Even with a rebound of nearly 25% in the second half, the continent still couldn’t meet up, largely because digital access is tangled in complexity and misaligned systems that don’t always reflect how Africans live and work.

Consider that 61% of sub-Saharan Africans live within broadband coverage but do not use it. Not because the internet is absent, but because access is limited by poor localisation affordability, digital illiteracy, friction-filled user journeys and at times, poor design.

That’s the battlefield where Jecinta Fabiyi has pitched her tent. For her, design is about ensuring access, trust, and opportunity in a region where the gap between technology and people can feel like a canyon. She has built her career around one core conviction, which is: technology must be human before it can be powerful.

So, when Fabiyi was named a Global Tech Hero by The Connected Awards, it was not a polite nod to another rising designer. It was a recognition of impact that is both statistical and human. The Awards, known for immortalising professionals who embody craft, impact, and legacy, singled her out as someone who consistently changes complexity into clarity.

The Making of a Hero

At Youverify, a Lagos-and San Francisco–based identity verification startup, Jecinta Fabiyi designed YouverifyOS (YVOS), a compliance and verification platform now powering over 5 million identity verification processes. 

Through the simplification of KYC, KYB, and AML compliance into intuitive digital flows, she directly contributed to Youverify’s scale from 400 million to over 2 billion identities verified.

Her design of vFORM, a drag-and-drop onboarding tool, went further. What could have been another clunky enterprise form-builder became a seamless experience for businesses onboarding customers. The results?

• 300% increase in Youverify’s customer base, spreading across more than 400 banks and startups in Africa.
• 1,000% surge in application volumes, making identity verification almost routine for financial services and ride-hailing companies.
• A direct link to Youverify’s $1M seed extension funding, proving that design can, quite literally, drive investment.

These reveal how Fabiyi’s work answers one of Africa’s biggest problems: the trust deficit in digital finance and identity. In a continent where over 30 countries now enforce KYC/AML regulations, her designs are helping businesses keep pace without losing customers to bureaucracy.

Beyond Compliance: Human Impact

But Fabiyi’s influence isn’t limited to compliance dashboards. At Sidekick Health, she helped redesign the Zanadio obesity treatment platform, where patients were abandoning onboarding before accessing therapy. 

Her work simplified the funnel and reduced friction, leading to a 10% increase in visitor-to-signup conversions and a 12% growth in signups-to-activation. These numbers translate into something no spreadsheet can fully capture, more patients accessing life-changing treatment.

At Wunder Mobility, she shaped fleet management dashboards and rider experiences that made shared transport more reliable and scalable. In a continent struggling with urban congestion, such design work nudges cities closer to sustainable mobility.

Recognition Rooted in Impact

Her recognition as “Woman in Tech of the Week” by The Stack Journal and her feature in Daily Times Nigeria did not come from rhetoric but from measurable results. And now, with her new badge as a Global Tech Hero, she joins a circle of technologists celebrated for what they build and how their work ripples across communities.

The Connected Awards describe their honourees as “leaders whose work bridges the gap between complexity and clarity, between people and services, and between potential and lasting impact.” Jecinta Fabiyi fits that description without caveat. She has shown that design is not decoration, it is infrastructure. It determines whether millions of Africans can access services or remain excluded.

More than a Designer

Away from her corporate impact, Jecinta Fabiyi mentors junior designers, supports career switchers, and publishes free resources in the Figma Community, already used by 1,000+ designers. Her talks on accessibility, inclusivity, and design KPIs have equipped professionals to think beyond aesthetics and focus on outcomes. And on LinkedIn and Substack, she shares insights that demystify the tech industry for the next generation of creatives.

Why This is Important 

In African tech, funding is slowing, but adoption is growing. Emerging markets like Uganda (+304% growth in VC funding) and Tanzania (+108%) are proving that the future is not confined to Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, or South Africa. However, the continent still struggles with high digital drop-off rates, compliance barriers, and trust issues.

This is why Fabiyi’s story is important. She represents a new kind of African tech leader, one who sees design not as the finishing touch but as the foundation. One who treats every interface as a bridge between ambition and reality. And one who insists that technology must include everyone, or it has failed.

As she continues to build products across industries, the Global Tech Hero award can’t be limited in description as a career highlight, but more like a milestone in an ongoing mission, which is to make digital experiences simpler, safer, and more inclusive for millions.

Across the continent, founders are building products at record pace, but too many fail to scale. While African startups raised $2.6 billion in venture capital in 2024, a decline from 2023, poor user experience and weak product design have been among the top reasons why early-stage ventures collapse. 

It’s no coincidence that between 2022 and 2024, design thinking adoption among African startups rose by over 30%. Though uneven across sectors, this shows that technology without human-centred design rarely survives, leaving scale and retention elusive.

