DEV Community: Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa

Designed this question bank for an AI-powered exam prep platform.

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:56:43 +0000

Designed this question bank for an AI-powered exam prep platform.

Clean layout, easy filters, and a simple way to manage thousands of questions.Building a SaaS or EdTech product?

DM me. Let’s design yours.

When a Client Made Me Doubt My Own Design Skills

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:42:24 +0000

I didn't realize how much a client relationship had affected me until the project was over.

Ever since I terminated my contract with a previous client around the middle of September 2026, I've found it surprisingly difficult to get back into the zone.

I couldn't concentrate.

I couldn't design the way I normally do.

Even when I opened Figma, there was this voice in the back of my head asking:

“Is this actually good?”

And I knew exactly where that voice came from.

Have you ever heard the saying that an unhealthy relationship can make you afraid to enter another relationship again?

That was exactly what happened to me.

I thought I had seen difficult clients before

I've been freelancing for about two years, working with developers, clients and different teams.

I've handled revisions.

I've handled tight deadlines.

I've had clients disagree with my designs.

I've had designs changed after spending hours on them.

None of that was new to me.

But this experience was different.

For about three months, I worked with a Nigerian-based UK client, and gradually, the way the project was being handled started affecting how I saw myself as a designer.

It felt like everyone could see something in my work except the person I was working for.

The constant complaints.

The raised voice.

The repeated criticism.

The feeling that nothing was ever quite right.

At first, I thought:

“This is just part of freelancing.”

So I kept going.

150+ screens and counting

At one point, I had designed more than 150 screens, with more flows still left to complete.

The deadline was getting closer.

I had less than 10 days to finish the remaining work.

Yet we could spend a significant amount of time discussing things like a dollar sign that needed to be changed to a pound sign, or whether an icon should be a calendar instead of a clock.

Now, to be clear, those details matter.

A good designer should care about them.

The problem wasn't the feedback itself.

It was the way the feedback was delivered and the amount of mental energy each conversation consumed.

It became a pattern.

I'd hear things like:

“Why do I have to keep repeating everything to you?”

I'd respond:

Calm down. We still have time to go through everything.

But the conversations would continue.

My client also relied heavily on AI tools when making decisions about the product. He was using Claude MCP as part of his workflow, and sometimes he would compare the work against other products before deciding whether a direction was acceptable.

Again, using AI wasn't the problem.

The problem was that I started feeling like I was constantly defending my design decisions against another source of validation.

Instead of designing, reviewing and improving, I was increasingly designing while wondering what criticism would come next.

“Call me before you start working”

One instruction that stuck with me was:

“Call me before you start working.”

I understand wanting alignment.

In fact, good product design requires communication.

But when every design decision starts feeling like it needs prior approval, something changes.

You stop feeling like the designer responsible for solving the problem.

You start feeling like someone waiting for permission.

There were also moments when I'd hear:

“We need to look at these together.”

There's absolutely nothing wrong with looking at designs together.

That's what collaboration is.

But there is a difference between:

“This is looking good. Let's improve these areas.”

and:

“This design is wrong.”

When the second one becomes the dominant pattern, it starts getting into your head.

At least, it got into mine.

The night I realized something was wrong

There was one night I remember very clearly.

It was a weekday.

It had just stopped raining.

It was around 8 PM when he called.

We went through the usual feedback.

The currency symbol.

The icons.

Small details.

Things that needed fixing.

Then he asked:

“The deadline is close. Will you be able to deliver or not?”

And honestly, that question hit differently.

Because I knew how much time I had already spent.

Not just designing.

Explaining.

Re-explaining.

Jumping on calls.

Going through screens.

Trying to understand changing expectations.

Trying to defend decisions.

There were times when a call would leave me so mentally and physically exhausted that after it ended, I would just go to sleep.

I wasn't sleeping because I didn't want to work.

I was exhausted from the process.

