Rwanda, a rapidly developing East African country, is gaining recognition for its growing creative industries, though design professionals remain a relatively small and valuable talent. Making up only about 0.1% to 0.5% of the country’s roughly 6-million workforce (statistics from the Rwanda National Institute of Statistics and the International Labour Organization), designers play a unique role in shaping Rwanda’s built environment and cultural identity. Among this selected group is Ngendahimana Jean de Dieu, who harnesses innovative tools like Coohom to bring his brilliant ideas to life.
Ngendahimana is an interior design and wood enthusiast, who has always been inspired by passion and connections. He has bachelor’s degrees in both Forest Engineering and Wood Technology and is experienced in construction, designing custom 3D wall decoration objects, and operating CNC machines (Computer Numerical Control machines). When studying wood technology, he was taught to use wood from scratch, from sawmilling in the forest to processing it until it gets to terrain ready to be used. That explains why he began studying interior design as a college course and pursued it as a career after graduation. “Mostly wooden elements endure the most in interior spaces.”
In March 2025, Ngendahimana got to know Coohom when he asked his fellow remote designer what he used to make great-looking 3D models. After signing up and trying out the free version, he liked Coohom and started to use it officially. Below, Ngendahimana is sharing his amazing design journey with Coohom.
Coohom: Ngendahimana, when you first started using Coohom, how did you feel?
Ngendahimana: When I began, I was excited to use it because I was witnessing some user-friendly and good features that I haven’t seen in any other software I have ever used.
Coohom: What is your workflow, and what role does Coohom play in it?
Ngendahimana: I don’t just do interior design when it comes to a job; I am a designer of architecture and a constructor for timber structures. Coohom assists me with discovering new kinds of decoration objects, attractive furniture designs, and different styles that I may be seeing for the first time. I then design them myself to understand all the details, including their dimensions, in order to satisfy the customization needs of my clients. After completing the interior design according to the client’s preferences, I may even develop a model file that will help the client connect with nearby manufacturers or print the model.
Coohom: Besides Coohom, what other design tools have you used? How do they compare?
Ngendahimana: Other tools I use are ArchiCAD, SketchUp, SolidWorks, and Fusion 360 (for object design programming). Coohom has many advantages in comparison. It is user-friendly, it has natural, realistic rendering, it has a large model library, it’s fast, and so on.
Coohom: What are the features/functions that really impressed you or that you find especially useful?
Ngendahimana: 3D modeling, and custom object insertion and be used in the existing design. Those were cool.
Coohom: What do you mainly use Coohom for in your projects?
Ngendahimana: Those templates, like video, etc. There are many things that I like in Coohom, e.g., efficient in photo-realistic renders, neat walkthroughs, etc. It helps with saving time when it comes to templates, though it hasn’t yet become an essential part of my workflow.
Coohom: Are those videos mainly for promotional purposes, or do you use them to present design ideas to your clients?
Ngendahimana: Yeah, for promotion and presentation. Coohom covers them all when it comes to a neat look of a model. Clients like those.
Coohom: Could you share with us the project that you are most proud of? And why is it special to you?
Ngendahimana: This project is not very big, but it is the project that I am most glad to hold. I was assigned to design a recreation area (a zone of the center) and make the plan. Since I like sports, I was glad to design a space where people feel free and happy.
Such stories and feedback from users like Ngendahimana demonstrate the value and beauty of Coohom, and Coohom is more than glad to have become an indispensable role player in countless awesome design projects. This is Coohom: an interior design software that makes design and life easier and better.