This is where Lucky Ekezie steps in. A product designer, mentor, and AI advocate, Lucky has made it his mission to build systems that don’t just look good but actually work for people, driving adoption, retention and measurable growth.

He transforms scarcity into opportunity, creating solutions that make startups investor-ready, user-ready, and scalable.

“Design isn’t just about interfaces,” he says. “It’s about people, resilience, and building systems that help others thrive.”

From his early days in Umuahia, where he built toys from scraps of wood and tin, to designing Bosscab, a ride-hailing platform for African cities, and Syncventory, an inventory management tool for SMEs, Lucky has turned curiosity into impact. 

Beyond products, he mentors emerging designers, develops AI-driven productivity solutions, and creates frameworks that help startups survive and scale where others fail.

Reimagining Tools for African Realities

In 2020, when the pandemic forced businesses across Africa to rethink operations, Lucky joined Nugi Technologies. There, he helped build Bosscab and Syncventory, platforms designed with Africa in mind, not Silicon Valley copies; they were tailored to local infrastructure, culture and user behaviour.

At Nugi, he mentored younger designers, embedding curiosity and user-first thinking into the culture. That kind of mindset shift is exactly what Africa’s growing ecosystem needs. 

In Q1 2025 alone, 83% of AI startup funding in Africa was concentrated in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt, but funding without solid design foundations risks being wasted. Lucky’s work shows how product design can bridge that gap.

Lessons From Failure

Lucky’s resilience is built on hard lessons. His first startup, Gianx, shut down due to funding challenges, but it became his training ground in business structure and timing. 

Those lessons later informed his contributions to My Skool Tool, a school management platform founded by ThankGod Maduka Kalu. Today, it serves over 10,000 students, a direct result of design choices that prioritised usability and scalability.

Where many see failure as an end, Lucky treats it as raw material, the same way he once treated tin containers and wood scraps as a child.

A Mentor Building People, Not Just Products

By 2023, Lucky had expanded his mission beyond building products to building people. At LM Tech Hub, he mentored aspiring African designers trying to break into tech. Later, at CareerFoundry, he began teaching design thinking and product development to learners worldwide.

The results are measurable. Over 80% of CareerFoundry graduates secure jobs within six months, with mentorship ranked as one of the strongest success factors. For Lucky, it’s more than statistics. Mentorship is about instilling confidence. 

For a continent where over 5,000 young professionals transitioned into tech careers through incubators since 2020, his work sits inside a bigger story, where Africa’s design uprising is being shaped by teachers, not just by tools.

At the Edge of Africa’s AI Boom

Africa’s AI market is projected to hit $4.51 billion in 2025, growing at more than 26% annually. By 2030, AI could contribute up to $2.9 trillion to Africa’s GDP. These are huge figures, but they mean little if Africans are not building solutions for themselves. Lucky is already positioning to ensure they do.

In 2025, he delivered a talk at Tech Flock titled “From Sci-Fi to Reality: The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence”. In it, he charted AI’s history, human impact, and opportunities for Africa. Today, he is developing an AI-driven productivity platform aimed at helping both individuals and enterprises work smarter.

While global companies like Microsoft and G42 are pouring $1 billion into AI infrastructure in East Africa, Lucky represents the individual innovators ensuring that Africa doesn’t just consume these technologies but also creates homegrown solutions.

Why Lucky’s Story Matters

Nigeria’s tech ecosystem is one of the largest in Africa, accounting for over 25% of the continent’s venture capital inflow. Lagos is a top innovation hub, but behind the statistics are challenges, including unreliable infrastructure, high failure rates, and limited mentorship pipelines. People like Lucky Ekezie are shifting that narrative.

From sketching human figures on a blackboard as a child in Umuahia to building products, mentoring global learners, and pushing Africa’s AI story forward, Lucky Ekezie embodies the resilience and creativity that African innovation demands. His career is proof that design is not secondary to technology, it is its beating heart.

And perhaps that is the real problem he is solving: proving that in Africa, technology will not thrive without design rooted in people, culture, and context.

Design thinking is a methodology that places users at the center of the problem-solving process. It involves five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

By deeply understanding the users’ needs and experiences, companies may create creative solutions that are easy to use and highly efficient.

This iterative approach promotes testing and feedback, enabling ideas to be continuously improved and refined.

Design Thinking has been an effective approach in Nigeria, where challenges are often complex and resources scarce, Design Thinking has emerged as a powerful tool. Both new and existing businesses are seeing how it may spur expansion and have a long-lasting effect.

Fintech companies, for example, are using Design Thinking to create financial solutions that are specifically targeted at the unbanked population.

They are developing solutions that are not just practical but also emotionally meaningful since they have a thorough awareness of the difficulties these people encounter.

As an experienced product designer and tech enthusiast, I have seen directly how design thinking is changing the business environment in Nigeria and helping businesses remain competitive in a market that is changing quickly.