And I think that was the moment I started realizing that something was seriously wrong.

I was no longer designing freely

This is probably the hardest part for me to admit.

I started doubting my own design judgment.

I'd open Figma and look at my work differently.

Instead of asking:

“Does this solve the user's problem?”

I'd ask:

“What is he going to say is wrong with this?”

That's a completely different way of designing.

I wasn't designing for the user anymore.

I was designing while anticipating criticism.

And once that happens, creativity becomes difficult.

I remember working on the mobile version of the booking system with a colleague.

We spent hours converting the screens.

We were tired, but we got the work done.

Then the feedback came.

“This is wrong.”

“This is wrong too.”

“This should be changed.”

We spent almost three hours discussing the designs.

And even after all of that, I still felt like the direction wasn't completely clear.

Eventually, I started realizing that what was expected wasn't necessarily what had been communicated to me at the beginning.

That was frustrating.

Because how do you confidently solve a design problem when the actual expectation keeps moving?

The decision

Eventually, I reached a point where I had to make a decision.

I told the client that I might not be able to deliver the remaining work.

That wasn't an easy decision.

I had spent months on the project.

I had invested time.

I had invested energy.

I had built a significant part of the product.

But I knew something else.

If I continued, I wasn't going to produce my best work.

And I wasn't mentally okay.

So I left.

That decision gave me relief, but it didn't immediately fix everything.

The part nobody talks about

The strange thing is that the project ended, but the effect didn't end immediately.

I had another client who liked my work and wanted to onboard me.

Normally, that would have been exciting.

Instead, I found myself struggling to concentrate.

I was looking at my designs expecting someone to tell me:

“This isn't good.”

“Change this.”

“Why did you do it this way?”

I had become so used to criticism that I started anticipating it even when nobody was giving it to me.

That's when I understood something.

Sometimes you can leave a difficult working relationship physically while still carrying it mentally.

And that's what I had to work through.

I had to take a break from designing.

Not because I had suddenly become a bad designer.

Not because I had forgotten everything I knew.

But because I needed to get my confidence back.

What this experience taught me

A senior colleague once told me something that stayed with me:

“These are all experiences. Nobody will truly understand them unless they've gone through something similar.”

I understand that now.

Some experiences teach you how to use Figma better.

Some teach you how to run a design process.

And some teach you how important it is to understand the person you're working with.

I've learned that client fit matters.

Communication matters.

How feedback is delivered matters.

Clear expectations matter.

And boundaries matter.

You can be good at what you do and still end up in a working relationship that makes you question yourself.

That doesn't automatically mean you're a bad designer.

Sometimes the environment simply isn't allowing you to do your best work.

My takeaway for freelancers and creatives

Before opening Figma.

Before opening your code editor.

Before starting that next project.

Understand who you're working with.

Just like you take time to understand the product, the users, the business and the requirements, take time to understand the person you're going to be working with.

How do they communicate?

How do they give feedback?

How do they handle disagreements?

Are expectations clear?

Do they trust the people they hire?

And most importantly:

Know when it's time to leave.

Leaving a project doesn't always mean you failed.

Sometimes, it means you recognized that staying was costing you more than the project was worth.

I'm still getting back into my rhythm.

I'm still rebuilding that confidence.

But I know one thing now.

I don't want to design from fear again.

I want to design because I understand the problem, I understand the user, and I trust the process I've built over the years.

That's the kind of designer I want to be.

And that's the experience I'll carry into the next project.

This is where I'll drop my pen, dear humble reader.

Designing a study group feature.

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 06:25:17 +0000

I’m designing a Study Groups feature for an AI learning platform 📚

Students can share what they’re studying, publish their profile, and let other students discover them based on similar goals.

The idea is to make finding study partners easier, encourage accountability, and make learning feel less like a solo activity.

Still working through the flows and details, but this is where the concept is heading.

