Itohowo Udofia is a driven product designer at EDITED, designing the myEDITED platform which leverages AI-powered retail market data and analytics to enable iconic brands like Lacoste, Puma, and Boston Proper to make smarter and  data-driven business decisions. With a unique fusion of design and business acumen, Itohowo’s work centers on creating solutions that are not just functional but transformational, giving businesses the insights they need to scale and thrive in a fast-evolving marketplace. Starting his design journey in 2018 as a graphics designer and pivoting to product design in 2020, Itohowo has since demonstrated his expertise across global tech companies. In his roles as a product designer at startups like Borderless, Heala Tech, and Earna, he has crafted innovative solutions that simplify everyday life and transform business operations. In this International Men’s Day exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online (BAO), Itohowo speaks on his journey into product design and passion to uplift and empower the next generation of designers and innovators, particularly in Nigeria. Excerpts.

Alaba: What inspired you to become a product designer, and how has your journey evolved overtime?

Itohowo: Let’s start from the beginning, as far back as primary school. I’ve always been good with computers, I was one of those kids who could tear apart a radio and put it back together and this I believe set the path for a career in technology. Fast forward to junior secondary school, I played a lot with dreamweaver for frontend design and in senior secondary, I did countless CISCO networking certifications. University was where it got really interesting because we took courses in everything, several programming languages, frontend and backend development, data analysis, system architecture etc. At every point in time, I took interest in all of this but it never stuck.

Sometime in my second year, I dabbled into photography and graphic design and this set the path for product design. I realized the same way my developer friends would spend hours writing code, I could easily spend all my time designing. In march 2020, I got a call from my friend and he asked me “do you want to be poor”, of course I said “No”, and he goes “learn product design” and so I did. I believe whatever I put my heart to, I’ll be successful at it and so I could have been a successful brand and graphic designer but there was something about product design that till today, I find it hard to explain. Looking back, you will see I tried it all, and design was the only thing that stuck, and I’ve stayed true to it.

Having worked with multiple startups, established organizations around the world, and completed business and design courses, I think I made the right choice. Recently, I watched a video talking about how most entrepreneurs are a jack of all trades, masters of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one and again, looking back at my journey, I realize I have knowledge of a bit of everything, and that sets the foundation for the future.

Alaba: What design principles do you emphasize in your work?

Itohowo: My personal design principles are:

1. Functionality first: I believe the best experience you can give a user is a functional and working product and it’s even better when the visuals complement that functionality.
2. Be minimal: You can’t go wrong with minimalism. Keep design clean, clear, simple and easy on the eye.
3. I am not the user: Whilst I have a ton of experience and can make intelligent hypotheses, I am not the user. Testing and getting feedback from users cannot be overemphasized.

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Alaba: Can you walk us through your design process when approaching a new project?

Itohowo: Design is completely iterative and I find that you can fit any project requirement into the Design Thinking process. Every project is unique, meaning the requirements, use cases, and information available are different. And so my approach to a project is determined by those requirements. The design thinking process has 5 steps; empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

Some projects come with a lot of already predefined requirements and research and I just jump straight into the ideation stage and then move forward to the prototype stage or two steps back to the empathy stage. Other projects require me to start from other points of the design thinking process. In essence, whatever the project, you would always find me inside the design thinking process.

Alaba: How has your design practice evolved over time, and what skills have you developed?

Itohowo: As all designers, I started out recreating designs on dribbble to improve my UI skills. Because I was a graphic designer prior, it was a bit easy to familiarize myself with UI design tools like Adobe XD and Figma. I also had an understanding of typography, colors, etc. But it had its down side. I remember a friend telling me “you design UI like it’s a graphic poster”. I kept at it, designing everyday, watching youtube and eventually I got my first gig. I am a hands-on learner and so to improve, I had to be in the thick of things. I would take on projects for free or for stipends and eventually I got better with time as all things.

