Future-Proof Your Skills and Business, Design Your Life, How to Design Experiences For Your Customers & Productize Your Services as a Consultant with Anne-Marie Mulumba

 

Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Anne-Marie Mulumba created a business that leveraged her uniqueness as an East African with a design background, experience in research and service design, and passion for cultures. 

She is consistently asking:

How can we design technology that brings value to people’s lives and makes them better?

Will this thing we’re building save people time or money so they can focus on more important matters? 

Does it help people think differently and upgrade their thinking patterns, habits, and discipline?

Today, Anne-Marie is a creative entrepreneur, the founder, and CEO of Wabala Studio. This product-led service company aids technology startups in enhancing their customer service through design. Their approach? By boosting user engagement and achieving product market fit.

She is focused on equipping the next generation of changemakers with the tools they need to empower themselves. She leads workshops on interactive design thinking across Canadian universities and innovation hubs and serves as a board director at Computers for Success Canada.

Listen to this conversation to hear Anne-Marie’s projections about the future of work, the gig economy, and how you can future-proof your skills.

This episode is for you if:

  • You’re curious about how the gig economy and the future of work will evolve with AI.

  • You want to hear new ways to productize your services.

  • You want to think beyond constraints and test new ideas in your business.

Looking for a specific gem?

  • [3:00] East African; born in Tanzania, father from Congo, was a refuge in Tanzania

  • [3:50] Arrived in Canada at six years old

  • [5:08] She and her siblings would play simulation games together in front of the computer, solving mysteries.

  • [7:34] Anne-Marie worked at design agencies and wanted more from the results of their work.

  • [10:22] I am an idealistic person – I like to think that things will get better.

  • [16:34] Is user experience an afterthought for businesses?

  • [18:11] How does your technology make people’s lives better? 

  • [20:34] Do you talk to the people you are designing for?

  • [25:31] Turn your work into frameworks that can help people solve their business challenges.

  • [27:30] Living your FULL life beyond a 9-5 schedule.

  • [29.27] How I’ve always been a part of the gig economy! I started freelancing while I was in school (2016)

  • [31:28] What kind of life do you want to live? What would retirement look like?

  • [34:13] How you can maximize your time and monetize your skills.

  • [34:30] Anne-Marie’s projection: The gig economy will be the default in less than a decade.

  • [41:31] Breaking down the invisible walls that may exist is blocking how you innovate and test things.

  • [44:49] Test things out in your business without breaking the bank.

People and Resources Mentioned

Connect with Anne-Marie

Conversation Transcript

Naomi Haile: What's your origin story? What did you love doing as a child?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Well, my story begins from various angles. I'll start with being East African, born in Tanzania. My father hails from Congo, making our family a blend of neighboring countries. He fled the conflict in Congo and found refuge in Tanzania, where he met my mother. Growing up, I navigated life as a refugee due to my father's status.

This early experience shaped me profoundly. Moving to Canada at age six added another layer to my cultural tapestry. Adapting became second nature as I embraced new languages and customs. These formative years instilled in me a deep appreciation for diversity and the importance of empathy. Today, as a designer, I draw on these experiences to create meaningful solutions that resonate with people's needs and aspirations.

And so my story is interesting to think about when I think about myself being input, like a refugee, because of my dad's status. That's how I grew up in Tanzania. And yeah, I came to Canada when I was six years old. But if you consider the first foundation of my young years, I was East African; I grew up speaking Swahili. I was a refugee because of my dad's status. When I came to this new country, I had to start again, learn French and English, accommodate a new culture, etc. And so I think about all of that. How that informs what I'm doing today, it's kind of interesting to consider adopting as a kind of an essential tool for me when I was growing up to kind of like assimilate and like fit into different cultures and spaces and like, be able to, like communicate with people, right. 

So, I realized how my multicultural, diverse background informs what I do today as a designer and why I love to design things for people, really thinking about what's in mind for them and their needs and challenges.

Growing up, some of my fondest memories were spending time with my siblings and dad, mainly when we played simulation games. Let's say we have to solve a mystery. And so we're all in front of this computer, thinking about how to solve it and supporting each other like that. Growing up, technology fascinated me. I spent countless hours immersed in computer games, unknowingly laying the foundation for my future profession. As one of many siblings, I learned the value of empathy and understanding different perspectives—a skill that serves me well in my work today.

