Levi Wanyoike

Levi Wanyoike

Founder @Sarai

About

I’ve spent a few decades building brands and digital products across Europe and Africa—acting as Head of Experience Design, Senior Partner and Creative Director.

My studio Sarai™ works with boutique lifestyle brands to elevate their digital presence and drive commercial success.

Hooked on wellness and the outdoors. What’s your vice?

Projects

2024

Komai is the debut in Sarai’s exclusive prebuilt Hospitality Collection, a minimalist yet visually immersive launch-ready website created to enhance the brand presence of any discerning boutique hotel or luxury villa.

Visit live demo

2024

Chaku is the latest addition to Sarai's exclusive, premium prebuilt Hospitality Collection.

It’s characterized by a distinctive narrative-driven design, crafted specifically for high-end culinary brands.

Visit live demo →

2023
Zanzibar Exclusive Listings: Brouchure Design at Sarai

Zanzibar’s rich history, a blend of Swahili, Arabian, Indian, and Persian influences, is embodied in the iconic Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

For the past four years, Sarai has meticulously explored the East African coast, curating rare real estate opportunities tailored for a discerning and elite clientele.

This brochure was designed in-house and highlights two of the most coveted and exclusive listings in southern Zanzibar, offering unparalleled luxury and distinction.

2022
Beach Cottage Upgrade: Architectural + Interior Design, Presentation Design at Sarai

A local businessman sought our assistance to rehabilitate his property, an old A-frame beach cottage in Diani, Kenya.

The key issues identified were:

1. Significant wear and tear, particularly on the roof, necessitating a thorough inspection.

2. The A-frame design of the top floor resulted in a large portion of the space being unusable.

3. The existing floor plan of the cottage was impractical for contemporary living.

2022
Pakawa Residential Development: Architectural Design and Brochure at Sarai

Pakawa is a Swahili word derived from “Paukwa, Pakawa” - a phrase rooted deep in our African culture of storytelling.

It simply means “it became”. As in - that which you wished for or dreamt, came to be, and it was the first architectural design project from Sarai.

A series of four volumes come together to form a small community of spacious resort style apartments and penthouses.

2022
Techmax: Brand Strategy and Presentation Design at Growthia

Techmax, a leading IT Security Consultancy in East Africa, needed to shift from a product-driven approach to a solution-focused mindset to keep up with emerging technologies like AI and Cloud.

Through a two-day workshop, I helped them transition into a dynamic cloud migration provider and developed a new brand narrative and messaging framework.

2020
Matopê: Brand Strategy, Identity, Packaging & Press Campaign Design at Sarai

A while back, a private client engaged Sarai to create a visual identity and press campaign for a luxury cosmetics brand. The target was an AB audience, so the concept needed to position the brand as a premium product that stands out in a competitive market.

2020
Nos Fonté: Strategy & Identity at Growthia

This project kicked off with a strategy workshop in order to define the target audience, competitors, and industry trends.

We positioned Nos Fonté as an innovative wealth management firm that "shifts perspective."

The resulting brand story and visual language, featuring a Rich Dark Green and Gold palette, reflect sophistication, trustworthiness, and expertise.

2019
Tigo: Wakala Agent App at AIM Group

Tigo, one of the largest telcos in Tanzania at the time, employed over 300,000 people, including an extensive network of Wakalas (Swahili for agents). These agents handled key tasks such as SIM registration, mobile money, and airtime vending. However, existing electronic registration tools lacked efficiency and provided a poor user experience.

The project’s aim was to design a product specifically tailored to the needs of *wakalas*. With a limited timeframe, I focused heavily on user research to understand their challenges, followed by developing user flows and low-fidelity wireframes. During the visual design phase, I created the *Wakala+* identity while aligning it with Tigo’s brand attributes, envisioning it as a potential stand-alone product.

What we learnt: The project underscored the importance of Human-Centered Design (HCD) by deeply involving *wakalas* in the design process, ensuring the solution was built *for* and *with* them.

Despite the pitch not being successful, the experience highlighted the value of thorough user research and iterative design, reinforcing the need to prioritize user needs to create impactful solutions, even within constrained timelines.

2019
The Overhang: Naming and Brand Identity at AIM Group

This was an exciting stay and project. The resort is a collection of luxury beach cabins and tents in Dar es Salaam’s scenic Kigamboni district. The cabins are literally perched on a 30-foot cliff overlooking the ocean - and this is what inspired the name and logo.

2018
Vodacom: Workforce Automation Platform at AIM Group

I led the design and delivery of a complex solution for Vodacom Mozambique to improve the visibility and management of field staff activities. Starting with extensive user research and fieldwork, I guided a cross-functional team through workshops to understand and define the problem. We then developed wireframes and interactive prototypes based on continuous feedback and testing.

