Who the hell is Iyola Lever?

Get to know some of the brilliant minds behind our work. We’re chatting with members of the DixonBaxi studio about what makes them who they are. From the professional to the personal, nothing is off limits here. Introducing: Iyola, our production coordinator and thrill seeker in both the physical and the virtual worlds.‍

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Iyola, and I’m an adrenaline-seeking production coordinator from Hackney. I make sure the timelines and budgets for our projects are in order so everything doesn’t crash and burn.

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What’s your story?
Born in Yorkshire and raised in East London, I grew up around very diverse communities whether I was visiting family in the North or going about day to day life in the South. I like to think that’s how my interest in different cultures spawned.

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When I was 12, I started to mess around with video production and began making ‘Nerf War’ videos with my friends. We also made a few horror spoofs which I’d argue would give the Scary Movie series a run for its money.

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Fast forward a decade and I’d completed a film and television degree at the University of Nottingham, graduated during a pandemic, and produced music videos, social content and TV commercials for global audiences!

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What are you working on right now?
Important things, I reckon.

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"Production is never a case of ‘I’ve mastered this’ and always an ‘I can learn something new’ situation."

Describe your working style in 3 words.
Organised, creative, friendly.

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Tell us about some of your interests. What are you into?
I seem to gravitate towards activities that somewhat put my life at risk. Whether it's skydiving, whitewater rafting, sailing or bungee jumping, I’m always looking for the next adrenaline rush. On a more regular basis, I love going on bike rides and gaming, and I’m currently learning how to play the drums. 

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Do you think design can change the world? How?
I’d say it’s already changed the world. Design can alter peoples’ perception, it can educate and inspire. No two people have the exact same interpretation of design, and when you consider the amount of minds running around on Earth, the possibilities for impact are near limitless.

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If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Instantly clean up the sea.

What’s the last song you listened to?
Last Last - Burna Boy.

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Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?
Working in production means I need to have some idea of how things work… and by things I mean every little piece of the process from start to finish. Like any industry, there’s a constant evolution of ideas, methods and technology, and the creative industry has so many pieces to it. Production is never a case of ‘I’ve mastered this’ and always an ‘I can learn something new’ situation and I love that. When you see a project go live it’s like an adrenaline rush.

And then when you see people out in the wild interacting with the project you’ve made, there’s this incredible sense of satisfaction knowing that you have had an impact (hopefully a positive one) on someone that day. And all because you put the work in to learn how things work and how you can squish them all together to make something great. The process is both challenging and fun, and it’s incredibly rewarding. 

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What’s your definition of good design?
If it makes you feel something then it’s a good design. I’m not just talking happy, motivated, dancing around the room kind of vibes; if it makes you angry, disgusts you, makes you laugh because it’s unhinged… it's also a good design.