An interview with a UX/UI design expert-Gertrude Namutebi

 

1. What is your name?

Namutebi Gertrude Mirriam

2. Where did you go to school?

Greenhill Academy, Gayaza High School, Makerere College School, Makerere 

University

3. Do you have a degree if so in what and from where?

Bachelor of Library and Information Science from Makerere University

4. What do you do?

I am a Freelance UI/UX Designer. I build products for different companies in sectors 

such as fintech, healthcare transport, education and logistics 

5. Where have you worked before?

I have worked for a number of NGOS as a web designer and digital Marketer such 

as Kianda Foundation, ANECCA, Promote Uganda. I have worked for Digital 

agencies such as Urge Uganda and Neuwelt and I have also worked for tech 

companies such as ClinicMaster and Vericle Health Inc as a Content creator, Visual 

Designer and UIUX Designer.

6. What unique skills do you bring to the table?

Visual Design i.e 

1. User Experience Design, User Interface Design i.e. Creating good interfaces, 

including websites, mobile devices, apps and wearables.

2. Branding

3. Wireframing and Prototyping

4. Interaction Design

5. User Experience Research; Research methodologies

6. Graphic design by creating marketing collateral for email marketing, social media, 

presentation materials and event materials.

Digital marketing i.e social media marketing and advertising, email marketing, 

Search Engine Optimization.

7. Have you attended any particular training paths before if so in what?

I have done the Future Females Business School Programme in partnership 

with UK-Kenya Tech Hub ,Computer programming at Lakehub in Kisumu Kenya,I 

have attended Digital Marketing training with Netherlands Trust Fund in Kampala 

Uganda, Google UX certificate training and I have a certificate in Instruction Design. 

8. What advise do you have for people who want to join you in your field?

I advise people to be good listeners. Good design is about listening to the customers 

and stakeholders and then balancing both customer needs and business needs. I 

would also advise them to keep learning, get mentors and surround yourself with 

people who can give you constructive criticism which will enable you to grow as a 

creative.

9. What are the gaps that exist in your industry in Uganda?

In my opinion the biggest gap is lack of a good support network to grow as a person 

in the tech industry, if such networks exist very few are known so top talent is going 

to other countries to look for opportunities and support in other countries. A good 

support network is important because it is good for networking and also supporting 

opportunities to grow skills and find employment in the tech industry.

10. What do you see in your field in Africa? 

Are you aware of any trends we should be taking notice of?

Ohh yes, I see a lot of emerging talent from Africa especially because online 

education is more accessible and affordable. There will be more recruiters from 

other parts of the world looking for African talent.

11. What are your hobbies? What role does your faith play in your work?

I enjoy travelling and reading good books. I also enjoy spending time with my friends 

and going to events.

Faith informs many aspects of my work. Faith demands for us to do our work well for 

the service of the others and live the virtues such as concern for the wellbeing of 

others, punctuality, honesty, justice, prudence, industriousness and order.

12. What new skills if any do you wish to pursue in the future?

I would like pursue skills in data visualization. This will enable me to became a better 

designer in terms of interpreting data visually as this is a data driven age.

13. What are your plans in the next few years?

I plan to build a health tech start up to create employment for people.

14. What observations (work related) do you have to share about the lockdown 

and the pandemic? What did you learn? What can we learn?

We learned the importance of putting persons before Money. People are more 

productive when they feel a company cares about them. For example, flexibility in 

work schedules and allowing people to work from home. Therefore, flexibility in work 

schedules increase’s job satisfaction which leads to more productive employee.

Interviewer’s Word

I met Gertrude while i was helping facilitate a course designed by Harvard Exchange called 

CopyX. It was created to help get us familiar with Intellectual Property Law in the US and 

the world. Gertrude was a very enthusiastic student who attended the class a little later than

her other counterparts but who impressed me very quickly with her ability to grasp the 

concepts. She has gone on to work in the broad field of design adding to her skills and getting 

quite a lot of visibility in her work. 

This section is created to showcase some of the young people that are currently involved in

technology related work in Uganda and the World in order to give others a chance to 

understand the inner working of various positions. 

If you have ever wondered what is involved in User Expereince and User Interface work 

this is a contact you will benefit from. 

To get in touch with Gertrude follow her on Twitter @NamutebiG