Numerous Nigerian businesses have effectively incorporated design thinking into their operations, spurring creativity and producing outstanding outcomes. Here are few instances:

1. Leading fintech startups in Nigeria, Flutterwave and Barter App, have adopted design thinking to provide streamlined payment solutions for organizations around Africa. They have increased financial inclusion and streamlined processes. These solutions were modified in response to customer input thanks to the iterative testing method, which produced extremely intuitive and user-friendly products.

2. Andela, a company focused on building engineering teams with top African talent, utilizes design thinking to address the challenge of connecting skilled developers with global opportunities. They have honed their platform to offer a smooth experience for the hiring organization as well as the developer through continual prototyping and testing. With the help of this strategy, Andela has been able to grow quickly and close the skill gap in the IT sector.

3. One of the top technological companies, Terragon Group, has effectively incorporated Design Thinking into its process of developing new products. Through a keen understanding of their target market, they have developed cutting-edge digital marketing strategies that have resonated with customers.

4. It is gaining traction in other areas outside technology. For instance, businesses are employing this strategy in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry to create items that suit Nigerian consumers’ changing interests and inclinations. By involving consumers in the product development process, they’re ensuring that their offerings are truly relevant and desirable.

Though it is becoming more popular, Nigeria has not yet fully embraced Design Thinking to the fullest extent possible. It is imperative that additional organizations adopt this practice and allocate resources towards staff training. Furthermore, cultivating an innovative and innovative culture is essential to the successful implementation of Design Thinking.

Finally, as businesses like Flutterwave, Andela, and Terragon Group are tackling difficult issues and developing goods and services that improve the customer experience by embracing this human-centered approach, Nigeria will experience a surge of creativity that will take it to new heights in the international market as more companies adopt design thinking.

Through the consistent prioritization of user demands and the application of design thinking approaches, Nigerian businesses may realize their full potential and attain sustainable success.

About the Writer

Kizito is a proactive and experienced Product Designer and IT Specialist with a passion for leveraging creative design skills and technical expertise to create innovative, user-centric products. Over the few years, he has consistently delivered exceptional product design solutions for both B2B and B2C markets, working with renowned organizations such as East Renfrewshire Council and Tritek Consulting Limited UK.

He is Known for his human-centered approach, Kizito excels in understanding user needs and applying design thinking methodologies to drive business goals and enhance user satisfaction.

I had to keep calculating possible traffic hours and escape times; sometimes, I could not escape. Imagine being in traffic for over 40 hours a week.

This has made me reminisce on some of Nigeria’s pressing issues that need to be solved to make this country a better place.

However, as these issues arise, technology keeps evolving. Principles and innovative concepts from User Experience design can help us find new solutions.

We’re discussing problems like terrible infrastructure, bad road networks, and insecurity.

This piece examines how the principles of User Experience (UX) Design (Thinking) could help us solve some of Nigeria’s toughest challenges.

Understanding Some of Nigeria’s Pressing Challenges

Has Nigeria improved over the years? Many people have different opinions, but we share common challenges.

• Inadequate Infrastructure:

In Nigeria, inadequate infrastructure presents significant challenges in public amenities and utilities, with unreliable electricity supply, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and substandard healthcare and education services.

Healthcare facilities often lack essential equipment and qualified personnel, while educational institutions face overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources.

In particular, the unreliable power grid leads to frequent blackouts, hindering economic productivity and daily life. The IEA (International Energy Agency) reported earlier this year that Nigeria’s national power grid has collapsed 46 times between 2017 and 2023.

A country regarded as the giant of Africa should not have such statistics.

However, these collapses result from a significant reduction in generation capacity due to gas constraints, aged grid infrastructure, and ineffective regulatory frameworks.

• Violence and Insecurity:

Nigeria faces many violence and insecurity challenges. These include persistent jihadist threats from groups like Boko Haram, which exploit vulnerabilities to spread extremist ideologies.

Reports recently stated that suspected Boko Haram insurgents have razed down at least 25 newly constructed buildings for returnees in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

In the midst of the conflict, residents of Dikwa abandoned their houses and sought refuge as internally displaced people (IDPs).

Also, in Ekiti, Suspected herders have launched well-planned, methodical attacks on prominent Yoruba sons and daughters as well as traditional rulers.

Furthermore, we know of the robberies that have been happening for years in Lagos in places like Agege Pencinema, Jibowu, WAEC bus stop, Oshodi, Marina, etc.

Bags and cars are snatched in broad daylight and at night, and those who resist are attacked, injured, and sometimes killed.

• Bad Road Network:
  

At least 4,387 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across the nation between January and the end of June of last year.

This was due to bad roads, amongst other things like fake tyres and reckless driving. In as much as we can blame drivers for not being as careful as they should, wouldn’t it be better to have motorable roads and enough road networks?

