Propel is a Berlin-based platform connecting African tech talent to jobs, finance, and community opportunities across 15 countries. I joined as the first designer at the pre-product stage and led end-to-end design across Propel's Jobs, Finance, and Admin suites—building the platform that put employment access and financial mobility in the hands of African tech professionals.
Listening before building
Before any feature shipped, I ran 50+ user interviews across multiple African countries to understand the realities of how people search for work, manage money, and learn from one another. Those conversations shaped a scalable MVP that launched six months ahead of schedule and gave the company a product foundation that could grow with the audience instead of away from it.
A design system that scaled with the product
To keep velocity high without fragmenting the experience, I built and implemented the Rocket Fuel Design System in React using Atomic Design principles. Standardized tokens, icons, and interaction patterns let three product surfaces evolve in parallel without drifting apart, and gave engineers a shared vocabulary across Jobs, Finance, and Admin.
Within the Finance suite, I designed integrated tools including digital wallets and micro-loans that gave tech workers access to credit for essential equipment—turning Propel into not just a job board but a livelihood platform.
Meeting users where they already are
A defining design decision was meeting users on the platforms they already used daily. I launched integrations with WhatsApp, Telegram, and Slack, threading Propel's most useful surfaces into existing community habits and pulling engagement and retention up sharply.
Outcomes
The platform reached 10,000 monthly active users within three months, scaling to 40,000 by month six. Propel recorded 37,329 accounts created, 18,937 onboardings started, and 14,097 completions—a 74.44% onboarding conversion rate. We onboarded 219 active communities and 9,200+ members, and TechCrunch recognized Propel as a leading African talent platform serving 100+ communities and 400,000 members, with ambitions to reach one million.