ChimdinduCreativeDesignerI'm James Chimdindu — just a guy who makes things beautiful. I usually parade myself as an unsung genius because I aspire to excellence in everything I do, regardless of the scale. My career is a blend of creativity, precision, and Afrocentricity. I am fascinated by all the arts known to humans.
In the beginning...
Born over two decades ago, my journey in design began as soon as I could pick up a mouse. My mom owned a graphic design and print shop, and I was thrilled to join her on weekends when school was out—those early days sparked my interest in design, as I played around with tools like Photoshop 7, CorelDRAW 8, and even ZBrush. My siblings and I had our personal computer in the early 2000s—a true luxury at the time—which gave me early access to digital design and creative software. These experiences laid a strong foundation for what would later become a career in design.
I’ve always had an eye for detail—a trait that has shaped my approach to design from the very beginning. Starting out in graphic design, I transitioned into UI/UX design in late 2020, driven by the post-COVID shift toward digital experiences. This evolution marked a turning point in my career, as I expanded my focus to create user-centered designs that solve real-world problems.
I have a unique quirk for gamifying experiences, which has sparked a growing interest in game development. My goal is to leverage my design skills to create games that captivate and engage players. This quirk is evident in my portfolio, where you can explore themes from a theme library—one example being the Halloween theme. This approach combines my background in UI/UX with a playful and interactive edge. If you have any valuable resources or insights in game development, I'd love to connect and learn more.
Passion
One of the proudest milestones of my career was participating in NASA's International Space Apps Challenge 2024. In this globally renowned hackathon, I took on multiple roles as a UI/UX designer, presentation designer, frontend developer, copywriter, and DevOps specialist, collaborating with an incredibly talented team. Together, we developed a project that made high-level climate data accessible to everyday users, empowering them to make lifestyle changes that positively impact the environment. This experience sharpened my ability to juggle roles, manage complex projects, and work across disciplines—a skill set that has become a core part of my professional identity.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship has been a natural progression of my creative journey. As a co-founder of a design agency, I've helped clients and brands bring their vision to life through strategic design.
My latest endeavour, ColoSach, stands out as an expression of my commitment to promoting African arts. ColoSach is an Afrocentric image repository, powered by Solana cryptocurrency and offering a print-on-demand service that's set to redefine digital art curation. My work on this project combines my skills in brand identity, copywriting, social media, user-centred design, and crypto-based solutions to create an inclusive platform for African creators and art lovers.
a late night poem Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash thunder just roared and my eyes spring wide open sleep, which i fought so hard to fall into eludes me, again didn’t know it was raining outside. now it’s heavier, and louder not surprised though, it has rained every day since august i feel inspired, so i pick up my phone to write this […]
Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash prayer was a sacred ritual in our home. we prayed together in the mornings, sometimes at night, and always in church. we prayed on special occasions, like every december 31st to usher in the new year, and whenever there was a pressing need or a joyous event. for my family, and […]
here are 13 things you need to be successful happy faces at the framer community meetup kick-off event, vaasa, finland sixty three percent. well, a little over. that’s the conversion rate i achieved as a first-time event host in a new city, in a new country. pretty impressive statistics, you’d agree with me, especially considering i was […]
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash i have taken a much-needed break from everything — school, work, social media. i still have a couple of things to do every now and then, but the pressure is at its lowest since the year began. a few months back, i muted and unfollowed everyone across all ‘active’ social media. i hid […]
Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash august was a month of mixed feelings. it began on a solemn note with Kevin’s memorial and, shortly after, his funeral. the harsh reality was settling in: i would no longer have my best friend by my side for the rest of my life. for most of the month, i […]
i love my fate photo from the daily stoic newsletter by Ryan Holiday a blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it. — Marcus Aurelius i was maybe eight, with my mom outside our compound’s gate, when a woman i later knew was a neighbor approached us. she looked at me with disgust and […]
my latest thoughts on legacy Photo by Jennifer Grismer on Unsplash earlier this week, as i was deleting old social media accounts i’d abandoned, i came across facebook’s memorialization settings. i’d never made a decision on it. so i chose deletion. if i’m ever reported dead, erase it all. decisions around death and legacy haven’t always been easy […]
unpopular opinion the duality of friendships Photo by Aman Shrivastava on Unsplash i think of Kevin as my “best friend”. maybe he felt the same, maybe not. we met only ten months before his passing, yet we spent an ungodly amount of time together doing the most fun and crazy stuff — things only close friends, or even […]
nine one of those days at the library hey man, have you ever been so upset that you thought the only thing that would bring you relief was to splurge on expensive items? that was how i felt on the day of your memorial talk. i did not feel any better afterwards… not one bit. in […]
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash i deserve a love that writes me poetry,fills me up with ecstasyone that makes me the muse,in it, i’d never lose. one that holds me as its obsession,caring with so much intention,one that adores my quirks,and never, ever irks. one with hugs that feel like home,no matter how far i may roam,one […]