At the end of 2023, Traffic Index released its annual report on global traffic congestion ranking for 2023, with Lagos State emerging as the city with the worst road traffic globally.

For instance, how won’t traffic be so dense in a place like Lekki, where there is only one major road in and out?

We even find out that bad road networks and insecurity intertwine, leading to a lot of traffic. Places like Oshodi and Mushin are notorious for robberies and street fights, discouraging many people from passing there at night. This leaves alternative routes with many cars, leading to more traffic.

How User Experience Design Can Solve These Problems

Nigeria has more challenges than the ones listed above. However, we will focus on how User Experience designers and engineers can directly and indirectly solve the listed problems.

Inadequate Infrastructure

Addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges, particularly in electricity supply, requires a collaborative effort between the government, citizens, engineers, and other stakeholders.

In User Experience design, there is something called “Design Thinking.”

Design thinking is a methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving complex problems. There are five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

All these stages are very useful and can be used to solve Nigeria’s power grid problem effectively.

Firstly, the engineers, government officials, and all stakeholders involved in providing this solution must effectively understand the experiences of Nigerians affected by these frequent blackouts.

Interviews and surveys should be combined with speaking with community representatives to understand the situation properly.

Secondly, all stakeholders need to analyze the information gathered during the empathize stage and develop a core problem statement.

This problem statement should not be defined by a wish but by how they perceive the citizens’ needs. A good example could be “Inadequate infrastructure and frequent blackouts in Nigeria’s national power grid severely disrupt economic productivity, essential services, and daily life for millions of citizens.”

Next is the ideation stage. Here, each stakeholder needs to propose user-centric solutions. For example, the government can review policies that may affect getting gas for power generation.

Electrical engineers can check the grid facilities for outdated facilities, and then the government and other stakeholders should invest in newer facilities.

Then, we have the prototype stage. In this stage, the collaborative team returns to the drawing board and develops a prototype based on what policymakers, engineers, and stakeholders have proposed.

The last stage of the design thinking process is the Test stage. This stage is similar to FEA (Finite Element Analysis) for engineers and usability testing for User Experience designers.

Prototypes are tested in real-world settings with active involvement from stakeholders and communities affected by unreliable electricity. Engineers assess the technical feasibility (if it is sustainable over a period of time without significant damage to the facilities) and performance of the solutions while the government evaluates their policy implications and social impacts.

Feedback from end-users (citizens) and community representatives is solicited to refine the prototypes/ solutions iteratively.

Violence and Insecurity

Violence and insecurity pose significant challenges to Nigeria’s stability and development, affecting the safety and well-being of its citizens.

The stages of design thinking can also be leveraged for solutions to this challenge. For instance, in the case of robberies and violence in some areas in Lagos, the government need to engage with communities facing this violence and insecurity.

An interview could be conducted via Google Meet with key stakeholders situated in the affected states to potentially gain a profound understanding of their needs.

The primary objective would be to ascertain how the Early Warning System could effectively address their challenges, identify potential pain points, and comprehensively understand the platform’s user base.

Through such a session, valuable insights could be gathered, needs could be identified, and distinct user categories could be delineated, potentially contributing significantly to the project’s direction and objectives.

Next, government officials must work with law enforcement agencies and community leaders to define the problem statement. They need to identify specific locations and specific types of incidents (assaults, robberies, street clashes) and then prioritize them based on frequency and severity.

After identifying these areas, LEAs (Law Enforcement Agencies), policymakers, and other stakeholders can brainstorm ideas. LEAs can suggest increased and more vigilant patrols.

Policymakers may put laws in place that require everyone (including NURTW officials, commercial bus drivers, and conductors) on the street past 6pm to have a valid ID card on them.

Engineers and product designers can develop an early system warning app for anonymously reporting live violence cases.

The next step is to develop prototypes of the proposed solutions, drawing on input from all stakeholders and experts in security and law enforcement.

Pilot initiatives in high-risk areas should be tested to assess their effectiveness in reducing violence and improving residents’ sense of security. Key metrics such as crime rates, response times, and community perceptions should also be measured over time to evaluate the impact of the app prototype.

Lastly, prototypes should be fully implemented in identified areas of need, and feedback from community dwellers should be monitored.

Feedback from LEAs would also be needed to build on solutions and tackle new problems arising from these solutions until a steady and secure stage is reached.

Government officials and community representatives must continuously engage with the community residents to ensure the solutions (in this case, the early system warning app) remain responsive to their evolving needs and concerns.

Bad Road Network

The design thinking process works for bad road networks, too. Firstly, government officials need to engage with residents and drivers (both private and commercial car drivers) and note the specific pain points, such as long traffic times, safety concerns, and road hazards they encounter.

Traffic Officers can also be interviewed to get their perspective on perpetual issues that occur on the road.