As you grow as a designer, you realize dribbble UI isn’t very practical in the real world. As I got better in UI design, I started focusing a lot on user experience design, and honestly, unless you’re working on a real product, used by real users, you will never learn UX design. A couple years later, several design projects laters, I decided to add some business knowledge to my arsenal and so I took a couple business courses which helped me participate more actively in business decisions.

I maintained multiple jobs at the same time, soaking in as much experience as I could in a short time. I was working closely with start ups and cross functional teams and all of these set me up to where I am today. I can thrive in any design and business environment, my UI and UX skills are great and continue to improve. I am very critical of myself and demand constant improvement and when I wake up daily, I look at my design from the previous day and ask myself “what can I do better?”.

Alaba: What’s the most significant design challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?

Itohowo: Every project comes with its own challenge. Thinking back now, my final year project was probably the project I faced the most significant design challenge. Here’s why! For my final year project, I designed a mobile app that helps children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) identify their medication. At the time, I was still relatively new to design and designing for children is hard, even harder when designing for children with special needs. The font, the color, the illustrations, everything about the application had to be spot on, because if it’s not, it could cause one of the children to have a moment.

You also have to consider the technical ability of the children across the ages. I did a lot of research into existing applications, methodologies including gamification, Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), design thinking and I also had to include parental control. I designed and built the app and then came the testing of the application. I had to  find a school, get approval from parents or guardians, and provide phones for testing which are not very easy to do. Eventually, I found a school, got approval, tested, and gathered invaluable feedback. The principal of the school said the application could potentially be a game changer and suggested increasing the scope of the project to include a web version and more games.

Alaba: How has your experience as a mentor shaped your approach to design and leadership?

Itohowo: Being a mentor keeps me grounded in the basics of design. When you grow as a professional, you tend to skip a few steps, make decisions on a larger scale, forgetting the nitty gritty of things. With my mentees, I am reminded of the foundation of design and why we do what we do. In regards to leadership, I’ve learned to be more patient. A friend said “Dear senior staff, be patient with your younger staff. A senior staff member was once patient with you”. As a mentor, you are like a father, and your children will sometimes make mistakes. When this happens, you must ensure you correct them in love.

Alaba: What qualities do you look for in a mentee, and how do you approach mentorship?

Itohowo: First is desire and fire. I like individuals who are hungry to grow and are ready to put in the work. Secondly, I would say I like individuals who take ownership of their growth, which essentially means in the unlikely event I am absent, your growth isn’t impacted. It means if I’m not available to answer your questions, you don’t stop and wait for me. When I lead teams and or people, I give autonomy and in return expect near perfection. My mentorship style mirrors my leadership style. I give my mentees autonomy to pick their own path, pick their own projects, decide their growth timeline but I demand accountability.

Alaba: What should  we look forward to from you in the future?

Itohowo: At the moment, my friend, Adekanbi Josteve and I, have created what we believe could potentially be the future of financial technology in Africa. Essentially, it is a contactless payment solution that utilizes sound based technology for a secure and seamless transaction. I have other project ideas around professional dating, advertisement, and healthcare. Outside tech and design, I would very much love to bring to screen movie scripts that I have written.

Alaba: Lastly, What advice would you give to designers seeking to create meaningful change through their work?

Itohowo: Practice, practice, practice. Work on a real project, even if it is for free because the experience and knowledge you garner from that is immeasurable.

BIOGRAPHY 

Itohowo Udofia is a driven product designer at EDITED, designing the myEDITED platform which leverages AI-powered retail market data and analytics to enable iconic brands like Lacoste, Puma, and Boston Proper to make smarter and  data-driven business decisions. With a unique fusion of design and business acumen, Itohowo’s work centers on creating solutions that are not just functional but transformational, giving businesses the insights they need to scale and thrive in a fast-evolving marketplace.

