The south-west of England is generally considered a sleepy part of the country. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the capital, London, it’s more renowned for its beaches, laid back lifestyle, and lack of highways.

But a graphic design company based in the small town of Ivybridge, Devon, recently won a logo design contract – not to advertise Devon’s famous clotted cream teas or to market seaside retirement homes, but to promote the kingdom of Kogi in the far-away African nation of Nigeria.

A Google search for a reputable design agency led Nigerian officials to Logo Marketing & Design. The company was contacted by email, briefed on plans for two new corporate identities, and an international, cross-cultural working relationship was established.

Known as “the confluence state”, Kogi’s new seal takes inspiration from the three royal kingdoms that lie within it, as well as the three pinnacles of Kogi society: education, agriculture and industry.

According to the project’s designers, there were sometimes delays in communication between the UK and Africa, not due to the distances involved, but because work required input from and sign-off by three heads of state!

The new designs will be used in Nigeria to promote its resouces, culture and diversity to a wider world.

What are your experiences of working internationally? What pitfalls do you need to watch out for when working with people in a different country?