01
ABSA · 2024 · 01/06
01 / 06 · ABSA2024★ SUAFI 2024 WINNER
Elevating ABSA banking.
A complete redesign of the ABSA banking app focused on usability, accessibility, and modern product UX for retention.
UI/UXFigmaUser Research
[ 00 ]INTRODUCTIONSCROLL ↓
Vanessa.
Vaenessa.
it's venessa with an 'e' ✿
$venessa --isa senior engineer▌
Five years shipping production systems across payments, mobile, and product. Currently leading Message Heard at ProDG ↓ clients include Amazon & BBC ✦
oops, my silhouette ✿
yep thats me!
5+ years
shipping prod ✿
[ 01 ]ABOUT
I design things,
make things,
and ship them.
I'm a senior software engineer based in Nairobi, five years deep into shipping production systems. My favorite thing is the moment a messy figma file becomes a production app — the part where it becomes real.
I work across product, mobile, and full-stack because I've never been able to stay in one lane. I lead Message Heard at ProDG; major clients include Amazon and BBC. I build payment infrastructure for Savannah Technologies in the UK. I redesigned interfaces for UBA and Standard Bank.
Outside of work I'm usually reading something I'll never finish, crocheting a cute outfit, or losing at chess against my own portfolio.
Based inNairobi, KE
TimezoneUTC+3
Years shipping5+
RolesPM · Engineer · Designer
StudiedStrathmore Uni · Comp Sci
CurrentlyProDG · Savannah UK
LanguagesEN, SW
AvailableOpen to roles
↑ vital stats ✿
WHAT I DOFOUR HATS, ONE BRAIN
01 / PRODUCT
Strategy & PM
Sprint planning, roadmap, stakeholder alignment. Discovery → ship cycles.
✦ Led Message Heard end-to-end — clients include Amazon and BBC.
02 / MOBILE
iOS & Android
Flutter, Swift/SwiftUI. Clean MVC, GetX state management, scalable architecture.
✦ Shipped MyZola, Message Heard, Habit Quest.
03 / FULL-STACK
Web & Backend
React, Next.js, TypeScript on the front. Python, Laravel, Node on the back. GCP for infra.
✦ Shipped Resumate, Kenic App & Fieldpulse on GitHub; payment infra at Savannah UK.
04 / DESIGN
UI/UX Systems
Design systems, component libraries, accessibility. Figma fluency, eye for type.
✦ Owned MyZola design system from scratch.
HOW I GOT HERE
2021Started Strathmore Uni — Comp Scithe beginning
2022First gig: Mobile lead at MyZolatrial by fire
2024Won SUAFI Hackathon · Dean's Listsmall wins
2025Joined ProDG, then Savannah UKtwo roles, no sleep
2026Building this · open to what's nextyou are here
THE TOOLBOX
what I work with.
not buzzwords, promise ✿
// mobile
FlutterSwiftSwiftUIGetXDart
my first love ✿
// frontend
ReactNext.jsTypeScriptTailwindFramer Motion
where it becomes real
// backend
Node.jsPythonLaravelPostgreSQLDjango
the boring stuff™
// infra & tooling
GCPFirebaseDockerGitHub ActionsSupabase
so it stays up 🙏
// design
FigmaDesign SystemsPrototypingUX ResearchAccessibility
figma is a whole language
// product management
LinearNotionSprint PlanningRoadmappingStakeholder MgmtUser ResearchPRDsOKRs
the glue between design & code ✿
A collection of technologies and tools I use to create modern digital experiences.
[ 02 ]SELECTED WORKhover to peek ✿
stuff I've built over the years.
Things I've made,
and learned from.
oof — there are a lot of projects i've done. but these are the few i can actually share ✿
scroll ↓ for themhover any card to read more →
01 — 06 · all projects below01 — 06 · hover a spine to open
02
MYZOLA · 2022—24 · 02/06
02 / 06 · MYZOLA2022—24
MyZola — Personal Finance Management
A comprehensive personal finance app for tracking expenses, savings goals, and insights — built for people who find budgeting intimidating.
FlutterLaravelUX
03
ZURI HEALTH · 2024 · 03/06
03 / 06 · ZURI HEALTH2024
Zuri Health — Hospital Management System (HMS)
A fully functional Hospital Management System (HMS) designed for seamless interaction between patients, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and administrators.
UI/UXFigmaHealthcare
04
RESUMATE · 2024—25 · 04/06
04 / 06 · RESUMATE2024—25
Resumate — AI career mentoring
AI-assisted career companion for overwhelmed job seekers: smarter resumes, a career quiz, matched roles, and ongoing guidance so growth feels directional—not chaotic. Flutter (MVVM + GetX), ActionHero.js + TypeScript API, MongoDB, AI integrations.
FlutterGetXActionHeroMongoDBAI
05
KENIC APP · 2025 · 05/06
05 / 06 · KENIC APP2025★ HACK-A-MILLI 2025
Kenic App — .KE domains
Cross-platform Flutter app to search, register, and manage .KE domains—availability checks, registrar workflows, and smart name suggestions for Kenya’s creators and SMEs (Hack-a-Milli Challenge 2025 × KeNIC).
