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.

As someone who transitioned from mechanical engineering to UX design, here are five steps I personally took that helped me:

1. Desire and Acquire Foundational Knowledge

To bridge the gap between my engineering background and UX design, I immersed myself in learning. I started with the elementary parts of UX design by taking a foundational course on the subject, on careerfoundry.com.

During my time at the university, I learnt how to design graphically, and how to work with design software. My experience with CAD software translated well to UX tools like Sketch and Figma. I wasn’t too bothered about the UI(user interface) side of design because I had some knowledge in design, and I needed to learn more about the field of UX.

Reading books like “Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman helped to deepen my understanding of UX principles and sparked my design thinking.

To effectively move to design, you must understand what it entails and what makes a good design and designer.

2. Learn and Get Relevant Skills

After getting solid foundational knowledge, I started learning actively (and passively). I still needed to get up to speed on my preferred UX tool “Figma” and the latest design trends. I enrolled in Google UX design course on Coursera, which offered structured learning paths and practical exercises.

Learning actively involves subscribing to design courses with a clear learning path while constantly practicing.

Reading through a lot of blog posts on medium.com, and watching a lot of tutorial videos all played a massive role in helping me get a good grasp of the subject. I kept working on concept projects.

Learning passively may include observing various designs in different contexts without engaging in analysis. It can also include keeping up with the latest trends or even relating little things in your surroundings to design when conversing.

3. Create Good Relationships with Fellow Designers

Good relationships with fellow designers foster mentorship, learning opportunities, and a supportive professional network provided by CVspan. I collaborated on projects and gained hands-on experience while engaging with peers. This provided industry insights and career opportunities for me.

4. Create a Solid Portfolio

Next, I created a good portfolio. Like many professions, a portfolio is crucial as it showcases skills and experience to potential employers and partners.

I documented each project in detailed case studies, highlighting my research process, design decisions, and iterations.

I uploaded as many relevant case studies as possible to my portfolio during my transition and implore you to do the same. There are several platforms you can use for your UX design portfolio.

We have Behance, Adobe Portfolio, Dribble, and many others. Collaborating with other aspiring designers on open-source projects provided valuable experience and diversified my portfolio.

5. Start and Keep Applying for Jobs

I started applying to UX design roles as soon as I had a solid portfolio. I applied to as many jobs as possible, even though some seemed out of my reach. Volunteering for non-profits helped me contribute to meaningful projects while further developing my portfolio. You should not short-change yourself, you never know what employer might be impressed with your background. Bear in mind landing your first role is the hardest. So, as much as you work on your portfolio, put a lot into your cover letters and initial interviews.

Transitioning to a new field came with its own set of challenges, my transition from mechanical engineering to UX design has been incredibly rewarding.

For anyone considering this transition, my advice is to embrace the similarities between the fields, continuously seek knowledge, and never underestimate the value of your existing skills.

With dedication and perseverance, the shift from mechanical engineering to UX design can lead to a fulfilling and dynamic career where your problem-solving abilities and technical expertise will be highly valued.

With some time and the steps above, you too will land your first UX design role. Don’t give up. Cheers.

[End]

Each project and meeting felt like a repetition of the last; it felt like I was in a loop. I really wanted to create things people could make use of and had always entertained the idea of transitioning into tech.

The good news was that I had studied a fair amount of engineering design during my time in the university, and was already in love with technology. Soon enough, I heard of a tech field called UX from a friend of mine who was already in it.

Later, I was invited to a Digital Skillup bootcamp on UX design and my mind was blown that day, it suddenly felt like I had been wasting my time doing something else.

I realized from the bootcamp that there was a place for people like me in the tech field without any prior knowledge of programming, contrary to what I had always thought. My ability to analyze complex systems and data was invaluable in UX research and testing.

My engineering background turned out to be a significant asset in this new field of UX design.

I was struck by the similarities between the two fields but upon further research, I discovered differences between both fields. Although both disciplines revolve around solving complex problems and creating user-friendly solutions, I won’t dwell on that in this piece..

Here, I will walk you through my journey and how I successfully moved from the engineering discipline to the UX space.

Why Move To UX Design?

Many people consider engineering a reputable profession. Mechanical engineers, electrical and electronics engineers, systems engineers, etc., are all regarded as good problem solvers who get paid pretty well to do their jobs.

While this may be the case, people may have different reasons for wanting to move to another field. Some of my reasons for transitioning include:

Creative Freedom: UX design offers opportunities for creative expression and innovation that may be lacking in traditional (mechanical) engineering roles.

Designing user interfaces and experiences allows individuals to explore novel solutions and design aesthetics rather than being streamlined to technical support.

