Hi there! My name is Dipo and I’m a designer. The next question on your mind might be, “Well, what kind of designer are you?” That’s expected, let me explain.
During school hours, I’m an Architecture student studying the art or science of designing and building structures.
Outside of that, I’m a digital product and UX designer, creating delightful experiences for people while considering businesses’ needs.
There’s more, but we can touch on those at a later date.
This morning I got my mail from January 2022, which I had scheduled to deliver to me in January 2023. I could not help but smile as I read each line.
My year had gone nothing like I predicted, it went better. 2022 came with unforeseen hurdles, opportunities, and growth in various areas of my life.
Contrary to the plans I had made at the start of 2022. I quickly caught myself moving in a different trajectory and it was quite the experience.
Hop in my all-black Challenger, as all roads are leading to the dynasty. Let me tell you how it began.
Towards the end of last year, 2021, I took an interest in UI/UX design after coming across a thread on “No-code tech roles to consider in 2022”. When I came across that thread, UI/UX design caught my eye as I had a bit of background experience in graphics design. I had always heard dreadful stories of debugging lines of code for hours just because of an omitted punctuation.
Hats off to developers doing good work. Na why we dey call una goat!
If you got the “Won da mo” reference in the last quote, you’re a real one!
When the ASUU strike came along, I quickly seized the opportunity and enrolled in several bootcamps and internships, where I learned the required fundamentals of UI/UX design. I approached the “break” with the mindset that I would get the most out of whatever happened. I tuned out of the distracting news around the uncertainties surrounding the strike and focused on the task at hand — making the most of my free time.
One thing that stuck out to me as I studied UI/UX design is how easily knowledge from one design field transfers to the next, as I put myself in the shoes of the users I was designing for. Just as Architecture school had taught me to.
Right after I finished my internship program at Sidehustle, I registered for the 6-week Bootcamp held by Sidehustle a week after. At the Bootcamp, individuals are placed in a simulated real-world working environment with people from various tracks (product management, frontend and backend engineering, customer relationship management, and so on). I co-led the start-up team for about 4 weeks and led for about 2 weeks.
Over 6 weeks, we worked towards and designed an MVP for “an accounting software that helps businesses merge all their accounting systems into one dashboard”.
Managing diverse teams of individuals is not a job for the weak oh! The bootcamp choke but my God no dey wear flip-flops, so e no dey flop.
I met Faruq around that time and he gave me a design task, and it’s safe to say I performed satisfactorily.
Weeks later, I was interviewing for the role of a product designer at Famasi Africa, which I later got. I was super excited! As I began my first month at Famasi Africa, I was eager to get to know the team and structure of this remote-first company.
One of the biggest hurdles I faced was learning how to effectively communicate asynchronously. As this was my first actual job, it wasn’t a concept I was very familiar with. With some practice, I can now communicate effectively in a team both synchronously and asynchronously. Here’s an article that will help you nail the art of async communication.
Before I fully grasped the concept of company culture, I had experienced it at Famasi. Everyone is enthusiastic, and there is a strong focus on collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Famasi holds customer comfort and satisfaction close to their hearts, and you can tell from the company culture. There is a sense of camaraderie among the team, and they welcomed me warmly. I’ve made a lot of new friends along the way.
Here’s an unfamiliar word I just added to my vocabulary. I even dropped a definition below in case it’s new to you too 😉
Camaraderie: it refers to mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
I find it very important to ask questions when trying to understand a new environment. I may not always ask the “right” questions, but over time and with practice, it helps me gain clarity and insight into unfamiliar concepts and procedures.
This has helped me gain a better understanding of my role at Famasi, as well as the healthcare industry.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek clarification. If anything, it would increase your value as it shows that you care enough to ask.
This new place of work has provided me with ample opportunities for growth and development. I have been able to take on new challenges and stretch myself, and the team has been incredibly supportive throughout. I’m at the intersection of various product design roles, from UX research to UI design and implementation.
Overall, my experience at Famasi Africa has been incredibly positive. I have grown more as a product designer, and I am grateful to be part of such an innovative and passionate team. I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the future holds, and I’m confident that I will make a positive impact.
The journey is unique for everyone, but it is important to find something you are passionate about and pursue it.
While there are challenges and obstacles along the way, the reward of mastering something you are passionate about is worth the effort.
Cheers to a great year ahead! 🥂
First published in Medium.