Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)
UX/UI Designer
User experience and interface design
What this life looks like
You make technology feel human. UX and UI Designers ensure that apps and websites are intuitive, beautiful, and genuinely useful. You are the advocate for the user in every product decision — making sure technology serves people rather than confusing them.
What she actually does
UX Designers research how users behave, conduct interviews and usability tests, map user journeys, and create wireframes and prototypes. UI Designers take those wireframes and give them visual life — choosing colours, typography, icons, and spacing to create interfaces that are both attractive and functional. Many designers do both.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| Fintech Startups | Flutterwave, Paystack, PiggyVest, Carbon — all have dedicated UX/UI teams |
| Telecoms & Large Corporations | MTN, Safaricom, Vodacom, MultiChoice — large digital product teams |
| Design Studios | Wild Fusion, This Is Galdem, Invent Studios — agencies serving multiple clients |
| Health & EdTech | mDoc, Ubenwa, Ulesson, Andela Learning — mission-driven products for African users |
Why it matters in Africa
Products built for African users must account for low-bandwidth connections, entry-level devices, diverse languages, and users who may be first-time smartphone users. African UX/UI designers who understand these realities are building products that work for the next billion users — and they are in very high demand.
Your pathway in
- No specific degree is required — design thinking, empathy, and visual skills matter most
- Study Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or Communications at university
- Learn Figma — it is the industry-standard design tool and has free educational resources
- Build a portfolio of three to five case studies showing your design process, not just final screens
- Complete Google's UX Design Certificate on Coursera — it is an excellent and affordable introduction
Skills you will need
- Figma and prototyping tools
- User research and usability testing
- Visual design principles (colour, typography, layout)
- Information architecture
- Empathy and user advocacy
- Presentation and storytelling
A woman in this field
Ire Aderinokun
Nigeria
Ire is a full-stack developer and VP of Engineering at Helicarrier whose early career included deep work in CSS and frontend design. Her technical writing on browser rendering, accessibility, and UI design at bitsofco.de has been read by millions of developers worldwide, and her advocacy for user-centred, inclusive design in African tech has shaped how a generation of African product builders thinks about the user experience.
Take your first step
- Download Figma for free at figma.com and follow beginner tutorials on YouTube
- Complete the Google UX Design Certificate on Coursera — the first week is free
- Redesign an app you use every day as a portfolio project — document your thinking process
- Join Interaction Design Foundation at interaction-design.org for structured, affordable design education