Starting his design journey in 2018 as a graphics designer and pivoting to product design in 2020, Itohowo has since demonstrated his expertise across global tech companies. In his roles as a product designer at startups like Borderless, Heala Tech, and Earna, he has crafted innovative solutions that simplify everyday life and transform business operations. He has also worked across four continents, including Africa (Nigeria), Asia (India), North America (USA), and Europe (Germany and the UK), gaining extensive experience in diverse markets and industries such as fintech, health tech, construction tech, delivery and logistics, B2B SaaS, data analytics, and AI.

Itohowo holds a Master’s with Distinction in Computer Science from Middlesex University, London, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Bowen University, Nigeria where he graduated with a first class, placing him as the second best graduating student in department and college.

His achievements in tech and design are not only highlighted by 100x income growth, but also by the prominent brands he now partners with, compared to the start of his career. This growth reflects both his rapid career ascent and the value he consistently brings to each role.

Having worked with numerous startups, many of which have gone on to achieve great success, he has gained first hand both design skills and strategic business knowledge in creating valuable tech solutions. This blend of business acumen and design expertise is further strengthened by his completion of two mini MBAs in Business Design & Strategy and Business Administration and Management, further enhancing his ability to bring a comprehensive and forward-thinking  approach to tech solutions. 

Beyond his work in tech, Itohowo is driven by a passion to uplift and empower the next generation of designers and innovators, particularly in Nigeria. As an academic researcher in health tech, he explores impactful solutions to pressing health challenges. He actively mentors emerging designers, helping them launch and grow their careers. Looking ahead, he aims to build startups that address real-world problems, create valuable educational resources for designers, and bring his screenplay projects to life through film production, showcasing his multifaceted creativity.

Lesley Abegunde is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and agile thought leader with years of experience in Agile transformation. She frequently speaks at industry conferences and conducts workshops on minimalist approaches to project management. In this exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online (BAO), Lesley speaks on minimalism and agile project management. Excerpts.

Alaba: Thank you for joining us today, Lesley. Let’s quickly get to the heart of our discussion on how the combination of minimalism and Agile project management has gained significant traction in the industry. Could you start by explaining the intersection of these two concepts?

Lesley: Of course. At their core, both minimalism and Agile share a fundamental principle: focus on what truly matters and eliminate everything else. Just as minimalism teaches us to keep only what adds value to our lives, Agile project management should retain only the processes and tools that directly contribute to project success. Everything else is waste.

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Alaba: That’s fascinating, Lesley. Can you walk us through your journey of synthesizing minimalism with Agile methodologies?

Lesley: Certainly. This approach evolved from years of observing teams struggle with what I term “process debt.” Many organizations eagerly adopt Agile frameworks like Scrum or SAFe, but then inadvertently complicate matters by layering on numerous additional processes. Ironically, this creates the very complexity that Agile was designed to eliminate. This realization led me to a critical question: “What if we approached Agile with a minimalist mindset? What’s the bare minimum process required to deliver value effectively?”

Alaba: Could you give us some concrete examples of how this minimalist approach manifests in practice?

Lesley: Oh definitely. In a minimalist-agile environment, daily stand-ups can sometimes be redundant, especially when updates are repetitive. Instead, holding stand-ups just three times a week can reduce unnecessary meetings and free up time for productive work. This way, quick updates or clarifications can be shared via email, with meetings focused on resolving blockers or adding value.

Another example is focused documentation. In a minimalist-agile world, we prioritize high-impact, essential documentation and remove clutter that doesn’t directly benefit users or the project. By focusing on “living” documentation in tools like Confluence or SharePoint, teams create easily editable and collaborative knowledge-based documentations. This keeps documentation streamlined and relevant, facilitating collaboration and avoiding the accumulation of outdated information.

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Alaba: That’s quite radical compared to traditional project management approaches. How do you maintain control and visibility with such a stripped-down process?

