Hi, I’m Toluwani!
From a young age, I had an innate interest in finding elegant solutions to communication problems. Growing up in Nigeria, I crafted fictional stories that brought characters to life, using nothing but pencil and paper. As I grew older, I immersed myself in exploring Microsoft Word, so I could turn these paper and pencil works into digital formats by typing and describing the narrative images using my father’s desktop computer. This early creativity allowed me to express and share the unique experiences of young Nigerian kids with my friends and family in beautiful multimodal presentations. As I transitioned through my academic journey, this initial interest developed into a profound fascination with the intersection of language, technology, and human interaction. Today, I am pursuing a PhD in English with a focus on Technical Communication, User Experience and Digital Rhetoric at the University of Florida.
My first exploration of this interdisciplinary field was in an academic research for my Master’s degree titled “A Multimodal Analysis of Piggyvest’s Animated Videos”. The research was a meticulous investigation into the persuasive strategies used in the animated advertisement videos of Piggyvest, a leading Nigerian fintech brand, in appealing to their target audiences through TikTok. This work not only enriched my understanding of digital rhetoric and communication but also culminated in its publication in the DeGruyter Mouton Journal of Language and Semiotic Studies, a significant milestone in my academic career.
In addition to my academic research, I have continuously sought elegant solutions to communication challenges in my multifaceted career as a User Experience Writer and Designer by crafting user-centered digital products that cater to diverse users irrespective of their demographics. My roles in the Nigerian creative and technology industries have afforded me a vast range of experiences that include user interface design, user experience research and writing. My experience has involved collaborating on various innovative projects where I designed intuitive interfaces and wrote compelling copies for mobile applications and websites, focusing on creating seamless user experiences that prioritize user needs and feedback. Each project has been a reflection of my commitment to user-centric design, ensuring that every interaction is meaningful and impactful. By linking my professional experiences with my ongoing research interests, I strive to push the boundaries of how technology can enrich communication and user experiences, ultimately shaping the future of digital interactions in our increasingly interconnected world.
