Angella Miriam Birungi
Software Engineer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Birungi Angella Miriam is a community-driven developer who is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems, especially in education and local communities. She gained practical experience during her internship at Sumic IT Solutions, where she worked on web development, UI/UX design with Figma, and collaborative development using Git. She has contributed to projects like Aeromind, a mental health wellness application for pilots , where she combined frontend development with teamwork and user-focused design.
Miriam is also a Partnerships lead at GDG Cloud Mbarara and has been involved in organizing tech events such as inter-university hackathons. As a speaker and facilitator, she has presented at DevFest Mbarara 2025, "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/miriam-angella-birungi-498616283_devfest-gdgcloudmbarara-techcommunity-activity-7400891528254046208-5ZU2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAET39DQBeuE7rX4HhRSPaDM64pr0uxlzSlk" ,delivered talks on Figma and design, "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/miriam-angella-birungi-498616283_figma-uiux-gdgcloudmbarara-activity-7373283531516612608-1gp6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAET39DQBeuE7rX4HhRSPaDM64pr0uxlzSlk" and hosted community sessions, where she focuses on m…
Abstract
Design is often viewed as something that belongs only to frontend development, while backend developers focus mainly on functionality and performance. However, decisions made at the backend such as how data is structured, how APIs are designed, and how workflows are handled, play a major role in shaping the overall user experience. This talk challenges that separation by showing how user-centered thinking can influence backend development and lead to more intuitive, effective systems. Drawing from real-world experience building school-based applications like inventory and student systems, it highlights how technically sound solutions can still fail if user needs are not considered early in the process. Through practical examples, the talk introduces simple ways developers can begin integrating UI/UX thinking into their backend work without needing advanced design skills. It focuses on understanding user flows, aligning system logic with real-world use cases, and making small but impactful design decisions during development. Aimed at beginner to intermediate developers, this session helps bridge the gap between functionality and usability, equipping attendees with a mindset and approach that enables them to build Python applications that not only work well but also make sense to the people using them.