Secondly, stakeholders, including government officials, urban planners, civil engineers, road construction workers, and transport authorities, should collaborate and define a core problem statement.

The problem statement needs to identify key areas of concern, such as inadequate road infrastructure, limited transportation options, and security issues, and prioritize them based on their impact on residents’ mobility and quality of life. The need for broader road networks could be recognized.

Thirdly, the ideation stage. The introduction of more railway systems in particular places or introducing railway systems to the island could be recognized.

Also, the introduction of a proper water transport system for going to and fro Lekki and its environs could be identified.

Engineers could suggest having another major road that leads in and out of major cities in Lagos state. Also, to reduce accidents, product engineers and designers can suggest an app that would allow motorists to report ditches and the exact spots where accidents happen(ed).

The app can have maps that are very accurate to enable government officials to get rid of the road hazard that may be causing such accidents.

Then, prototypes need to be made and tested in high-traffic areas. Engineers need to ensure that symbols are used appropriately and understood by all road officials and users.

Just like symbolism in the case of engineers, designers need to use iconography for their apps and communicate its meanings to prospective users.

Civil engineers and road workers also need to ensure that their dimensioning aligns properly with the aim of the solution. The aim of dimensioning and alignment for both engineers and designers is to specify the location and size of infrastructures and features on the road or within a digital interface.

Whether it is new transport systems or smarter traffic lights and systems, they must be tested in areas previously identified as notorious for extensive traffic. Also, they need to be tested at high-traffic times during the day to see the effect.

Lastly, the team needs to implement these solutions in real-world settings and gather feedback from residents, drivers, and traffic wardens.

The government and other stakeholders need to evaluate the outcomes of the interventions and iterate on the solutions based on lessons learned and emerging challenges.

Continuously engaging with the community ensures that the solutions remain responsive to their needs and preferences and that policies and investments are adjusted accordingly.

How We Can Take Advantage of The Design Thinking Mindset In Nigeria

Embracing the design thinking mindset in Nigeria can offer solutions to Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges. By prioritizing empathy, innovation, and collaboration, we can develop tailored solutions that align with citizens’ needs in various communities in the country.

Through iterative problem-solving and user-centric solutions, we empower individuals and organizations to drive positive change and foster sustainable development in Nigeria.

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About the Writer:

Oluwaseyi Olowu is a product designer crafting tomorrow: designing solutions today.

This success is a testament to the resilience and creativity of Nigerian musicians.

We boast of musicians like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Rema, Ayra Star, Asake, and hundreds of top artists.

However, these artists’ success is not solely based on their talent but on their ability to research, develop ideas, release songs, and then capitalize on feedback from us, the listeners.

This process is similar to the method employed by designers: DESIGN THINKING.

We will look at case studies of several musicians to see how they came into the limelight, evolved, created a niche for themselves, etc, and how that has worked out so far.

Artists Who Came Into The Limelight and Capitalized on Repetition

We have many talented artists here in Nigeria, some of whom capitalized on the fact that a particular beat gained more traction than expected. Some others rode on the fact that genres, styles, and perhaps lines in lyrics brought them a lot of listeners.

We can argue that musicians should just do what they love and not be confined to a particular style or beat because some people like it.

Others can argue that you should not go into music because of money but because of passion. However, whatever the reason, the most important thing is to remain relevant. Taking advantage of listeners’ feedback is a crucial step in doing just that.

Let’s take a closer look at Kizz Daniel, for example. He entered the Nigerian music industry with his first hit song, “Woju,” in 2014. At that time, it was harder to make hit songs than it is now.

So, we can’t blame him and his team for trying to hold onto the cause of the instant popularity and recognition: his beat. But what’s truly impressive is how he and his team adapted. In less than a year of when “Woju” was released, he released another single, “Laye.”

Social media was becoming a thing then, so many people could air out what they had to say. As people were praising him, there were also people calling him out that he was simply messing with the same beat over and over again.

People said this owing to three hits, “Woju,” “Woju remix,” and “Laye” having the same beat.

Let’s take into cognisance that before Kizz Daniel recorded WOJU, his dad wanted him to do his masters, and he told his dad that he should give him one year to try music. If it did not work out, he would go and do his masters.

And if it did, he would take care of the family with the money he made. With this condition added to his peculiar voice, I think he would have checked out what would probably appeal to listeners.

He would’ve gone through all the stages of design thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.

After such a positive response to Woju, his team would have indirectly listened to the diverse reactions to his music, both positive and negative, to understand the audience’s perspectives. In this case, he released “Laye” to feed off the positive responses. This can be called the empathize stage.

Next, the define stage. After receiving some criticism about “Laye,” they would have had to identify how they needed to keep expanding his audience, retain his unique music style (which draws listeners), and use other beats.

During the ideate stage, Kizz Daniel, his music team, and his marketing team had to brainstorm how to experiment with beats, melodies, and lyrics while still maintaining that Chef’s Kizz.