What I’ve Been Building While Looking for My Next Opportunity

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 04:14:37 +0000

For a while now, I’ve been wondering what it actually takes to land an international role, especially one that could eventually lead to relocation.

I’ve thought about it a lot.

What do companies look for? What makes someone stand out? Is it the portfolio? Experience? How well you communicate in interviews? Or is it simply finding the right person at the right time?

So, instead of just wondering, I decided to keep working.

Since June, I’ve been working on two products: a SaaS web application and an EdTech mobile application. At the same time, I’ve been applying for roles, going through interviews, having conversations with companies and trying to figure out where I fit.

And honestly, it has been exhausting.

Interviews have probably been one of the hardest parts of this journey for me.

I can talk about my work, but I’m not the person who can sit for hours selling myself with perfect answers.

Ask me to tell you about myself, and sometimes I’m not even sure where to start.

But give me a problem, a user flow, a messy product, or a blank Figma file, and I know what to do.

I design.

I think through the experience.

I simplify things.

I work with developers and founders to turn ideas into products.

That’s where I’m strongest.

Building Flowwbook

One of the projects I’ve recently completed is Flowwbook, a SaaS platform designed for appointment-based businesses such as salons, spas, barbers, clinics and other service businesses.

The idea is simple: businesses should be able to manage their bookings and customer operations from one place instead of constantly moving between different tools and conversations.

The platform brings things like bookings, customers, payments, reminders, virtual queues and other business operations into one system.

I worked on the product experience from the design side, thinking through the different flows and how business owners, staff and customers would interact with the platform.

The product is now in production, with the frontend implementation still being completed.

"View the Flowwbook website" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/0)

Building an AI-Powered EdTech Product

The second project is an AI-powered EdTech mobile application for students preparing for JAMB, WAEC and NECO, with the current MVP focused on JAMB.

The goal is to make exam preparation more personalized and engaging instead of simply giving students a collection of resources and practice questions.

Students can select their JAMB subjects and target score, set their exam date, choose study resources, take micro-quizzes, track their results and receive personalized recommendations.

The app also uses gamification to encourage consistent learning through XP, streaks and progress tracking.

There are study groups where students can create groups, invite others and discuss what they are learning. Students can also compete individually and through groups.

The leaderboard expands beyond a single school or classroom. A student in Kwara State can see how they are performing against students in Lagos, Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria.

Another major part of the product is the mock examination experience.

The idea is to give students an environment that feels closer to the actual JAMB examination experience, allowing them to practise before the real thing.

For now, the product is an MVP.

The focus is to get it into the hands of users, learn what works, understand what needs to change and then build towards the next version.

I’m currently about 80% done with the mobile app.

What These Projects Have Taught Me

Working on both products at the same time has been stressful.

There have been days when I’ve had interviews, project meetings, design work and revisions all competing for my attention.

But looking back, I’m also grateful for the experience.

These projects have reminded me of what I actually enjoy doing.

I enjoy taking something complicated and trying to make it easier to understand.

I enjoy working through user flows.

I enjoy opening Figma and figuring things out.

I enjoy discussing a product with a founder or developer and turning an idea into something people can actually interact with.

That’s the kind of work I want to keep doing.

Where I Am Now

I have 3+ years of experience designing websites and mobile applications across different industries.

Most of my experience has come through freelance and contract work. I’ve worked directly with founders and developers, taking products from ideas and requirements through flows, interfaces and prototypes.
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What I haven’t had yet is the opportunity to work inside a traditional full-time product team.

And that is what I’m looking for now.

I’m looking for a full-time Product Design role or a strong contract opportunity where I can work with a real product team, contribute to products that are being used by real people, learn from other designers and product professionals, and continue growing through shipping.

I’m particularly interested in opportunities with international teams, including roles that could eventually create an opportunity to relocate and work from the company’s base.

I’m not claiming to know everything.

I’m simply a designer who enjoys solving problems, building products and getting better at the work.

