I'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.
the design was done. it had been reviewed, refined, and approved. now it was time to build. one of the features — small but important — was a theme toggle. light and dark mode, just like in the app. but framer, our chosen platform for the new product marketing site at SwanIT Oy, didn’t give me an easy way […]
ever got to a point in your design journey where you get stuck on a project for hours simply because you’ve been searching for the right font to use or the perfect color combination? i bet you have. i have too. as a designer seeking growth, there’s constant pressure—even from within—to produce a much better […]
the truth about recognition and reward late 2022, i was offered a slot for “abia 35 under 35” — a government-sponsored and recognized award — not because i had applied for it or was officially selected, but as a form of compensation for volunteering to handle the branding and visuals. i declined. my reasoning? if i truly […]
i woke up at 3:33 am today, and as is my routine, i checked all my mailboxes. i was about to mark all unread emails as read when a subject line caught my attention. it was a Nathan Barry newsletter, and it read: “entrepreneurship is a trauma response.” curious about how this game i love—one i’ve […]
but embarrassment is fun i have always thought about my friend whose surname is Dick, or an acquaintance whose name is also Gabriel but would rather tell the world his native name, which almost always makes people say, “come again?” or “what did you say?” i’m “people” because i still don’t know what the native name is or how it’s spelled. […]
what my nephew taught me about waiting my nephew is 14 months old, and i’m happy to be a huge part of his daily life. i’m currently staying with my sister due to a recent relocation — at least until i get my footing and understand my new environment. i love him, and most importantly, […]
sponsored by extreme frugality i have always considered myself frugal — or so i thought. i never bought anything i didn’t need, never spent beyond a certain percentage of my income, saved a significant portion, and avoided parties and oblee (being introverted, after all). but there was one exception: gadgets. when it came to tech, my frugality […]
i met a couple in church. they had chosen to testify, given the opportunity, as is the routine. they had raised their hands, the man and the woman. the moderator was confused. he knew they were a couple, so what was it gonna be? separate testimonies or a single, joint testimony? turns out it was […]
a vain babbling it was day one at the global game jam in vaasa. while my colleagues and i were brainstorming ideas for our game, a guy walked in — and i couldn’t help but stare. he was ridiculously handsome. his face looked like it was sculpted by venus herself. the details were just right […]
it’s insane how many opportunities slip away from us simply because we don’t try. i was part of a fully funded trip to the arctic game development conference 2025 in sweden — an opportunity originally meant for only three people. afraid of the competition such a chance would attract, i hesitated but applied anyway. turns […]