Lesley: (laughs) The illusion of control through excessive documentation and processes is exactly what we’re trying to move away from. Real control comes from transparency and rapid feedback loops. We maintain visibility through working software and direct communication. Our metrics are simple: lead time, cycle time, and customer satisfaction. Everything else is supplementary.

Alaba: Let’s talk about some of the major efficiency challenges in Agile Project Management. What are the biggest issues you’ve encountered?

Lesley: In my experience, there are three critical challenges that consistently plague Agile projects, even in mature organizations. First is scope creep, which can occur even within our sprint boundaries. Second is what I call Value Displaced Backlog (VDB), where our backlog becomes bloated with items that seemed important at one time but no longer align with current business values. Third is the general inefficiency that creeps into our Agile processes over time.

Alaba: Could you elaborate on Value Displaced Backlog? It’s not a term I’ve heard before?

Lesley: VDB is a phenomenon I’ve observed where backlogs become graveyards of good intentions rather than dynamic tools for project steering. Items get added faster than they’re removed, and many of these items, while valuable when added, become outdated or misaligned with current business objectives. Yet teams often feel obligated to keep them because they’ve already invested time in refining them.

Alaba: This sounds like a significant challenge. How does your minimalist approach address these efficiency issues?

Lesley: This is where minimalism becomes a powerful tool for Agile project management. Let me break down our approach into three key areas.

First, let’s talk about decluttering backlogs. We treat backlog grooming like minimalists treat closet cleaning – if an item hasn’t been touched or seriously considered in the last three months, it needs to justify its existence. We use what I call the “Three Q’s” approach:

1. Does this item still align with our current business objectives?
2. Can we deliver tangible value from this item within the next quarter?
3. Would removing this item create any significant risks or gaps?

If we can’t answer “yes” to at least two of these questions, the item gets archived. This isn’t about deletion – it’s about maintaining focus on what truly matters now.

Alaba: How do you handle pushback from organizations that are used to more structured approaches?

Lesley: I start by acknowledging their concerns and then propose a simple experiment: Let’s try running one small project with minimal processes and measure the outcomes. The results usually speak for themselves. Teams become more engaged, delivery speeds up, and quality improves because people can focus on the work instead of the process.

I also emphasize that minimalist Agile isn’t about having no process – it’s about having just enough process. The amount varies by context, but the principle remains: if a process doesn’t directly contribute to delivering value, question its necessity.

Alaba: What advice would you give to project managers who want to adopt this minimalist Agile approach?

Lesley: Start with radical honesty about your current processes. Ask yourself and your team: “If we had to deliver value with only five practices or tools, what would they be?” Then experiment with using just those elements for a sprint or two. Be prepared for some discomfort – it’s natural when letting go of familiar processes.

Also, focus on principles over practices. Understanding why we do something is more important than how we do it. This enables teams to make better decisions about what to keep and what to eliminate.

Alaba: Looking ahead, how do you see this minimalist approach to Agile evolving?

Lesley: I believe we’re going to see a growing emphasis on simplification across the industry. The complexity of modern software development demands simpler processes to manage it effectively. I’m particularly excited about the potential of AI to further streamline our processes, allowing us to focus even more on creative problem-solving and value delivery.

The future of Agile is not about adding more frameworks or scaling patterns – it’s about distilling Agile to its essence and applying it thoughtfully. As the saying goes, perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Alaba: Thank you for these insights, Lesley. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Lesley: Remember that minimalism in Agile isn’t about making things bare or austere – it’s about making room for what matters most: delivering value to customers, fostering team creativity, and building sustainable practices. Start small, experiment often, and always ask, “Is this essential?” Your team and your projects will be better for it.

Kayode Odetunde is an experienced IT expert, specializing as a Software Engineer and Product Manager. He is a Certified Agile Delivery Lead with years of expertise in building innovative product and delivering digital solutions across multiple industries in both Nigeria and the digital economy of the United Kingdom. In this Business Africa Online (BAO) Market Innovation Series with Alaba Ayinuola, Kayode speaks on his passion for product design and roadmap development for new market entry. Excerpts.