For now, I’m going to keep doing what I know best.

Designing. Building. Learning. Shipping.

And hopefully, the right opportunity finds me along the way.

"Flowwbook" https://www.flowwbook.com/en-US/

"My Portfolio on Contra"
https://contra.com/mustofaalameen/work?r=mustofaalameen

What Kind of Product Designer Am I Becoming?

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 05:41:17 +0000

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

For a while, I simply called myself a UI/UX Designer. It was easy. That's what I was doing, and it described the work well enough.

But after working on more products, I've started to notice a pattern in the things I actually enjoy designing.

I like complicated products.

Give me a messy workflow, a long PRD, multiple user types, a dashboard with too much information, or an AI product that doesn't quite know how it should work, and I genuinely enjoy figuring it out.

I've worked on SaaS platforms, school management systems, AI products, EdTech, booking systems, dashboards and other web and mobile products.

And I think that's where my strength is beginning to sit:

Turning complicated product ideas into simple experiences.

I'm particularly interested in SaaS, AI products,complex lows and 0→1 products.

I also enjoy working closely with developers. I don't want my designs to just sit inside Figma looking nice.

I want to understand how they're going to be built, prototype the experience,

communicate the decisions and see the product actually ship.

That's also why I've been experimenting with AI tools in my design process.

Not because I think AI replaces product designers, but because it can help me move faster from an idea to something tangible.

Now I'm at another point in my career.

I've spent a lot of time working independently and with clients.

It's taught me a lot, but I want to experience being part of a strong product team.

I'm looking for an international company where I can work with experienced designers and engineers, contribute to real products, learn how larger teams operate and, eventually, relocate and work from their base.

I don't know exactly where that opportunity will come from yet.

But I know the kind of designer I'm trying to become.

A Product Designer who can take complexity and make it feel simple.

And I'm building toward that.

If you're also on a similar journey, I'd love to hear what you're working toward.

Sometimes, you have to be comfortable saying, “This working relationship isn’t working for me.

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 23:17:58 +0000

I almost walked away from a project recently.

Not because I couldn’t do the work.

Actually, I was doing the work. Designing screens, making changes, thinking through the UX, trying to understand what the client wanted.

But somewhere along the line, things started getting frustrating.

I’d design something based on the brief, send it over, and sometimes the response would be:

“This isn’t what I requested.”

Then I’d look back at the brief thinking, Wait… what did I miss? 😅

Sometimes the request would change. Sometimes I’d be asked to make something look like an existing design. And with every new round of feedback, I started realizing that the problem wasn’t necessarily my ability to design.

It was communication.

Expectations weren’t always clear. Feedback wasn’t always easy to translate into a design decision. And eventually, the project started taking more energy than it should.

That experience taught me something I probably should have learned earlier:

Being a good designer isn’t enough.

You have to know how to manage a client.

You have to ask better questions.

You have to document decisions.

You have to set boundaries.

And sometimes, you have to be comfortable saying, “This working relationship isn’t working for me.”

I’m still figuring out freelancing.

But every difficult project teaches me something the easy ones never could.

This one definitely did.

AI didn’t replace my design process. It changed how fast I could execute it.

Mustofa Al-Ameen Mustafa — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 22:11:12 +0000

AI didn’t replace my design process. It changed how fast I could execute it.

I’ve been experimenting with AI tools in my UI/UX workflow, and one thing has become clear:

AI is great at generating ideas.

But knowing what to build, what to remove, and why a user should care is still the designer’s job.

My workflow has started looking something like:

PRD → User flows → Wireframes → AI-assisted exploration → UI design → Prototype → Testing

The biggest win isn’t “AI designed this for me.”

It’s moving from an idea to something tangible much faster.

The tools are getting better every month.

The interesting part is figuring out how designers can actually use them without losing the thinking behind the work.

I’m still experimenting.

What’s your experience been like using AI in your design or development workflow?