Naomi Haile: Thank you for sharing your origin story; it lays the foundation for what you're doing today. What led you to want to settle in this space? What about some of the work you've done before, starting Wabala Studio, and how do you incorporate different problem-solving techniques and strategies into your work today?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Certainly. Let's say that seven to eight years ago, I did not know that user experience or that human-centered design was a thing.

“My journey into the world of design was somewhat serendipitous. I was interested in design because I worked in design agencies while also freelancing on the side, and I was always trying to get a new piece of work in my portfolio and grow it so that I could expand my work and then do more and get more clients.”

Years ago, while working in design agencies, I felt a void in our process—we were creating without truly understanding the needs of our client. I remember feeling quite unsatisfied with the results of our work.

Something was missing in our process. I knew that we worked in teams and collaborated on different ideas. Still, in the end, I always asked myself, "How can we then actually talk to the audience to figure out what angle to take to build something that aligns with their needs?" And so that's where my thinking of "Where is UX, where user experience?" came from.

This realization prompted me to delve into user experience and human-centered design. My academic background in humanities and social sciences provided a fertile ground for this transition. Courses in psychology, sociology, and anthropology honed my understanding of human behavior and shaped my outlook on the world.

So, I started doing some research online. And so, when I entered university, and my first year, I was quite lucky because I became a co-op in uni, my design program, and my BFA, and I decided to do that because I wanted more experience. And I wanted not just to study but to apply everything I was learning in school.

Through co-op, I became an intern at a government organization in Toronto. And so the year we met, I was in Ottawa doing another internship, but in your prior, I was in Toronto, working for the Ontario digital service. When I saw that first kind of job description, the first time I was a student, I looked at it and was amazed because I was like, This is what I'm looking for. I was like, what? It exists. And I did not know that. But when I was in college, four years before my university degree, I studied humanities or social sciences. And I enjoyed biopsychology classes, sociology, anthropology, and all these kinds of human-focused, like, like, even philosophy classes. So, I did not know that all these things would converge in the future; I was learning about psychology and behavior and how people think, act, behave, etc. When I got to university, I got to believe speculatively, think about the future, and write about how to build sustainable cities and environments, supporting humans in their environments, etc. And so, my university degree and college learnings, like sociology, shaped my way of thinking and perception of the world.

I'm an idealistic person; I like to think that things will get better. I want to build solutions that work and improve life. And so I'm always thinking about how in an optimistic way. Then, I started doing internships, discovered user experience, and found a way to frame everything I had always wanted to do. So, we think about humans, our thoughts, processes, emotions, and mental models (as we call them, an industry), and then mix that with technology. Technology enables people to achieve what they want to do. And then, design is the facilitator of that experience.

So all of a sudden, I was like: this is it.

Running facilitation workshops is a manifestation of all these things that I've been able to learn and apply at work. They come together in a format that I designed myself, and then I use it, and then we can create new experiences and teach with that. 

Naomi Haile: Do you have a story of an experience you came into contact with that really ‘wow’ed you, maybe even before you had the language for a user experience? Or were there any products that you came into contact with, apps, or even physical in-person experiences that ‘wow’ed you?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Oh, that's a great question. I'm constantly thinking about user experience.

Whether navigating through an app like Google Maps or exploring new places, I'm constantly attuned to the design and functionality of spaces.

Before becoming a student at Concordia, I remember submitting a portfolio with work I've done before and some of the ways that I was thinking about the world.

One particular project that resonated deeply with me was an essay I wrote on IKEA's architectural initiatives in Africa, which aim to improve living conditions in refugee camps.

Thinking back at my origin story, and the refugee life, and then how to actually create environments that are livable and comfortable. The spaces that we live in definitely impact the way that we think and feel.

When it comes to physical spaces like restaurants and bars, I'm always intrigued by the interplay of design elements. When creators of spaces think about how things are moving, the lighting, are there high ceilings? It may be a smaller space, but maybe it feels cozy? Are they using plants? What different materials they used to create an environment and a feeling around is something. 

