I design it,then I build it.

I’m Khalifa, a product engineer based in Toronto. I bring design and code together to create apps for iPhone, Mac, and the web.

My work connects how a product looks, how it feels, and how it’s built, from the first concept to release.

Dakar, Senegalwhere I grew up

Toronto, Canadawhere I work

6,600 km, give or take

The short version

I grew up in Senegal and now live in Toronto. My background spans product design and software development, with studies in Digital Futures at OCAD University.

I’ve found my place where design and engineering meet. I can shape an interface and write the code behind it, keeping the experience consistent as an idea becomes a working product. Moving between both helps me make decisions about the whole experience.

That approach runs through my work, from leading frontend development for IntelliCourse to designing and building byOne, Pith, and Ply. My work on IntelliCourse led to an invitation from the Mastercard Foundation to the Global AI Summit in Kigali. Today, I also run Avenel, a design agency, and am pursuing an MBA.

How I work

Find the right shape.
I use sketches and Figma to work through the flow, structure, and visual direction. The goal is to make the product clear before getting into the details.
clarity comes first
Bring design into code.
I build in SwiftUI or React to see how the design feels in use. Layout, motion, and interaction develop together, with each informing the other.
design meets implementation
Carry it through.
I work through the details that make a product ready for everyday use: empty states, slow connections, and release requirements. After launch, I keep refining it through use.
the details ship too