Alcott

Setting the stage

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About - South Africa (GMT+2) - working globally

Verified Expertin Design

Bio

Portrait of Alcott Dube

I'mAlcottDube-aSeniorProductDesignerandUXConsultantbuildingdigitalproductsattheintersectionofbusinessstrategy,human-centereddesign,andtechnicalexecution.Ihelpstartupsandproductteamsmovefromscattereddesigndecisionsintocohesive,scalableproductecosystemsthatactuallysolveproblems.

Ilikebeinginthemiddleofthemessystuff-productthinking,UXarchitecture,systemsdesign,workflows,edgecases,conversionbottlenecks,developerhandoffconversations,andtheoccasional“thisentireflowneedstoberethought”moment.Izoomouttothinkaboutmarketpositioning,onboardingfriction,retention,andoperationalscalability-thenzoomstraightbackintoobsessoverinteractiondetailsandspacingsystems.

OvertheyearsI'vecollaboratedwithteamsacrossLosAngeles,theUK,Denmark,Thailand,Italy,andLatinAmerica.WorkingacrossculturestaughtmethatgoodUXisrarelyabouttrends-it'saboutclarity,behavior,trust,andunderstandinghowdifferentpeoplethink,navigate,andmakedecisions.

Ispecializeinbuilding0-to-1products,redesigninglegacyplatforms,andcreatingscalableUXsystemsforstartupsgrowingfasterthantheirinfrastructure.OnerecentPWArebuildreduceduserfrictionbymorethan70%-mostlybyremovingcomplexityandresistingtheuniversalstartuptemptationtoputseventeenfeaturesononescreen.

Becauseofmytechnicalbackground,Iworkunusuallywellwithengineeringteams.Iunderstandhowsystemsarestructured,howproductsscale,andwhatmakesdeveloperssilentlyquestionadesigner'slifechoices.I'mpartofahighlyselectiveglobalnetworkoftop-tierdesignersandconsultantswheretheexpectationissimple:thinkstrategically,executeproperly,andmaketheproductmeasurablybetter.

View Resume ↗LinkedIn ↗

Principles

  • 01

    Evidence-based design

    Decisions backed by research, behaviour, and measurable outcomes - not aesthetics alone.

  • 02

    Systems before screens

    Tokens, components, and patterns first. A coherent product is a coherent system.

  • 03

    Frictionless workflows

    Remove steps, not features. The fastest path to value is the one the user never notices.

  • 04

    Build to ship

    Designs that respect engineering - practical to build, maintain, and evolve over time.

Experience

  1. 2018 - Present

    Senior Product Design & Automation Consultant

    Independent / Toptal Network · Remote · Global

    Consulting for high-growth startups and enterprises across EdTech, PropTech, FinTech, and B2B SaaS. End-to-end UX strategy, design systems, and automation workflows that reduce manual overhead and increase conversion. Toptal-certified - Top 3% worldwide.

    • →Architected a modular design system for Graduin's EdTech PWA - 70% reduction in application friction
    • →Transformed raw geospatial data into investor-ready 3D marketing assets for AmTrust Realty (Manhattan)
    • →Designed a secure, zero-latency real-time bidding portal for GIMS x Horizon
    • →n8n automation workflows that remove manual overhead across client operations

  2. 2022

    UI/UX Designer (Consultant)

    Falcorp Technologies · Johannesburg

    Embedded as a contract product designer across financial services and technology clients including Momentum Metropolitan and Grant Thornton. Delivered rapid UX sprints for fintech dashboards and internal tooling.

    • →Led design of Momentum Metropolitan Africa's internal investment & insurance management portal
    • →Coordinated a cross-functional team of 8 designers and developers
    • →Built the Grant Thornton SA financial administration portal - complex data, strict security

  3. 2017 - 2021

    Full Stack Designer & Developer

    Alcott WebSpace · South Africa

    Founded and led a boutique digital studio producing web design, branding, and front-end development for SME clients. Built a reputation for high-craft digital work and expanded into UX consulting as client complexity grew.

    • →End-to-end ownership across branding, UI, and front-end build
    • →Foundation in shipping functional, visually refined digital experiences
    • →Transition point into product design and systems thinking

  4. 2016

    Junior Web UI Designer

    Tea and Coffee Studio · South Africa

    Supported the design team across web planning, interface mockups, and production documentation under senior mentorship. Hands-on experience in visual design, layout systems, and early-stage digital product workflows.

    • →Project management and design documentation
    • →UI mockups in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe XD
    • →Early exposure to structured product workflows

Toolkit

Practice

  • Product strategy
  • UX architecture
  • Design systems
  • 0-to-1 product execution
  • SaaS architecture
  • Conversion optimisation
  • UX auditing
  • WCAG accessibility

Craft

  • Figma
  • Adobe XD
  • Adobe Dimension
  • Framer
  • Hotjar
  • Maze
  • UserTesting
  • Miro

Code

  • HTML & CSS
  • JavaScript
  • n8n automation
  • Zapier / Make.com
  • GA4 / Mixpanel / Amplitude
  • Linear · Notion · Jira

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