everyone, especially people in business. The book has some profound advice for everyone.
My favorite food is a local delicacy called ‘Ugali’ served with Kales and ‘Nyama Choma’ (Roast beef). My favorite TV show is still Game of Thrones despite its rather unsatisfactory ending.
What inspires your designs? Do you have a favorite designer?
I often browse PosterMyWall and see what kind of designs are in. Every designer has their own design niche where they are comfortable and have expertise. For me, that sports flyers. However I’m aware that my event and party flyers are now also popular among many customers.
As far as favorite designers are concerned, I feel that Sirle K, who is number second on the designer leaderboard has the same creative ‘taste buds’ that I do.
How do you promote your PosterMyWall designs?
Search engine optimization is crucial to promoting anything, including templates. Whether I’m publishing templates on PosterMyWall and marketing them on other channels, I take the time to use tags and keywords that my audience is likely to use, so that my templates are visible organically to the right people.
Any tips for aspiring designers?
Be patient and never stop learning, the best things take time. This has been said so many times that it has become a cliché, but I believe it is still a relevant piece of advice. Always aim to be a better designer today than you were yesterday and make yourself proud of your own work. If you can’t buy it yourself, don’t sell it.
Senior editor at PosterMyWall.
