Seven people.
Three cities. One room.
Zal Forge is part of the Zal Collective — a small federation of studios and platforms working on premium software, commerce, hospitality, and education. We share infrastructure, principles, and weekend retreats.
Origin
Founded in 2024 in Lagos, with a stubborn idea: the best digital work happens when the strategists, designers, and engineers share an office, a payroll, and a stake in the outcome.
We grew out of frustration with how studios are usually shaped — strategists in one building, designers in another, engineers offshore, and a producer trying to stitch the seams. The seams always show.
So we built something different. Seven people, eventually nine, working on no more than five engagements at any given time. Every engagement is led by one of three partners. Nothing — design, development, infrastructure, content — is outsourced.
In two years, we've shipped twenty-six engagements across fourteen countries. Our clients renew. Our partners refer. We've turned down work worth twelve million dollars to protect the bench.
Yusuf K.
Founder · Strategy
Reading: How Buildings Learn
Yara A.
Partner · Design
Reading: How Buildings Learn
Tomi B.
Partner · Engineering
Reading: The Pattern of the Chinese Past
Mira A.
Senior Designer
Reading: How Buildings Learn
Reza T.
Senior Engineer
Reading: The Practice of the Wild
Ana D.
Producer
Reading: How Buildings Learn
Sami O.
Engineer
Reading: Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth
Bench HQ. Strategy, design, engineering.
Client partner desk. Two engineers.
Content, brand, motion.