Design Yangu · April 2026 — Sprint 3
We're Looking for Our First 10 Customers.
Not just buyers — founders of something. Kenya's first print-on-demand platform is live. We built it. Now we need the 10 people who'll become part of the story.
Spot #1 is yours — be the first.
Why does being first matter?
Here's the honest truth: every big brand had someone who was Customer #1.
The first person who ordered a Nairobi restaurant before it became famous. The first follower of a photographer who now has 200K. The first buyer of a handmade shoe brand that now sells to hotels.
Design Yangu is building the platform where Kenyan designers can sell custom merch without needing a factory, a budget, or a middleman. We launched March 17, 2026. We've shipped content, built the platform, written the code — and now we need the orders.
Be one of the first 10 people to order. That's it. No special tricks. Just the decision to try something new from people who built it with everything they had.
What every founding customer gets
The Product
A custom T-shirt designed by a Kenyan artist, printed and delivered to your door. Quality you can actually wear — not the thin, faded print that peels after two washes.
The Story
Your order number goes in our story. Literally. Ian (our founder) tracks every order in public build-in-public updates. You'll be referenced as one of the Founding 10. Names optional.
The Direct Line
Every founding customer gets a direct line to Ian. Not a chatbot. Not a support@ email. Ian himself — to follow up on your order, give feedback, or just tell him what you think.
The Real Price
We're not offering a gimmick discount. The price you see is the real price — from KES 1,200. What we're offering is the chance to be early, when it still means something.
Three steps. M-Pesa. Done.
Browse designs from Kenyan designers
Every product on Design Yangu was created by a Kenyan designer who earns from every sale.
Choose your size & pay with M-Pesa
M-Pesa STK push sends a payment request to your phone. Enter your PIN — done in 30 seconds.
We deliver to your door
Nairobi: 1–3 business days. Rest of Kenya: 3–5 days via courier. Tracking SMS when your order ships.
Delivery: Nairobi CBD & estates: 1–3 business days. Rest of Kenya: 3–5 days. Exact timeline confirmed in your order email.
The people behind your order
Ian Mutai — Founder
Ian built Design Yangu after years of watching Kenyan designers give up their work for free or sell it for less than it's worth. The platform is his attempt to fix that. He writes publicly about the build at @designyangu on Twitter.
The Designers
Every product on Design Yangu was created by a Kenyan designer who earns a cut of every sale. When you buy, they get paid. Directly. No agency fees, no “exposure,” no waiting 6 months for a cheque.
A few things we know you're wondering
"Is M-Pesa payment safe?"
Yes. We use the official Safaricom Daraja API — the same STK push flow you use to pay electricity or buy airtime. If anything goes wrong, you get a full refund. Full stop.
"What if the quality is bad?"
We reprint for free. No arguments. If the print quality doesn't match what you ordered, send us a photo and we'll redo it. That's our guarantee.
"Who handles delivery?"
We partner with G4S and Sendy for delivery. Once your order ships, you get a tracking update by email.
"What if I want to return it?"
Custom printed items can't be resold, so we ask that you check sizing before ordering. We have a sizing guide on every product page. Size error on our end? We replace it free.
M-Pesa payments
Safaricom Daraja API
Reprint guarantee
Wrong order? We redo it free
Tracked delivery
Nationwide coverage
The Founding 10 — Status
Updated as orders come in. First name + city only (privacy first).
| # | City | What they ordered | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 2 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 3 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 4 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 5 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 6 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 7 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 8 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 9 | Open | Waiting… | |
| 10 | Open | Waiting… |
Table updated manually by our team as orders are confirmed. Counter above is auto-synced.
Order #1 hasn't happened yet.
The code is live. The designs are real. The M-Pesa is wired. All we need is someone to press the button. That person could be you.
Not ready to buy yet? Stay close.
We send honest emails — no spam, no fake urgency. Just real updates on what we're building.
We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe any time. No questions asked.
“We're not a big corporation. We built this in 14 days with a small team that believed Kenyan designers deserved better. The first 10 customers make that real. If you're reading this — you might be one of them.”