Alaba: You’ve successfully launched products across multiple African markets. How do you approach creating a product roadmap for a new market?

Kayode: Look, everyone’s obsessed with fancy roadmap templates and methodologies. But here’s the truth – your beautiful roadmap means nothing if you don’t understand the market’s reality. When we were launching our payment product in a new market, I spent the first two weeks just visiting local businesses. No PowerPoint, no strategy documents. Just watching and listening.

Alaba: How does this observation translate into an actual roadmap?

Kayode: Let me tell you a story. Last year, we were taking our payment product to a new market. Everyone on the team came with these complex feature lists. I said, “Stop. First, answer me one question – how do people actually pay for things here?” We discovered that while everyone was building for smartphones, 60% of our target merchants were using basic phones.

That single insight changed our entire roadmap. We pushed our fancy app features to phase three and prioritized USSD and SMS capabilities. Everybody thought we were crazy. Three months later, we had 40% market penetration while our competitors were still struggling with smartphone adoption.

Alaba: What’s your framework for prioritizing features in a new market?

Kayode: I have a simple rule – if it doesn’t solve an urgent problem, it doesn’t make phase one. Period. Your roadmap needs three clear phases: Survival, Growth, and Scale. I use the MoSCow (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have & Won’t Have) framework prioritization technique to break the requirement into phases.

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Alaba: How do you validate your roadmap assumptions?

Kayode: Everyone talks about MVPs. I believe in MVTs – Minimum Viable Tests. Before anything goes on our roadmap, we test it in the real world. Not in a lab, not in focus groups. Real world.

When entering a new market, we identify ten potential customers. We show them paper prototypes. Yes, paper! If they don’t understand your product on paper, adding technology won’t help. We had a feature that everyone on our team thought was genius. Showed it to real users – blank stares. That feature never made it to the roadmap.

Alaba: How do you handle stakeholder expectations while building for new markets?

Kayode: Here’s the thing about stakeholders – they love complex roadmaps with lots of features. I show them simple math instead. “This basic feature will drive 80% of our revenue in the first year. These fancy features you want? Maybe 5%.”

In our last market entry, I literally took our investors to meet customers. After watching real people struggle with basic payment problems, they stopped asking for AI and blockchain and started supporting our focus on fundamental solutions.

Alaba: How do you measure if your roadmap is working?

Kayode: I look at three numbers: adoption, retention, and referral. Though metrics are not the sole indicator. In a new market, if people are actually using your basic features, staying with you, and telling others about you, your roadmap is working. Everything else is noise.

We experienced a quarter where feature deployment fell behind schedule, yet merchant adoption was growing at an impressive 40% month-over-month. You know what that told me? Our roadmap priorities were spot on, even if the timing wasn’t perfect.

Alaba: What about handling pressure from stakeholders who want faster innovation?

Kayode: laughs Let me tell you about our Nigeria launch. Investors were pushing hard for an AI-powered credit scoring system in phase one. Instead of arguing, I took them to meet mama Bisi, a fabric seller in Balogun Market.

She showed them her system – a notebook with over 200 customers’ credit histories, all managed through WhatsApp voice notes. Our investors watched her complete 15 transactions in an hour, all while maintaining these detailed records.

Then I asked them: “Should we focus on building AI models, or should we first help Mama Bisi digitize her existing system that’s already working?” The pressure for “innovation” stopped that day.

Alaba: Final advice for product leaders entering new markets?

Kayode: Your roadmap needs to reflect reality, not aspirations. Start with what people need today, not what you think they’ll want tomorrow. And remember, in new markets, being useful beats being innovative.

The most successful product roadmap I’ve ever seen had just three features in phase one. But those three features solved real, urgent problems. That’s how you win new markets – by being brazenly focused on what actually matters.