UI/UX Design Services in Kenya
Got a Project in Mind? Let’s Talk.
From strategy to execution, we help ambitious brands bring their ideas to life online. Let’s create something meaningful together — starting with a conversation.
Phone: +254 710 520 510
Email: hello@neliumsystems.com
How UI/UX design actually works in Kenya in 2026
Most Kenyan startups skip UX research because it "takes too long" and skip UI design polish because they "want to launch fast." Six months later, they're paying twice — once for the rebuild, once for the lost users who churned during the rough version. UX done well is faster than UX done poorly, but most teams only learn this after they've made the expensive version of the mistake.
At Nelium, we design web applications, mobile apps, ecommerce stores, dashboards, and SaaS products for Kenyan and East African clients. Below is how we structure UI/UX work for serious products.
Research is non-negotiable for serious products
Designing without research is decoration. We start every meaningful project with user interviews (5–10 customers or prospects), analytics review of the existing product if one exists, competitive analysis, and usability testing. The deliverable is a research synthesis that names the actual jobs users are trying to accomplish — which is rarely what stakeholders assumed at the project kick-off.
Information architecture determines whether users can navigate
Most product confusion isn't a visual design problem — it's an IA problem. Wrong things grouped together, hierarchy that doesn't match users' mental models, navigation that prioritises company structure instead of user goals. We map IA before any visual design work begins, validate it through tree-testing or card-sorting where the stakes warrant it, and refuse to skip this step even when timelines pressure us to.
Wireframes and prototypes catch problems before code
Issues caught at the wireframe stage cost minutes to fix. The same issues caught after development cost days. We build clickable Figma prototypes that simulate the real user experience, run usability tests on the prototype, iterate, and only hand off to development when the design has been validated by users — not just approved by stakeholders.
Design systems pay back over the lifetime of the product
For products with more than 20 screens or multiple platforms (web + iOS + Android), a design system is a force multiplier. We build component libraries in Figma with proper variant structures, design tokens for theming, and documentation engineers can actually use. Future feature development moves 3–5x faster because designers and developers aren't reinventing buttons every sprint.
Accessibility is a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is the minimum bar we ship at. Colour contrast, keyboard navigation, screen-reader compatibility, focus management, alternative text — all baked into the design system. Beyond ethics, accessibility reviews catch usability problems that hurt all users, not just users with disabilities.
How we structure UI/UX engagements
Discovery and research (weeks 1–3)
Stakeholder interviews, customer/user interviews, analytics audit (if applicable), heuristic evaluation, competitive analysis, research synthesis. Output: research deck and design brief.
Information architecture and wireframes (weeks 3–5)
IA mapping, low-fidelity wireframes for key flows, validation through internal review and small-batch user testing. Output: clickable wireframe prototype.
UI design and design system (weeks 5–10)
High-fidelity visual design, component library, design tokens, motion specs, micro-interaction details, asset export pipelines for engineering. Output: production-ready design system in Figma.
Handoff and engineering support (weeks 10+)
Engineering kick-off, ongoing design QA during sprints, weekly working sessions with the dev team, post-launch usability testing.
Talk to us about UI/UX design that ships
- Request a free design review — we audit your existing product and send a written list of priority improvements.
- WhatsApp or call: +254 758 870 937 or +254 710 520 510.
- Email: business@neliumsystems.com.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between UI design and UX design?
UX design is the structure and flow — what screens exist, what happens when a user taps, how decisions get made. UI design is the visual layer — colour, typography, spacing, components, motion. Most projects need both. Hiring a UI designer to "design the app" without UX work is how you end up with a beautiful product nobody can figure out how to use.
Do I need a designer if I have a developer?
Yes, unless your developer is also a strong designer (rare). Engineers asked to "just design something" tend to produce technically functional but commercially weak interfaces. The cost of redesigning a poorly-designed product after launch is 3–10x the cost of designing it right upfront.
How much does UI/UX design cost in Kenya?
Small project (5–10 screens, web or mobile): KES 80,000–250,000. Medium project (full SaaS or app, 20–40 screens, design system): KES 350,000–900,000. Enterprise-scale or multi-product design system: KES 1.2M+. Pricing scales with complexity, research depth, number of stakeholders, and revision cycles.
Can you redesign an existing product?
Yes — about half our work is redesign. We start with a heuristic audit and user research (analytics review, customer interviews, usability testing of the current product), then propose phased improvements rather than a "burn it down and rebuild" approach. Phased redesigns reduce risk and let you measure improvement at each stage.
Do you only design for web, or also for mobile apps?
Both. We design for responsive web, native mobile (iOS Human Interface Guidelines + Android Material Design), Progressive Web Apps, and occasionally desktop applications. Most projects need a unified design system that works across all the surfaces a customer touches.




