Engineers are, simply put, problem solvers. Some problems are simple, others are complex. Some have only one solution, others have many.

The problems that engineers solve tend to be on the complex side, but there are usually too many restrictions to allow for many solutions.

In contrast, UX design offers a broader canvas for innovation and artistic expression. There are often multiple valid solutions to a single problem. Designers can experiment with different layouts, color schemes, and interaction patterns to find the best user experience.

The transition from mechanical engineering to UX design brings a unique opportunity to embrace creative freedom.

While engineering instills a strong foundation in problem-solving and analytical thinking, UX design offers a platform to apply these skills in a more imaginative and user-centered way.

By exploring diverse solutions, focusing on user needs, and enjoying the freedom to experiment, former engineers can find immense satisfaction and success in the world of UX design.

This shift not only enhances professional growth but also allows for greater creative expression and a more fulfilling career.

Career Growth and Opportunities: The field of UX design is rapidly growing, with increasing demand for skilled professionals.

Transitioning to UX design can provide opportunities for career advancement, diversification, and the chance to work in dynamic and innovative industries such as technology, finance, e-commerce, and digital media.

UX design careers tend to have more fluid and varied paths. Designers can move horizontally across different specialties (such as UI design, interaction design, or research) and vertically into senior design roles or management.

Advancement is heavily influenced by the quality of the portfolio and the impact of past projects. Demonstrating successful, user-centered design solutions is key to climbing the ladder.

Given the dynamic nature of the tech industry, UX designers often experience quicker career progression, especially in fast-growing startups and tech companies.

In contrast, mechanical engineering typically follows a more structured and gradual career progression. Engineers often need to accumulate significant experience and additional certifications (such as PE – Professional Engineer) to advance.

Engineering projects often span years, meaning career milestones and advancements are linked to the completion of long-term projects, slowing down the pace of career growth.

While deepening technical expertise is crucial, it can also slow down career progression as it requires substantial time and effort to master complex engineering concepts and technologies.

Career growth in mechanical engineering is often tied to specific industries, which may not offer the same level of cross-industry opportunities as UX design.

While both UX design and mechanical engineering offer valuable and rewarding career paths, UX design provides more rapid and flexible career growth opportunities.

The dynamic nature of the tech industry, the importance of portfolios, the high demand for UX skills, and the direct impact on users all contribute to quicker advancement and higher compensation in UX design.

For professionals seeking a faster-paced, creatively fulfilling career with diverse opportunities for growth and mobility, transitioning to UX design from mechanical engineering can be a highly advantageous move.

Direct Impact on Users: Building intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly products and experiences is the core of UX design, which has its roots in human-centered design practices. UX designers have the opportunity to see the immediate impact of their work on users, which can be highly motivating and lead to quicker recognition and career advancement.

While mechanical engineers’ work is crucial, its impact on end users is often less visible and more indirect, making it harder to gain immediate recognition.

Switching to UX design enables people to use their problem-solving abilities to tackle user demands and difficulties directly and see results glaringly.

Flexibility and Work-life Balance: Besides working as a software engineer, few engineering roles allow flexibility in hybrid or remote work. Mechanical engineering often requires on-site presence, especially in industries like manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace.

This necessity can limit remote work opportunities. Engineers typically work at specific locations such as factories, laboratories, or offices, which can restrict flexibility in choosing where to live and work.

Freelance opportunities are less common in mechanical engineering due to the need for specialized equipment and facilities, making it harder to find flexible work arrangements.

On the other hand, UX design hardly requires a physical presence for productivity. UX design, being closely tied to the tech industry, is well-suited for remote work.

Designers can often work from anywhere, provided they have a reliable internet connection and the necessary design tools. The demand for UX designers allows for plentiful freelance and contract opportunities.

This flexibility enables designers to choose projects that fit their schedules and preferences. UX designers can work in various settings, including tech companies, startups, agencies, or as independent consultants. This diversity allows for a range of employment arrangements and work environments.

On work-life balance, UX design projects often have clear start and end points, allowing designers to manage their time effectively and avoid prolonged periods of overtime.

The agile methodology commonly used in UX design promotes regular, manageable work cycles (sprints), reducing the likelihood of extended work hours.

Many companies recognize that creativity thrives when employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.

As a result, UX designers often enjoy flexible hours and the ability to take breaks to recharge their creative energies. However, in the field of engineering, projects can span months or even years, leading to periods of intense work, especially as deadlines approach or during the testing and implementation phases.

Meeting safety and regulatory standards often requires rigorous schedules and extensive documentation, which can lead to long hours and work on weekends.

Also, the need for on-site presence can limit the ability to adjust work hours, making it harder to achieve a balanced work-life routine.

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