UI/UX Design: 2019 Key Takeaways
By: Somto Ekpechi
Tags: Agritech, Africa, Tech Startups, Ui Ux Design, Agriculture

Credit to Edho Pratama

So early 2019, I joined an agritech start-up, EveryFarmer LLC, as a UI/UX Designer. EveryFarmer is a digital agricultural platform that focuses on connecting farmers to farm investors (this may come in form of funding, supply of farm labour, inputs & machinery, and/or extension services) as well as establishing a secure agro product marketplace.

As one of the designers in our small kickass team, I had to wear several hats. Initially, it was somewhat overwhelming but I soon caught up on the racetracks. Here are my top 5 takeaways from this experience so far:

1. Ask questions, don’t be shy.

No matter how silly you think your questions may be, ask away. Ask about the different product scenarios or directions, the users, the design system, the company’s intentions with the project down to the minutest details. You might not really think much of it at the moment, but it’ll eventually help you piece things together as a designer. It may even open up for you new conversations about unexplored ideas and approaches.

I ask lots of questions at every step of a design process. It may or may not seem pertinent to the project at the moment but I find that consistently asking “Why?” helps me gain clarity and produce the best results. So hey, just ask your questions. No biggie!

2. Always keep an open mind.

I know.. it burns to have your work constantly criticised the hell out of. Phew! I too struggle with letting go of my ideas sometimes (c’mon I’m also human). I’m still learning to chuck it up because there’s really no growth without constructive criticism.

So, you really need to start paying attention to feedback from your team members and users. Always try to consider things from their own lens. It’s not bad to have your own ideas but also always listen to the others especially the users and make corrections where and when necessary. Inspiration can come from anywhere, you know.

3. Seriously, you need to communicate.

As an addendum to the second point, try to always be in contact with your team members and the users. Well, not only for feedback purposes this time. Don’t just go AWOL on people you work with, whether as a remote or in-house employee. Your attention might just be the missing formula to accomplishing that impossible task and achieving that project in record time. So, keep that phone and/or laptop fully charged and handy ;)

4. Happy people, awesome products.

The importance of a healthy work culture and team spirit cannot be overemphasized for a designer or any employee for that matter. Your job is half done as a designer if all hands are on deck. You’ve your PM, dev team etc. ready to listen as well as brainstorm ideas and reach a consensus. You’re allowed to walk, run, fall and get back up with little or no hassle. A big impediment to career growth is working in a toxic environment. Always look out for red flags before signing on with a company.

5. Agriculture is the new oil money.

Lastly but surely not the least, working in agritech opened my eyes to the many opportunities and possibilities in the agricultural sector. Nowadays, you do not need to be a farmer or own an agro company to succeed in this sector. You may choose to invest financially or render services in an already existing farm and you’d still not go wrong. The agricultural sector in Africa is a wellspring waiting to be tapped and I’d encourage folks (especially youngins) to take on this opportunity to secure their financial future. You can visit our webpage to get started as a farmer or farm investor.

Alright mates, we could go on forever but let’s call it a day for now for the sake of brevity. Going forward, I’m looking to continue crafting products that’ll help improve the traditional farming experience in Africa in the new decade.

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Happy New Year!