In the busy rhythm of Lagos, where ambition collides with opportunity, Mitchelle Chibundu stands at an unusual crossroads, one where science meets screens and curiosity becomes craft.
To many, Mitchelle is known today as a Nigerian Product Designer and the author of Clueless to Designer. But her story did not begin in tech. It began in the world of Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, a discipline rooted in observation, research, and understanding complex systems. Long before she designed interfaces, she was learning how to study life itself.
Her transition into design was not a planned leap but a gradual discovery. What started as designing a logo for her makeup business turned into a deeper fascination with how visuals communicate meaning. As she navigated life in Lagos, Mitchelle realised that design offered something science alone could not: a way to solve human problems through creativity and empathy.
That curiosity led her into product and UX design, where she gained experience working with global teams and technology-driven organisations. In these environments, she learned that design was not about decoration but about thinking, documenting ideas, testing solutions, and shaping experiences that work for real people.
Mitchelle’s voice soon extended beyond products into community. She shares lessons from her journey, offering guidance to designers who, like her, were once unsure where to begin. What started as personal reflection became a growing archive of design thinking, growth, and resilience.
Her influence has now reached a national stage. In 2024, Mitchelle was appointed to the advisory committee for the Nigeria Website Design Standards (NWDS) project, a role that places her among those helping define how Nigerian digital products should look, feel, and serve their users.
At the heart of her work is a simple belief: design is about people. She champions empathy, communication, and thoughtful problem-solving over tools and trends. Her journey reflects a new generation of African designers, those who move fluidly between disciplines, who write as much as they design, and who see their work as a public responsibility as much as a profession.
“Water your design career and it will grow,” she says.
For Designer Tribune, Mitchelle Chibundu represents a powerful narrative: that a career does not have to begin in design to end in impact. From science to screens, her path shows that the future of African design will be shaped by thinkers who understand both systems and souls.
She is not just designing interfaces. She is helping design standards, stories, and possibilities for the next wave of Nigerian creators.
