Olufemi Ayandokun, a product designer is transforming how digital products are built in Nigeria, focusing on creating digital products that are inclusive and accessible to all users, not just the tech-savvy.
Ayandokun prioritizes designs that address real user needs and advocates for national standards to guide accessibility and usability across the country. For him, design is about far more than appearances, it must serve a purpose.
“I’m a product designer who loves creating digital experiences that are both intuitive and visually engaging,” his LinkedIn profile read. “I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to shape product strategies, sketch wireframes, and build prototypes that bring ideas to life.”
According to him, his experience working with informal traders revealed a gap in the design of digital products, inspiring him to advocate for national standards and user-focused solutions.
Who is Olufemi Ayandokun?
Ayandokun is a senior product designer at XchangeBox, with extensive experience in creating digital products tailored for Nigeria’s informal economy.
His work prioritizes usability for market women, farmers, small traders, and other users often overlooked in tech design.
Originally a civil engineering student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ayandokun discovered his passion for design while in school. After completing a master’s degree in marketing communications, he shifted to product design, realizing that effective design must solve real-world problems.
In 2021, he officially transitioned into product design, beginning at Moni, a financial institution supporting POS businesses, and later joining XchangeBox as a senior designer.
What Drives His Design Philosophy
Ayandokun’s focus on inclusive design emerged from working on a product to digitize a traditional informal savings system.
Observing users directly, he identified challenges such as shared device usage, limited technical literacy, and the need for trust-based lending systems.
“That was when I realised that inclusivity has been lacking in the Nigerian design space. Most of the time, products are built only for tech-savvy people, leaving out the millions of people in the informal space who would also like to be included in the tech space,” Ayandokun told Techpoint.
His solutions emphasized simplicity, security, and functionality, ensuring that users could perform tasks like logging in, transferring, and withdrawing money with minimal friction.
How He Works
According to Ayandokun, his design process involves collaboration with backend engineers and product managers.
He starts with user research and focus groups, then sketches wireframes, develops high-fidelity designs using Figma and Adobe tools, and prototypes before deployment.
Continuous testing and coordination with the backend team ensure that the final product is functional, intuitive, and user-friendly.
Ayandokun says he incorporated AI tools such as Google Gemini and Cursor to accelerate prototyping and testing. By generating code from design concepts, he can rapidly iterate and validate product functionality.
According to him, one of his projects, a personal expense tracker, benefited from this approach, demonstrating how AI allows designers to build functional products without deep coding expertise.
About His Vision for Nigeria’s Design Landscape
Despite the growing digital economy, industry leaders say Nigeria lacks formal accessibility standards for digital products. Ayandokun envisions a Nigeria where digital products are inclusive, accessible, and designed for all users.
He advocates for implementing guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure apps and websites are accessible to users with disabilities, color blindness, or language barriers.
“Unfortunately, Nigeria doesn’t have a design standard, and that is one of the things I’m trying to advocate for,” he says. “A design has to cater to those with colour blindness, neurodiverse conditions, language barriers, and even those with disabilities.”
He also calls for professional licensing for designers and regulatory oversight to enforce minimum standards, particularly for public-facing digital platforms.
Experts say Ayandokun is a leading voice in Nigeria’s push for inclusive design, emphasizing that accessibility should be a non-negotiable standard rather than an optional feature.
According to observers, his advocacy highlights the growing need for designers to consider all users, from tech-savvy urbanites to informal market traders, ensuring digital products serve the widest possible audience.
Talking Points
Ayandokun’s work emphasizes the importance of inclusive design, ensuring digital products are accessible to users across Nigeria’s formal and informal sectors.
By focusing on usability for market women, POS agents, small traders, and farmers, he addresses barriers often overlooked in tech development, such as shared device usage, limited technical literacy, and language diversity.
At Techparley, we recognize how this approach can accelerate digital adoption beyond urban centers, providing real value to underserved communities.
However, there is still a critical need for national design standards and regulatory oversight. Adoption of accessibility guidelines, professional licensing for designers, and government-backed standards could significantly expand the impact of inclusive digital products.
With continued advocacy, education, and collaboration between designers, regulators, and businesses, inclusive design has the potential to become a cornerstone for digital inclusion across Nigeria, empowering millions who have been left out of the tech revolution.