After the idea stage, the ideas must be brought to life – they need to be prototyped. This is where his team’s musicians and producers combined different instrumentation, melodies, and timing to create the perfect track.

Last is the testing stage. This is where they must have called trusted people, stakeholders, and close fans and played different tracks that were made.

The aim is to look for loopholes and positive criticism. The whole process is an iterative one, and this is what led to his next hit, “Mama.” However, this is how he has been able to release hit songs back to back. Ten years later, the “Buga crooner” is still very relevant to the music industry.

A similar example is Asake. I don’t think anyone who listens to Nigerian music needs to think twice about who’s on a track when a particular beat comes up, and they hear “Ololade mi Asake”. Some people say Asake got his first breakout success with his track, “Lady” in 2020.

Asake says he first came into the limelight after he dropped a freestyle with his friend and producer, Magicsticks, titled “Mr money.”

I would say Asake actually came into the limelight in 2022. A few hours after he launched his debut album in September 2022, it became the top album in Nigeria.

We are in 2024, and there is hardly a social gathering where an Asake song won’t be played. Asake has not changed his style or his beats from Afrobeat. In fact, he now blends “Amapiano” beats with afrobeat. Asake and his team know what appeals to listeners.

They know whoever listens to his music loves how he highlights his life experiences, speaks on present realities, and evokes the hustle spirit in Nigerians. Therefore, he repeats that style.

Comparing this to the stages of design thinking, we can see that his team researched, saw how Amapiano started trending in Nigeria, and calculated the right time to start blending it in his songs in 2023.

They also looked at issues they may face while trying to add Amapiano to his style. After gathering and stating the problems, they must have come up with solutions or alternatives to those problems.

Also, they would have gotten experts (if they did not already have) to make several Amapiano beats to be tested. Different beats would have been sampled, and producers would have infused and mixed Afrobeats and Amapiano.

Then, his marketing team would have gathered a close circle of people to have a sort of listening party to get positive and not-so-positive feedback so this feedback could be noted and improved before the final release.

This repetitive process has helped Asake and other artists remain relevant despite the changes in the Nigerian Industry. It works like magic!

Artists Who Adapted and Evolved With The Times

Some artists “changed” their style, beats, manner of lyrics, etc, and some others refused to.

Adekunle Gold has always been an interesting topic when discussing how artists have evolved. As usual, people have their opinions about other people, but I do not blame Adekunle Gold for changing his brand to AG Baby.

You need to be smart as an artist. Read what is happening, look at what is taking over, and how you can blend into it; if you can.

That is exactly what he did. He took a calculated risk based on metrics and feedback of Afropop and Afrobeat songs and fully delved into it.

AG started music long ago but first got recognised by his hit song in 2014, “Sade.” Sade was an alternative or cover to the famous One Direction’s “Story of My Life.”

Growing up listening to Nigerian Juju music, AG started his art with Yoruba Indigenous sounds like “Orente,” “Ariwo ko,” “Nurse Alabere,” “Ire” and many others.

His audience ranged from young people to older people and then elderly people, with the majority being 30+.

Adekunle Gold released two studio albums: GOLD and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, between 2016 and 2018. His audience kept growing and then he decided to do something different.

He became AG Baby. Not only his name but also his looks, music style, features, beats, and everything that could be identified with Adekunle Gold became AG Baby.

The idea behind this was to move from a lovelorn lover to a hitmaker whose desires and dreams could not but be met and achieved.

He and his team first researched the Afropop and Afrobeat genres. They must have researched the key pioneers, musical characteristics (instrumentation, rhythm, vocal style), global influence and popularity, and societal influence.

This is similar to the Empathize stage in design thinking. It focuses on user research and dropping all sorts of sentiments and assumptions.

Next, they must have gathered their findings and combined them to notice patterns or problems that could arise. Designers call this the define stage.

In his case, this could involve identifying problems like new instrumentation and adjusting lyrical content that could arise during this transition to Afropop and Afrobeat.

Also, the team would have had to brainstorm and experiment with infusing elements of Afropop and Afrobeat while maintaining his authenticity.

This may involve ideas on how to draw inspiration from diverse sources, including traditional African rhythms, contemporary pop trends, and personal experiences, to conceive new melodies, rhythms, and lyrical themes that fans would love. This is known as the ideate stage.

The next stage is the prototype stage. AG and his team used this stage to produce demo tracks and further flesh out their ideas with different instrumentation, arrangement, and production techniques.

The last stage is the testing stage. This is where he and his team gather a select audience, perform a live performance, or get a focus group that can give constructive criticism and feedback before releasing the track(s) to the general audience.

This stage serves as a critical checkpoint in the transition process, allowing AG Baby to validate his musical direction, refine his vision, and ensure his target audience loves his new type of music.

