My journey into the tech industry began with curiosity and a desire to keep up with the changing world. As a civil engineer, I have always been fascinated by design and building processes. With the advancement of technology and the prevalence of digital products, I found myself wanting to understand their development process. This was when I stumbled upon Utiva's Product Management program. I was immediately drawn to the program, and I enrolled with an eagerness to learn about the industry and gain hands-on experience. 

As I dove into the program, I discovered that my true passion was in product design: I was particularly captivated by the process of creating intuitive and engaging user interfaces. The curriculum was challenging and intense, but it was also incredibly rewarding. I learned about usability testing, A/B testing, user research, user experience writing, competitive analysis, design thinking, wireframing, etc. I also had the opportunity to apply my knowledge by working on real-world projects. After completing the program, I landed a job as a product designer at a fintech company. I currently have over three years of experience in product design.

As a product designer in the fintech industry, I am proud to be a part of an industry that positively impacts people's lives while contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy. It's worth mentioning that the fintech industry has been rapidly growing in recent years, not just in developed countries but also in Africa. 

In my role as a product designer, especially one that has worked with many clients in full-time and freelance roles, I understand that UX is about fulfilling business objectives while ensuring delightful user experiences above everything else. Maintaining this balance guides my activities and helps me create intuitive and engaging user interfaces that make digital products easy to use and understand

 A typical day in my life as a product designer includes:

1. 1. Collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand business objectives and developing designs that balance them with delightful user experiences. 

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• 2. Conducting user research to gather insights and inform design decisions. 
• Iterating prototypes and refining designs, from low-fi wireframes to polished mocks for web, Android, and iOS-based applications. 
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• 3. Utilizing tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, InVision, Marvel, Adalo, and Protopie to develop and present design concepts. 
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• 4. Participating in usability testing, A/B testing, user research, user experience writing, competitive analysis, design thinking, wireframing, user interface prototyping, scrum agile execution, product leadership, and AML financial regulations. 
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In addition, I help to improve the overall user experience of multiple mobile and web-based applications. My designs are not only visually appealing but also functional and user-centred. 

The role of a product designer is quite impactful and rewarding, and there are lots of opportunities for people of colour to make meaningful impacts as product designers in the tech industry. 

It can be difficult to break into the tech industry without the knowledge and skills, and that's where Utiva comes in. The Utiva curriculum is designed to help students understand the industry, practically apply the knowledge to real-world projects, and understand the direct impact of one's work on the overall success of a company. 

The field of product design is constantly evolving, and there is always room for growth and advancement. With the right knowledge and skillset, you too can make significant impacts in the world of product design. 

About Olawole Afolabi

Olawole is an experienced UI/UX designer and an emerging product leader with over three years of experience creating intuitive and successful designs for web and mobile applications in the Fintech space. He has led major B2C platform designs resulting in significant revenue growth. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.