My name is Joseph Mugo. I'm a software designer from Nairobi, Kenya. I work with software product teams to design and build customer-focused solutions that create lasting business value. I excel at user journey mapping, system design, interaction design, and UI/UX design, and I'm comfortable leading complex design projects.
I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. I studied Computer Science at the Technical University of Kenya. In the beginning, I drifted between various stacks. I moved between backend development (python-django), web development (js, typescript, next,) and mobile app development (kotlin, react-native). It's all evident in my Github.
Eventually, I realized I truly wanted to learn how to create a product, see it get into the hands of a customer, and make an impact in their lives. So my design career started in UX research. Some of my early work was more towards researching how best to design e-commerce sites in line with the psychology of online shopping.
I later transitioned into product design where most of my early projects were in Agritech and B2B SaaS. That journey led me to financial services at Diamond Trust Bank Kenya, where I was the first UI/UX designer. I rode solo for a while, but the team at DTB has now grown into fully formed and agile, engineering, design, and product units. And I've worked on projects that have seen me grow holistically as an individual and a designer. I am currently spearheading the full redesign of the DTB mobile banking app.
The best thing about working with me is I'm savvy enough to understand both the business side and the technical side of product development.
I enjoy going deep into certain business processes and directly interacting with customers of whatever product I'm working on. I understand the incentives that govern certain product decisions, and how to incorporate them into products I'm building in a way that moves business metrics.
I've been an engineer on all fronts (web, mobile, and backend). So I understand the technical limitations behind certain features and can have intelligent conversations about them with a developer. I also have proven experience in designing zero-to-one products.
Beyond work, I like to work out: current deadlift PR is 100kgs. I also like to read and I write the occasional newsletter here and here: My most recent post explains jobs-to-be-done approach to product design.
Eventually, I realized I truly wanted to learn how to create a product, see it get into the hands of a customer, and make an impact in their lives. So my design career started in UX research. Some of my early work was more towards researching how best to design e-commerce sites in line with the psychology of online shopping.
I later transitioned into product design where most of my early projects were in Agritech and B2B SaaS. That journey led me to financial services at Diamond Trust Bank Kenya, where I was the first UI/UX designer. I rode solo for a while, but the team at DTB has now grown into fully formed and agile, engineering, design, and product units. And I've worked on projects that have seen me grow holistically as an individual and a designer. I am currently spearheading the full redesign of the DTB mobile banking app.
The best thing about working with me is I'm savvy enough to understand both the business side and the technical side of product development.
I enjoy going deep into certain business processes and directly interacting with customers of whatever product I'm working on. I understand the incentives that govern certain product decisions, and how to incorporate them into products I'm building in a way that moves business metrics.
I've been an engineer on all fronts (web, mobile, and backend). So I understand the technical limitations behind certain features and can have intelligent conversations about them with a developer. I also have proven experience in designing zero-to-one products.
Beyond work, I like to work out: current deadlift PR is 100kgs. I also like to read and I write the occasional newsletter here and here: My most recent post explains jobs-to-be-done approach to product design.