Rema’s Switch From Trap To Afrobeat

A lot of people are unaware that Rema did not start with Afrobeat. Rema started his career with songs like American Love, Trap out the Submarine, Boulevard, Why, and Spider-Man, which are all trap songs. He was pretty good at it.

However, something clicked. Maybe it was the fact that Nigerian rap wasn’t selling if it was not indigenous rap.

He then looked inward to see whether he could diversify to what Nigerians were in love with in late 2020: Afrobeat.

Now, Rema has several songs, nominations, and awards from Afrobeat. This includes his most popular song, “Calm Down”.

“Calm Down” has shattered numerous records, including becoming the most-streamed Afrobeats song on Spotify and the first African artist-led track to amass one billion streams on the platform.

The song also became the first to spend a year on the Billboard Afrobeats chart. With over 673 million views, its YouTube video is the most-watched music video by a Nigerian artist.

This would not have been possible if he had not stopped to think about what people are listening to now and how he can appeal to people’s tastes and even create his niche (Afro rave) in that space (Afrobeat).

How It Has Worked Out For The Nigerian Music Industry So Far

Although the Nigerian music industry may not explicitly call the process Design Thinking, the process of stopping to analyse feedback from listeners and adjusting based on the perception of what listeners want uses the principles and stages of Design Thinking.

However, this has helped put Nigeria up there regarding music. The likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tems, and Tiwa Savage have consistently remained relevant globally.

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About the Writer:

Oluwaseyi Olowu is a product designer crafting tomorrow: designing solutions today.

However, the process of idea generation and validation can be challenging and uncertain, but there are various techniques and strategies that can help startup founders and entrepreneurs unleash their creativity, generate unique ideas, and effectively validate their viability in the market:

1. Embrace Design Thinking

Design thinking is a human-centered approach that encourages empathy, experimentation, and iteration. Start by understanding the needs and pain points of your target audience. Conduct user research, interviews, and observations to gain insights and identify opportunities for innovation. This empathetic understanding will fuel idea generation and increase the chances of creating solutions that truly resonate with users.

2. Encourage Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

Promote collaboration and diversity of perspectives within your startup team. Encourage individuals from different backgrounds, expertise, and skill sets to come together and brainstorm ideas. This cross-pollination of ideas often leads to fresh insights and unique solutions. Consider organizing ideation sessions or workshops where team members can share their thoughts and collaborate in a structured manner.

3. Harness the Power of Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a classic technique for generating ideas. Create a safe and non-judgmental space where team members can freely express their thoughts and ideas. Set clear goals, use visual aids or mind maps to stimulate creativity, and encourage quantity over quality at the initial stage. Build upon each other’s ideas and allow for wild, out-of-the-box thinking. Later, you can refine and evaluate the ideas for feasibility.

4. Seek Inspiration from Different Industries

Look beyond your industry for inspiration. Explore successful startups, established companies, and even completely unrelated fields. Analyze their approaches, business models, and product offerings to identify patterns and potential opportunities. By adopting ideas from diverse industries, you can bring fresh perspectives and disrupt existing markets.

5. Prototype and Test

Prototyping and testing your ideas early in the process can provide valuable insights and validate their viability. Create low-fidelity prototypes or Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to gather feedback from potential users. Conduct usability tests, interviews, or surveys to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points.

Iterate and refine your ideas based on the feedback received, ensuring that your solutions truly address market demands.

6. Conduct Market Research

Thorough market research is essential to validate the demand and viability of your ideas. Identify your target market, understand their behavior, preferences, and existing solutions. Analyze competitors to identify gaps or areas where you can differentiate your product or service. Use market research tools, customer surveys, and data analysis to gather insights and make informed decisions about the potential market fit for your ideas.

7. Build a Network of Mentors and Advisors

Surround yourself with experienced mentors, advisors, and industry experts who can provide guidance and support throughout the idea generation and validation process. Seek their feedback, tap into their expertise, and leverage their networks. Their insights can help you refine your ideas, identify blind spots, and increase your chances of success.

Conclusion

Idea generation and validation are critical steps in the startup journey. The need for entrepreneurs to unlock their creative potential and validate their ideas effectively is key. Remember, innovation requires an open mind, persistence, and a willingness to learn and adapt. So, let your imagination soar, test your ideas, and refine them based on user feedback to bring truly innovative solutions to the market.

The platform offers a range of UX design skill tests, including categories such as User Research, Color Theory, UX Principles, Design Thinking, and more.

Users can take these tests multiple times and receive detailed reports on their performance, as well as resources and tips to help them improve their skills and prepare them for job interviews.

“We are excited to launch SimplifiedUX and provide a comprehensive platform for UX designers to improve their skills and build their confidence,” said Sam Obi, Founder of SimplifiedUX. “Our platform helps designers identify areas of strength and weakness and prepares them to land their dream job.”

