Let’s Meet You (Your Name, What You Do, And Where You currently work)
 

My name is Ify Okocha. I am a Product Designer and I work with Wakanow (Kalabash54).

How Long Have You Been Doing Product Design and Why Product Design?

I’ve been doing Product Design for 3 years. The first time I encountered Product Design was in 2020 when I took a short course in it. In University, I studied Graphic Design and really loved it as I’ve always been a Tech person. My dad was a Programmer, so I had the luxury of having a personal computer around me as a child. When I did that short course in Product Design, I was wowed; I mean I get to create beautiful screens users will interact with on a daily basis. I get to make the lives of millions of users easy by creating user-friendly and visually appealing designs and even help grow a company's engagement/revenue in the process. These struck me and made me find purpose in design.
 

What Inspired You To Go Into Product Design amidst other professional tech skills?

I love good design, I love visually appealing designs. I love intentionality in terms of UI. Even if I’m not using your product, I’ll keep the app on my phone just because of the good UI. The thought of creating these great designs; the thought of researching and learning about other users and how to make these products fit their needs; and the feeling of getting these products used satisfactorily by millions of users in their everyday activities keeps me inspired with Product Design.

What Are The Challenges You Face as a Product Designer?

One major challenge I’ve faced in my journey, but I’ve recently mastered is Communication and Presentation. As a Product Designer, apart from the users, Stakeholders play a lot in the entire design process. I’ve learned to communicate my ideas, listen to theirs, make suggestions, and improve on presentation (eg. prototyping) to better represent what I have in mind. Also, the developers matter a lot too. You need great communication skills, patience, and a lot of empathy to work with them.

What Was Your Highest And Lowest Point Since You Started your Journey as a product designer?

I’ll start from my lowest point; even with my skills and knowledge in Product Design, it was difficult getting a job. There was a time when I even began to question if I really was meant to do this but, I understand things like this happens and I did not give up and kept my head up. 

For my highest point, I will say I’ve not attained that yet, I am still hopeful for what the future will hold… and yes, I got the job as a Product Designer. 

What Do You Aim To Achieve In The Next 12 Months In Relation To What You Currently Do in Tech?

I am big on Personal Development. I believe when you’re really good, your work will speak for you and take you to places you never imagined. With that, I want to be a mentor in design. I know when you teach others, you learn more yourself; so why not spread the good ministry of guiding vibrant and enthusiastic newbies in the industry while also polishing your skills? 

What Are Your Short- And Long-Term Goals?

My Short-Term goal is to land an international remote job; to be part of a system that creates meaningful and problem-solving products that help make the lives of users easy. My Long-Term goal is to own and manage a product that helps ladies and mothers in their most delicate state (CEO vibes).

What role did Utiva play in your Journey to becoming a product designer?

Utiva was like a foundation.
Utiva helped me gain a strong foot on this career path I chose. It gave me the needed knowledge, insights, and positioning I needed to further retain the commitment I had in Product Design. The section I loved the most was the User Experience part taught by Wisdom Elendu. I learnt so much about a user, why they are the backbone of every product we make, and also learnt various principles that helped guide my design decisions.

Which Individuals  Do You Draw Inspiration From as a Product Designer And Why?

I am not one to have a direct person I draw inspiration from. I mostly draw inspiration from a lot of works; I always advise that as a Product Designer, Behance, Dribble, Pinterest, etc. should be your closest friends for inspiration. 
Train your eyes to identify good designs, it’ll help you in the long run.
 

Anything Else You’d Like Us To Know About You?

I am a big advocate for the Gospel of Christ. Apart from work, church activities take up the remainder of my time. Also, I can cook all kinds of dishes very well in my head. 

Okocha Ifeoma is a multi-talented professional, excelling as a Product Designer, Creative Designer, and Visual Artist. With over 8 years of dedicated experience in the design industry, her expertise has left an indelible mark on esteemed companies such as Wakanow and KPMG Nigeria. Beyond these, her versatile skills have also been sought after in diverse sectors including Travel, Finance, Maritime, Entertainment, and Political arenas.

Ifeoma's dedication to design is matched only by her fervent commitment to personal growth and development. Presently, she serves as a Product Designer at Kalabash54, a distinguished subsidiary of Wakanow. Here, her creative prowess continues to thrive, contributing to the continued success and innovation of the company. Her journey in the design industry is a testament to her passion, dedication, and unwavering pursuit of excellence.

Connect with her on LinkedIn Here

Connect with her on Instagram Here

Connect with her on Behance