Mara Okafor

Lagos Available from Nov 2026

Mara Okafor

Independent product designer making complex tools feel obvious.

Selected work

2024–2026

  • Clearance desk

    Kora Freight · 2026 · Lead product designer

    Customs filings now take 9 minutes instead of 40, and rejections fell by 62%.

  • Grid console

    Juno Energy · 2025 · Product designer

    412 solar mini-grids on one screen; technicians reach faults before customers call.

  • Payroll runs

    Sable · 2025 · Product designer

    A payroll for 1,284 people now runs in one sitting instead of three days.

  • Claims inbox

    Brightwater Health · 2024 · Design lead

    Nurses triage new claims the same day, down from three.

Index

Every project since 2017, newest first.

All projects by year, project, client and discipline
YearProject
2026Clearance deskKora Freight · Product design, research
2025Grid consoleJuno Energy · Product design
2025Payroll runsSable · Product design, prototyping
2024Claims inboxBrightwater Health · Research, product design
2023Field reportsDelta Agro Co-op · Service design
2022Ops design systemPaylane · Design system
2021Merchant onboardingPaylane · Product design
2019Lab results portalBrightwater Health · UX design
2017Market checkoutOuro Market · Interaction design

About

I design software for people whose work doesn’t forgive mistakes: customs brokers, payroll officers, grid technicians and claims nurses. My job is to make the complicated parts feel obvious without hiding them.

I usually join as the first or only designer for three to six months. I sit with the people who use the tool, prototype in the first week and ship alongside engineers.

I work from Lagos with teams in Europe, Africa and North America. Before going independent I led design at Paylane and spent three years at Brightwater Health.

2022–now
Independent product designer
Lagos
2019–2022
Design lead, Paylane
Lagos
2016–2019
Product designer, Brightwater Health
London

Tell me about the tool your team fights with.

mara@okafor.studio

Taking on one new project from November 2026. I reply within two working days.