In addition to providing a valuable resource for UX designers, SimplifiedUX also offers a leaderboard feature that showcases top-performing users and their scores.

This feature is a valuable tool for recruiters, hiring managers, and organizations seeking to identify top UX design talent and connect with theme directly – streamlining the hiring process.

“I am delighted to introduce our innovative platform that provides users with practical, hands-on experience in tackling real-world design challenges,” said David Dogeni, Director at SimplifiedUX. “Our platform is designed to help individuals of all levels of experience, whether beginners or seasoned professionals, to advance their careers in the competitive field of UX design. With SimplifiedUX, you can be confident in your abilities and achieve success in your UX design career.”

SimplifiedUX also has a planned integration feature that will allow educational platforms to partner with the platform and use their skill-testing technology to assess the UX design skills of their students.

Partners will have the option to use SimplifiedUX’s existing workbooks or upload their own custom questions, making it a versatile and flexible solution for educational institutions.

“At SimplifiedUX, we believe that improving skills and building confidence is crucial for UX designers to succeed,” Said Christian Emenike, Product Manager at SimplifiedUX. We are pushing the boundaries to bridge that gap of getting people employed by connecting skills and job opportunities together.”

SimplifiedUX is now available for users to sign up and begin taking skill tests. Sign up at: app.simplifiedux.com

This requires that there be true empathy and understanding between developers and end users from the outset, as well as continuous enhancement of data projects in order to meet the constantly evolving needs of the business.

Most developers focus purely on the technical elements of the data projects (such as governance, modelling, security and structure), while most end-users are focused on the business benefits that the data can bring.

A change in approach is required to converge the thinking of the business users and the developers. 

Design thinking is an approach that aims to do exactly that, by looking beyond conventional processes, procedures and practices of problem solving, and toward addressing challenges from the perspective of those who will be ultimately using the product or service.

Designers who adopt this approach are more interested in the why, rather than with the how.

Whereas traditional methods stress the importance of data and logic, design thinking requires that designers focus on the desired outcomes and improving the overall experience for end users – all while taking their own biases into account. It encourages designers to scrutinise all the options available, identify potential problems, and choose the best way forward.

Design thinking can be distilled down to five phases: empathising with users in order to understand them and their needs, defining the problem that needs to be solved, ideating multiple ideas to meet the requirements, quickly prototyping in order to learn and refine, to finally testing in order to confirm ideas and plot a course of action.

Crucially, these steps are not linear, as prototyping and resulting observation can lead to many more ideas on how to tackle the challenge.

Design thinking in data

Those developers or business consultants who adopt data projects with a design thinking approach can be better aligned to the overall business strategy as they are now focusing on the ‘why’ from a business perspective, rather than the ‘how’ from a technical perspective.

On the other hand, developing a data project that focuses purely on technical delivery is like constructing a building without understanding who will be using it. 

Rather than building something that is tailored for the users, it will simply check all the boxes from a list of requirements.

While there may be an extensive list of boxes to tick, the architect will need to use intuition and experience to guide the occupants on choosing the best possible options, ensuring that the building best meets their requirements.

Doing the same with data projects will ensure that developers don’t simply build something that works, but something that works for the right people at the right time.

Don Norman, the father of UI design, states that designers should take the given problem as a suggestion rather than a final statement, and should resist the temptation to immediately jump to a solution to the stated problem and rather look more broadly in order to fully understand the actual problem, which may have only been partially articulated. 

A hybrid approach

While this is a departure from traditional project management, there is room in these data projects for a hybrid approach that incorporates the principles of design thinking in each step of the project.

This requires that the designers shift away from delivering in a big bang approach and towards keeping users involved in each step of the project.

Traditional approaches to developing data projects have included business analysis, technical analysis, data extraction, data modelling, data integrity testing, data application development, quality assurance, end-user workshops, enhancements, user sign-off and go-live.

While nothing changes in this new approach, there is a need to apply the principles of design thinking with each phase.

Naturally, some phases, such as business analysis, might have a larger component allocated to the design thinking phases, the challenge for developers is to keep the end-user experience in mind across all steps.

Unlike the conventional approaches, this requires revisiting earlier steps. For example, in the ideation phase of developing a front-end data application, developers might identify a new way of looking at the data in order to bring more value; this in turn might require going back to the data modelling phase to change the model.

Fortunately, doing this is made possible by the multitude of business intelligence tools that lend themselves to an incremental, design-thinking approach, allowing organisations to rapidly release prototypes and experiment with various ways of answering crucial business questions.

Ultimately, applying design thinking principles to data projects helps developers and consultants to connect with end-users, empathise and understand their real challenges, and use this context to create solutions that add true value, and foster key partnerships that are long-lasting and symbolic.

By Upuli De Abrew is a Director at Insight Consulting