Craven: Graphics designer, hotelier and big dreamer

Craven Bing Jr (real names Craven Mupenda) is a graphics designer and photographer. He is the founder and managing director of Revolution Design, a graphics design and photography agency. Moses Opobo sat him down for a chat... Briefly tell us about yourself I was born in Nyarugenge district of Kigali City on July 21, 1992. I am the third born in a family of seven. I attended Camp Kigali and St Patrick for my primary education and studied information technology and management during my secondary school at St Patrick Secondary School. I am currently a student at Mount Kenya University studying Business Information and Communication Technology. When did you start Revolution Design? Revolution Design was founded in 2009 and it has always been my biggest dream. Though my dreams aren’t yet realised fully, I still try my best to make sure one day they become true. Revolution Design is well known in Kigali as a graphics design service provider (logos, flyers, brochures…) and photography. I have always loved technology since I was a child of around eight or nine years. I remember as a young boy, curiosity always followed me, which made me damage many things in the process. My father has an IT background, and a very big percentage of what I know about computers is what I learned from him. In 2007, I met a person called Hervé Irankunda (Hervé IR), a graphics designer and photographer who introduced me to graphics design. To me he has always been an inspiration and a mentor. He is the one who coached me about improving my font selection, text arrangement and color correction. The rest, like using graphic design tools, I learnt on my own. Away from graphics design, what else fills your time? I also work at CityBlue Hotels as reservations manager. Actually this is one of those positions that sometimes require you to act on something immediately, which is mostly related to decision making. I am also learning about business through observation, which I think might one day help me when I start my own company. Who are some of the people you have worked with? I have worked with different local celebrities like The Ben, and Dj Nano among others. One of my best moments was when Miss Karun (of Camp Mulla, Kenya) posted a picture that I designed for her on her blog and she also supported me by asking people to check my work. She also follows me on twitter and Instagram. What should we expect from Revolution Designs in the coming year? My plans for Revolution Design are to make it a real big company and if possible, cross the borders. ‘Dreams are there to be dreamed,’ goes a popular saying, so I think everything in life is possible, I think we shouldn’t limit our dreams as long as you believe in what you love. I am planning on opening up a studio where people can easily find me because I don’t have a physical address at the moment. A word of wisdom to aspiring graphics designers out there? I think what it takes to be a good graphics designer is to think outside the box, have love for it and passion for whatever you are doing and also challenge oneself with new stuff. To keep my designs unique, I always try to have my own touch.