FlutterGetXDartKeNIC APIs
06
FIELDPULSE · 2025 · 06/06
06 / 06 · FIELDPULSE2025
Fieldpulse — Field operations
Offline-first jobs platform for managers and technicians: assignments, navigation, structured checklists, photo + signature capture, then sync when connectivity returns. Flutter (GetX, Drift/SQLite) · Django REST · Channels · PostgreSQL · Redis · MinIO.
FlutterDjangoPostgreSQLOffline-first
01
Elevating ABSA banking.
01 / 06 · ABSA2024★ SUAFI 2024 WINNER
Elevating ABSA banking.
A complete redesign of the ABSA banking app focused on usability, accessibility, and modern product UX for retention.
UI/UXFigmaUser Research
02
MyZola
02 / 06 · MYZOLA2022—24
MyZola — Personal Finance Management
A comprehensive personal finance app for tracking expenses, savings goals, and insights — built for people who find budgeting intimidating.
FlutterLaravelUX
03
Zuri Health
03 / 06 · ZURI HEALTH2024
Zuri Health — Hospital Management System (HMS)
A fully functional Hospital Management System (HMS) designed for seamless interaction between patients, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and administrators.
UI/UXFigmaHealthcare
04
Resumate
04 / 06 · RESUMATE2024—25
Resumate — AI career mentoring
AI-assisted career companion for overwhelmed job seekers: smarter resumes, a career quiz, matched roles, and ongoing guidance so growth feels directional—not chaotic. Flutter (MVVM + GetX), ActionHero.js + TypeScript API, MongoDB, AI integrations.
FlutterGetXActionHeroMongoDBAI
05
Kenic App
05 / 06 · KENIC APP2025★ HACK-A-MILLI 2025
Kenic App — .KE domains
Cross-platform Flutter app to search, register, and manage .KE domains—availability checks, registrar workflows, and smart name suggestions for Kenya’s creators and SMEs (Hack-a-Milli Challenge 2025 × KeNIC).
FlutterGetXDartKeNIC APIs
06
Fieldpulse
06 / 06 · FIELDPULSE2025
Fieldpulse — Field operations
Offline-first jobs platform for managers and technicians: assignments, navigation, structured checklists, photo + signature capture, then sync when connectivity returns. Flutter (GetX, Drift/SQLite) · Django REST · Channels · PostgreSQL · Redis · MinIO.
FlutterDjangoPostgreSQLOffline-first
hover = details
click spine = project
click spine = project
and that's everything i've ever made!
that's the lot
for now.
for now.
the rest lives on github —
some of it's a bit embarrassing
but it's all real ✿
some of it's a bit embarrassing
but it's all real ✿
yes including the
2021 flutter experiments
2021 flutter experiments
50+ commits
last week alone
last week alone
open source
where I can ✿
where I can ✿
[ 03 ]how I work
my design workflow.
How I actually make things.
“workflow” sounds corporate —
this is messier + better
this is messier + better
01
Research & Strategy
Talking to users. Sort of.
Dissecting, not guessing.
I start by dissecting user needs, analysing the market, and mapping out the best tech solutions. Whether it's blockchain integration or intuitive UX, every decision is backed by strategy. No assumptions. Only evidence.
user interviews
app store reviews
competitor audit
+ actual empathy
app store reviews
competitor audit
+ actual empathy
strategy = knowing
what NOT to build ✿
what NOT to build ✿
user interviewsmarket analysistech mappingcompetitive audit
02
Design with Purpose
Making it pretty.
Aesthetic that actually works.
Aesthetic meets function. I craft clean, intuitive interfaces that simplify complex systems, making user interactions effortless and engaging. Beauty earns its place — if it isn't helping the user, it's in the way.
every pixel = a decision
no decoration for decoration's sake
no decoration for decoration's sake
figmadesign systemscomponent librariesaccessibility-first
03
Prototype & Validate
Ship the first idea.
Test until it feels obvious.
Ideas come to life through interactive prototypes. I test, tweak, and refine until the design flows seamlessly and feels right — where “right” means a user completes a task without thinking about the interface at all.
prototype 1 = always wrong
prototype 2 = less wrong
prototype 3 = ship it ✿
prototype 2 = less wrong
prototype 3 = ship it ✿
if users ask “how do I...?”
the design isn't done
the design isn't done
user testinginteractive prototypesiterationheuristic evaluation
04
Precision Development
Hand it off and hope.
In the code, in the room.
I work hands-on with developers — or as one myself — to ensure every detail translates perfectly. No pixel out of place, no unnecessary complexity. Just smooth, scalable solutions. Design stops at delivery. I don't.
the designer who can
read the PR diff is the
most dangerous one
read the PR diff is the
most dangerous one
also yes I write
production code too ✿
production code too ✿
react · next · flutterdesign-dev collabpixel-perfect handoffQA review
it's never really linear though, right?
usually I'm on steps 1, 2, and 4 simultaneously. that's just the job.