UI/UX Design

What you'll learn

Research real users and frame a problem sharply enough to design against
Design mobile-first for cheap phones, expensive data and flaky networks
Build and document a design system a two-person team can ship from
Test with real users and iterate from evidence rather than opinion
Hand off to engineers, and defend your decisions to a founder who disagrees

Week by week

Every week, what you can do by the end of it.

1What UX/UI really is + the designer's role
UX vs UI vs product; the design process; the designer’s role in a lean startup
AI: Intro to AI in the design workflow (what it can/can't do)
2User research
Interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry; recruiting users cheaply
AI: ChatGPT/Claude to synthesise interview notes · cluster themes · draft survey questions
3Personas, empathy & problem framing
Personas, empathy maps, JTBD; problem statements & “How Might We”
AI: Draft personas & JTBD from research data · then refine by hand

What you'll build

You leave with work you can show, not only a certificate.

| # | Piece | Due | Startup context | |---|---|---|---| | CS1 | Mobile app UX/UI case study | Week 8 | Fintech or agritech, mobile-first | | CS2 | E-commerce / WhatsApp-commerce flow | Week 12 | Local retail, Paystack/Flutterwave checkout | | CS3 | Design system + component library | Week 12 | Reusable, dev-ready | | Capstone | End-to-end product from a real African startup brief | Week 16 | Full research → ship → present | Each is a written case study (problem → process → decisions → outcome), the format African startups and global remote employers actually read. ---

Tools you'll use

Figma (industry standard)

Afterwards

By the end, a graduate can research, design, prototype, test, and hand off a mobile-first product for the African market; command a modern AI-assisted design workflow; present and defend decisions to founders; and show a 4-piece portfolio that meets both RQF Level 7 standards and African startup hiring bars — ready for junior–mid product/UX/UI roles (employed, remote, or freelance)