I think about this every single day.

As for apps, I'm drawn to those that prioritize the user's emotional journey. Take, for instance, FinTech apps that aim to alleviate the stress of financial transactions. The ones that succeed are those who can communicate security and reliability in a relatable, even humorous manner. When users add their banking information, apps can speak to that moment and show that it is safe and secure. And they will write it in a way that is relatable, right? And it makes you laugh, which I find cool when companies can do that.

Naomi Haile: There's a lot of research on this. I'm currently designing an experience at one of the companies that I consult with and it's amazing when you break down the phases of a client lifecycle from what happens before a customer through, to when they've become a customer. I learned that, even if they're excited that they found someone who could help them with a particular challenge that they have, they still experience buyer's remorse.

As you mentioned, knowing the different emotions that come up throughout helps you affirm the customer. Show them that we're going to take care of them. You do that through language; you do that through experience. 

With companies that you've observed or worked with, do you think that [user experience] is typically an afterthought, or are you seeing a trend toward making it a critical part of the process?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Amazing question. I'd say that most of the time, unfortunately, it is an afterthought, but it is usually because companies, and let's say specifically like tech companies, spend most of their time trying to figure out if the technology is actually working because if it doesn't, then you cannot enable that experience to happen.

I have a partnership with Draw Backwards. It's an agency based in the United States, and they do UX work as well, but on a grand scale. I reached out to them because they created this framework that uses ladders to help companies know where they stand in terms of their user experience. The pinnacle is stage five—a level where companies deeply understand user needs and seamlessly integrate them into their products or services, tailored to fit users' environments and behaviors.

“The journey from stage one, where companies are grappling with technical challenges, to stage five, where they are enriching users' lives with meaningful value, is a significant evolution. It's about more than just functionality; it's about making a tangible difference in users' lives.

Many people want that. If you're designing technology, how exactly can that technology bring something of value to someone's life and actually make it better? Is it going to save them time? Is it going to save them money? Are they going to think on a different level and really upgrade their thinking patterns, habits, and discipline?”

But it's really hard to get there. And it takes a lot of time and data and effort and design as well. Design has to be at the center to get to that stage. And so most of the time, it's not necessarily an afterthought, because it's on purpose. And some companies don't have the tools or the skill set internally to be able to get there. They may not even know the value of design or human-centered philosophy.

Naomi Haile: What brings you the most joy about doing this work? Also, what challenges you the most?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: I will talk about a workshop I did with a client. I was working with a company here in Montreal that wants to build a technology experience– an app to support patients with cancer, specifically women with breast and ovarian cancer. 

The founder invited a friend and patient, someone who experiences that specific condition, to support us in helping us understand our journey and to actually take that, extract it, and turn it into insight that can help us design a better product.

That person was in the workshop with us. My team was there, and we went through our typical design workshop. And she would share during that workshop her experiences: how she spent time in the hospital, how much time it took for doctors to actually figure out a diagnosis for her condition. It took her almost two to three years for her until the end. I was doing my job and facilitating the session, but I almost had tears in my eyes because I realized how precious life is.

Her experience was so tough that she was willing to share it with us, and sharing it with us would also enable us to create something that would be valuable to more people who are actually in the same situation and have the same condition.

I really like my job because I make an impact on people. Hearing her experiences was challenging, but they also validated my goal as a designer, researcher, and someone with a company focused on building better technology.

I want to make tech better.

And I know that technology is going to continue to get better and expand, and AI is going to take more space in our lives and the way that we think and do things.

I also have this ethos that tech can do good, and we can design it to do that. So, how do we like to take the initiative to move technology in that direction? That experience showed me that we can create delightful moments and can actually change people's lives through technology.

Naomi Haile: What was your impetus and what really encouraged you to say, "There's an opportunity here. I see a challenge." What was your thesis for wanting to start with Wabala Studios? Because it's not, it's starting a company for one. And it's a huge undertaking. So, what was really the thesis that got you started on that path?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: That's a good question. And it's funny because I was messaging someone on LinkedIn this morning who was like a design UX leader in the space, and I was telling him how I'm still Trying to craft and find a nice lane for what Wabala Studio is.