The final product—a mobile app with an integrated reporting dashboard—enabled field agents to capture market data, manage inventory, and interact with customers.

This solution improved operational efficiency and provided better management oversight, benefiting both the design practice and business outcomes.

Side Projects

2023
Monsoon House: Architectural Design at Sarai

An idea that started with a sketch on my phone about a beach villa on the East African coast of Watamu, that really pushes the term “indoor-outdoor living”.

One of the key goals earlier in the project was to promote family unity. I wanted to allow for both private and communal spaces, hence the large deck connecting all the spaces. The landscape incorporates a self-sustaining eco-system, honoring existing trees - like the one growing out of the deck - thus linking the structure to its natural surroundings.

This was a fun project in my quest and commitment towards sustainable architecture, and how design can enhance quality of life while respecting local ecology and culture.

Tools: Google Keep, Noteability, SketchUp and Twinmotion.

Speaking

2019
Think Like a Designer at Google I/O
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 🇹🇿

While heading experience design at a digital agency, I was invited by the local GDC community to present at an I/O event.

During my talk, I introduced young developers to Human-Centered Design (HCD) and the principles of design thinking, emphasizing the significance of research in software development.

We covered some key strategies;

  • Always seek to understand user needs first through empathy by viewing problems from their perspective.

  • Organize interactive workshops to practice design thinking phases using real-world challenges.

  • Create a collaborative environment for open idea sharing and iterative feedback.

  • Lastly, I highlighted the importance of rapid prototyping and iteration, and how to frame failure as part of the learning process.

Awards

2018
🏆 Gold Winner: Digital Campaign from Indigo Design Awards
2018
🏆 Gold Winner: App Design from Indigo Design Awards
2006
🥇 1st Place: Web Design from Kenya Design Excellence Award
2006
🥇 1st Place: New Media from Kenya Design Excellence Award

Work Experience

2021 — Now
Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪

Sarai is a design studio born from my passion for architecture, art, food, travel, and culture.

We work on-site and remotely.

2022 — Now
Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪

Growthia is an advisory firm I co-founded with a few close, talented colleagues. We support organizations across our diverse areas of expertise.

2016 — 2019
Head of Experience Design at AIM Group
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 🇹🇿

I led product design at a digital agency of 90+ persons, a role that was pivotal for my growth as a creative leader and really broadened my perspective across diverse fields and industries.

Key Contributions:

  • Established Core Practices: I developed Experience Design as a fundamental practice, enhancing collaboration among Product, Design, Research, and Engineering teams.

  • Expanded Design Capacity: Recruited and trained UI designers in UX and research methodologies.

  • Integrated Design and Engineering: Broke the common hard border between these two disciplines by training developers in UX/UI and involving them early in project discovery phases.

  • Enhanced Research Approach: Added a layer of Human-centered Design to include qualitative insights, resulting in more informed product experiences.

  • Introduced Rapid Prototyping: Enabled quick testing and iteration with clients and users.

  • Facilitated Workshops: Conducted Human-Centered Design workshops to address client challenges and educate internal teams.

Notable Projects:

  1. User research and design of a SaaS platform for Vodacom.

  2. Corporate website redesign for NMB Bank {Link →

  3. Naming and brand identity for boutique resort and artist residency - The Overhang {Link →

  4. UX audit and app redesign for music platform - Mkito.

2002 — 2016
Founder, Lead Designer at Equest Newmedia
Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪

As owner I wore many hats, but my key responsibility was leading my small team of collaborators through ideation and concept development for digital and print work for the likes of UNEP and the EU.

Around 2011, I shifted my focus to user experience, diving into new design tools and refining methodologies. I also deepened my understanding of business operations, which transformed my design approach. My primary goal became aligning business objectives with customer needs on every project.

2001 — 2002
Senior Web and Graphic Designer at 3mice Interactive
Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪

This was my first job at a purely digital agency, and my launch into user-centered design.

I worked closely with a team of 40+ to develop marketing websites for a number of key clients including Kenya Airways and Coca Cola.

2000 — 2001
Senior Web and Graphic Designer at Netsmart Interactive
Nicosia, Cyprus 🇨🇾

I did two years in beautiful Cyprus, and this is where I really got into front-end design after using Dreamweaver (we’ve come a long way!).

I now was able to create basic brochure websites with limited knowledge of code. This ultimately changed the game for me.

1998 — 2000
Web and Graphic Designer at Firstcom
Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

I moved to Ireland to attend film and photography school, and was fortunate to land a part-time job with a then young ad agency.

I was instrumental in establishing web design as a key discipline, but also grew my overall design skills while working alongside great art and creative directors.

Contact

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