Firm Expands Access to Free Design Resources

African product designer Areous A. Ahmad is helping reshape access to creative tools across the continent through his platform Open Designers, which provides free professional design resources to creatives. Founded three years ago, the platform has grown to reach over 40,000 users and 2,000 active designers across Africa. Its resources, including UI kits and design […]

African product designer Areous A. Ahmad is helping reshape access to creative tools across the continent through his platform Open Designers, which provides free professional design resources to creatives.

Founded three years ago, the platform has grown to reach over 40,000 users and 2,000 active designers across Africa. Its resources, including UI kits and design systems created on Figma, have been downloaded thousands of times, helping designers save hours of work and focus on developing innovative solutions.

Speaking about the initiative, Ahmad said the goal is to remove barriers that make professional design resources difficult to access for many creatives across African cities.

Beyond digital resources, Ahmad also leads the GDG Ilorin community and organizes DevFest Ilorin, one of the largest tech gatherings in North Central Nigeria.

Through Open Designers, Ahmad continues to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and opportunities for African designers to compete in the global creative economy.