I started Wabala Studio in 2022, and I officially incorporated it. I had an idea of what I wanted to create, but I'm still forming that idea, improving it, and tweaking it.

When I had the idea to start Wabala Studio, I thought that my perspective as someone who is East African, has a design background, has worked in research and service design, and as someone who's really interested in culture. I’ve spent time learning other languages. I learned Korean for six months, I was practicing and actively learning it. Thinking about all these different perspectives that live within me, I thought that it could be interesting to create a space for design and research from someone who is atypical and weirdly shaped (aha). If you envision me like a sphere, I have all these corners (aha).

At first, I thought that I wanted to start something that could bring a team together, not necessarily a big agency with 100 people. How could it actually do work that's empowering and still be a niche, small team that’s a powerhouse. That was my first idea.

“I'm constantly thinking about frameworks or ways to condense and put together information in a digestible way. And also to create frameworks that help people think better.”

That's why I lead workshops: I create frameworks that help teams and founders think about their products differently so that we can prioritize and categorize them. So that we can develop an idea that has the power to be great once we build it. The perspective of designing frameworks that help teams understand information and make decisions was constantly in my mind.

That's why I started with Wabala Studio. I saw so many examples around me of business owners who created creative businesses or even accounting businesses. I wanted to create something of my own, and test  out this journey of entrepreneurship, and see if it works for me or not.

Working in a company has always been difficult for me, I've always enjoyed working in teams and had great relationships with my managers, but to be fully honest with you, I've always had trouble with the structure of a nine-to-five. 

So, I've always looked for ways to work with my lifestyle and my way of thinking and doing things. I could spend four hours writing an article or something like that. And then, two hours later, I'm going for lunch with a friend, and I come back and brainstorm an idea for something. Then, I'll do a competitive analysis for a client. So I'm constantly moving in between the flow state and then, you know, like being in a moment living with friends, seeing my family, and spending time with my loved ones.

I find it difficult to have a really fixed structure because I have this weird way of moving in the world. And maybe you can relate to that as well…

Naomi Haile: Very much, very much. And I didn't even know that I valued that until moving to New York and starting school here and having that flexible schedule where I had a chance to study when I go downtown, hang out with people, come back, go to class, like it was very malleable, just depending on how I was able to like structure my week, but it didn't mean that I had to compromise on things that I wanted to do in my life. And so I completely understand.

I'd love to get your thoughts on the gig economy and how the nature and future of work are changing. I'm assuming that you tested out [the gig economy] a little bit—working evenings and weekends. Maybe you had a few clients with whom you were able to test out pieces of what this larger vision would look like before you went in full-time. What was that journey for you?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: I've always been a gig economy person before it became a word or thing that exists today.

I remember that after college (I graduated in 2014), I started freelancing right away because I started learning graphic design, and then I would take a year-and-a-half-long graphic design course.

And so I started freelancing in 2016, or 2017. So, even when studying, I would have a client on the side two or three times. And I remember my managers would always ask "Are you sure you can manage all that work?" and I was like, "Yeah, I can do it".

And so I would work on weekends, in the evening, after I finished my shift at work at five, I would go into a coffee shop. And I would spend a couple of hours working something on the side. Either it was client work, or I was building something from scratch or my own because I had this idea. And so I've always lived like that. And I found it every day. So I've been part of the gig economy for a bit.

“Even when I was working full time, I would have one or two clients on the side as well because I enjoyed the versatility of juggling multiple projects and moving in between them. And so it's always been fun for me.

In 2022, I had my first agency client, so I hired people on my team as subcontractors for a different project. So I could test the model for a year or so before jumping on the wagon to start the agency.”

To this day, I'm still figuring out how to shape it to fit my lifestyle because I'm thinking about what kind of life I want to live. Do I want to live a life where I'm on 24/7, always on calls, always in meetings, and responding to client work?

One thing that I think about is what retirement would be like for someone like me. And if I want to live that traditional life, I could retire in my 50s or 60s, depending on where it lands in the next decades. But I've always thought about what it would mean for me to retire early, and have a flexible schedule. And I still want to do work, because I can’t be idle.

I think about my retirement every year, multiple times a month.

Naomi Haile: We're like the same person, haha.

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Right. So, what would retirement mean to me? What would it look like, and what kind of life do I want to live? How can I design it so that I am there in the next 5, 10, 15 years and don't hate my life because I created a big monster? 

I can design my agency to be huge if I want to and put the work in the effort, but do I want to have that kind of weight on my shoulders? I think about how I can design my business to fit into the lifestyle that I want.

Naomi Haile: That's fantastic. The rates of individuals in both America and Canada who are exploring alternative ways of working are rising, and it's going to continue to rise. And whether people have full-time roles and are exploring things like we both did on weekends and during evenings. It’s also an opportunity for people to make income if they are unemployed for a period of time.

What are some of your projections around how people can maximize their time, monetize their skills, and create a lifestyle that aligns more well with what they're looking for and desiring?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: I'm also thinking about the future: by 2030 or 2035, most people will move from full-time to part-time or contract work. And so, in the next decade or so, the gig economy will be the default, especially when it comes to AI and its capacity – what it can do in 2024 will exponentially grow and expand. It will also influence companies to decide to hire less and focus on specific skill sets. And even skill sets that match AI in a way.

Think human and computer interaction or collaboration.

And so when it comes to "AI taking over as an entity and the human race disappearing" rhetoric, it's more like AI will have more and more space in our work environment. People will move slowly away from the full-time defaults and closer to the contractor work, and even business owners like lifestyle and have a business on the side, right? People will build something from scratch on their own, whether it's content creation or having your nail spot right in the city and selling digital products, ebooks and things like that.

I'm creating a newsletter in the next few weeks that will discuss this specifically. Because I realize how scary it could be to think and ask yourself "How am I going to adapt to that new future?" I also need to know if I have the proper skills to match the skills needed in the next decade.

You're probably asking questions like:

  • What do I do to prepare?

  • How can I align with those needs?

  • How do I still create a sustainable lifestyle with a business and have a balance?

So I realized that's a problem for me as a person who has a business but also wants to live a full life, spend time with my friends and my partner, cook all the time, and be creative. How can I balance all these things?

So, I will create something around that and share it on LinkedIn and everywhere else because it will be a significant conversation, especially for women.

Naomi Haile: I love the space. Even in casual conversation with friends and with peers and acquaintances, there is that tug that some people have around. "Oh, I'm facing this challenge or conflict at work." And when you're inquisitive about it, when you start asking questions about what they want in their life, what is it that really excites them and fuels them, how you're able to contribute and use your gifts to help other people, potential and possibility opens up.

Just because we've done it this way doesn't mean that you need to continue doing it. There is an abundance of opportunity for you to thrive, and so yes, I love that—we'll definitely link the newsletter. 

Anne-Marie, I'm curious about you and your own process of introspection and learning more about what you've alluded to. Asking yourself questions about what you want: "Oh, does the way that I'm doing this right now feel good and actually align with the life that I want to continue to create?" What have you learned about yourself and your 'why' when it comes to your work, how you spend your time, and how you educate people? What have you learned about your why and your purpose over the last couple of years?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Yeah, that's a super good question. I've definitely journaled about this in the last five years. I like to spend time thinking about these questions and really think about who I want to be and what kind of work I want to do.

And I realized that I also attract work that's quite mission-driven. Companies are building things that will create more sustainability in the world, both socially and environmentally, such as wellness apps, etc. One thing that I realized that is my 'why,' and you mentioned it in my bio, was this change-making aspect of things, how to empower people, or especially women, to be their best selves so that they can align with their mission and what they're meant to do, align when it comes to their skill set, and personalities and values.

It's something that I think about a lot. Leading workshops, not just for clients, but also when I went to universities and talked to students and things like that, I realized how much people value one-on-one conversations and interactions to support them in their expansion as people for them to be able to think about what they need themselves, where they could be instead of where they are, and then also to have hope about what's coming as well.

So that they can hear your story of how you got here and who you've worked with. Then, being inspired by that story, they can imagine what that could look like. And so that's what I realized is a 'why' for me.

It's how I can actually be in spaces where I talk to people who can relate to me and my stories, and then that story can help them be more hopeful. They also think about the future and are motivated by what's coming for them. They like to work on the things they've been putting on the side or thinking about, but they just need more time. 

Naomi Haile: Your lens and perspective on seeing the good in the future are inspiring. This lens often gets cast to the side when talking about the dangers. You've mentioned the hope and possibilities around AI. That's not a dominant narrative out there right now. Part of it is because of the lack of information people can access about what this can do and how they can leverage it.

You offer a fresh perspective that I truly, deeply appreciate.

As we wrap up the episode, I'm curious to know about mission-oriented and mission-driven companies that either have a product or service that they're offering to clients. They may be established, have been in the market for over five years, and want to delight their clients and those they serve. What is a good starting point, and what are ways that people can start to think differently about how they design and support the people they serve?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: Amazing question. I say one thing that they could do, and this goes back to workshopping and doing it in teams, what could be interesting is, if it's a company that wants to improve their user experience, they could run a workshop and even invite us to run it and really think about things that they could do that if they didn't have the boundaries/constraints/team setup that they have at the moment because sometimes teams are really stuck in the framework that they've created for themselves.

Let's say team members are struck like teams are structured this specific way, or this is how we typically approach it because that's how we've always done it before, and it's kind of like these invisible walls that are created. And teams only see them once they realize that. But then, what would things look like when those invisible walls are brought down? What would things look like if the constraints you've worked with or always worked with did not exist? What would things look like if the types of clients that you'll work with were aligned with the desires of that company specifically?

So, they can start thinking about ways to expand their services or the way that they create their new team, and they could start to expand how they actually onboard new team members.

From the start, they can actually have the right vision, stories, or philosophy when it comes to that specific company. And so, bringing down the invisible walls that have been created before can be a really powerful exercise. 

I am also thinking about ways to, incrementally or on a small scale, test out things to see how they are received or if they resonate with team members, clients, customers, users, etc. And that's something I learned working in agile teams that work super fast. And you know, we start it over and over again, move things, change features every couple of weeks, and test new things. And so, the agile way of working can be really powerful.

Teams that have been established for five, six, and ten years, that are used to doing the same thing, can experiment for a couple of days. You ideate and brainstorm new stuff you can bring on, then create these testing environments within the company. And then, you go out and validate those ideas with your audience, customers, clients, and users.

And test them out on a small scale so that it doesn't cost that much. It can be testing flavors. If you have a cafe, it can bring out a jazz player in the middle of the cafe and test it for a day. It can be changing a light and kind of asking customers, what do you think about this new lighting fixture? It can be adding a new feature and then seeing how people resonate with it, how many people click, and things like that.

Testing things on a small scale can be a powerful new way to move in an incremental direction.

Naomi Haile: Finding ways to get that immediate feedback. That's great. Thank you. Anne-Marie, thank you. You shared a lot of fantastic ideas today, and I'm really excited for you to share the products that you have as well if you want to show them again. If I'm not mistaken, one was related to onboarding.

Anne-Marie Mulumba: This one is specifically for onboarding or tech onboarding on software, web apps, and mobile. It is just a kit to help companies think about the first stage of their experience because, typically, people drop off. It's that first impression when they have expectations about how things will be or whether their expectations are met.

How can we create an experience that creates a tech high for someone? Then, we'll be able to align with those expectations, create something that is valuable for the user from the start, and give them a taste of what they're going to actually experience within the app.

Naomi Haile: I love the decks because, as we mentioned in our last call, they're a very good touch point for people who want to learn more about your world, your frameworks, and how you think. And they're a very low-cost entry point to get a chance to work with you without necessarily directly working with you.

Once people pick up those card decks and start using them, they will realize that they need to work with you. Your ability to productize your services and offer people different ways to learn is brilliant. Thank you for sharing that. I'm very excited about your newsletter. What is the best place for people to connect with you online?

Anne-Marie Mulumba: LinkedIn is definitely the best place right now, and you can also check out Wabalastudio.com. 

I would love to see you there. We have a chatbot that you can interact with and send a secure message to. Through our website, you can find the card decks if you want to check them out and see how they're built, who else bought them, and what they say about them. Thank you.

Naomi Haile: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us on this show, Anne-Marie. We will catch you all in the next episode.

Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts


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