Mapping Nyumbani
August 2022 - Ongoing
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Brief
Abu Dhabi’s Corniche waterfront is a vibrant public space where walkers, cyclists, and families gather daily, yet lacks accessible, hygienic, and sustainable water sources. While refill stations have been introduced to reduce single-use plastic, traditional drinking fountains remain scarce due to hygiene concerns and poor accessibility. This project aimed to redefine the public drinking fountain, making it more inclusive, sanitary, and environmentally sustainable, tailored specifically for Abu Dhabi’s hot climate and high-foot-traffic public spaces.
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Solution
Taking inspiration from Arabic calligraphy, the design features curved, enclosed nozzles that protect the drinking area from contamination when not in use. A hands-free foot pedal mechanism replaces traditional push buttons to enhance hygiene, while UV light sanitation eliminates bacteria between uses. Given Abu Dhabi’s strong sunlight exposure, integrated solar panels power the sanitation system, reducing maintenance and reliance on external electricity. The dual-height structure ensures accessibility for both standing users and wheelchair users, aligning with Abu Dhabi’s push for inclusive public spaces.
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Outcome
The AD Fountain provides a context-driven hydration solution designed for Abu Dhabi’s public infrastructure. It promotes hygienic, hands-free drinking, reduces plastic waste, and integrates seamlessly into the city’s sustainable urban development goals. The project demonstrates how culturally informed, user-centered design can enhance public health, accessibility, and sustainability in a high-use urban environment.
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Responsibilities
3D modeling, accessibility design, sanitation design, user research.
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Tools
Nomad Sculpt, Fusion 360, Rhino 3D, Adobe Illustrator, KeyShot, UV-C sanitation modules, Grasshopper
User Reasearch Insights - Sample Size of 527 Residents.
Why are Abu Dhabi residents less inclined to use public outdoor drinking fountains?
Drinking fountains are considered unhygienic.
Inaccessibe for wheelchair users.
Bottled water feesls more convinient and safe.
Design Priorities:
1. Automated and safe hygiene system.
2. Wheelchair accessibility.
3. Contextually relevant form.
1. HYGIENE
To address hygiene, I developed a UV light self-cleaning water faucet with a fully mechanical and solar powered design. Here is how it works:
Sketches of faucet design.
3D rendering of final faucet design developed on Nomad sculpt and Grasshopper.
2. ACCESIBILITY
Early 3D rendering of full fountain design highlighting key structural features.
3. CONTEXTUAL FORM
Taking inspiration from Arabic lettering, the final sleek, unique design flows with organic curves, seamlessly blending cultural aesthetics with modern functionality, ensuring both visual harmony and user-centric accessibility.
DELIVERED DESIGN
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Brief
Networking is essential for career growth, yet professionals struggle to track their connections, recall relevant details, and prioritize outreach effectively. Existing tools like spreadsheets and LinkedIn connections are fragmented and require too much manual effort, leading to missed opportunities and inefficient follow-ups. Linky was created to solve this problem by introducing an intelligent, AI-powered system that streamlines contact organization and automates strategic networking recommendations.
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Solution
Linky is an AI-driven contact management system designed to eliminate friction in networking by intelligently organizing contacts, enriching profiles with contextual insights, and generating personalized recommendations for outreach. By integrating LinkedIn scraping with ZeroWidth LLM, Linky structures contact data, categorizes it with smart tags, and ranks the most relevant individuals based on the user’s career goals. The system’s intuitive interface ensures quick and seamless interactions, while AI-powered filtering and follow-up suggestions make networking more actionable and data-driven.
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Outcome
The result is a sleek, intelligent networking assistant that enhances productivity by minimizing manual effort, improving contact organization, and providing actionable AI-driven outreach recommendations. The final prototype includes a dynamic AI-powered contact suggestion engine, seamless LinkedIn integration for enriched user profiles, and a streamlined tagging and filtering system for quick search and organization. With a focus on scalability, Linky is evolving into a full-fledged startup that redefines professional networking by automating key interactions and empowering users with smarter, more strategic insights.
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Responsibilities
User research, UI/UX design, AI system engineering.
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Tools
Figma, Webflow, Python, BeautifulSoup, Selenium, OpenAI API, ZeroWidth LLM, Google Sheets, Notion, Miro, Draw.io, Lucidchart, Postman, GitHub.
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Brief
The Mapping Nyumbani project tackled the dangers faced by Burundian refugees migrating between Burundi and Tanzania. With unreliable route information and shifting risks, the project aimed to provide real-time, location-based alerts via geofencing and SMS. Using community-driven mapping and open-source tools, we developed a low-tech, scalable solution accessible via feature phones, ensuring refugees could make safer, more informed decisions.
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Summary
I led the development of a multi-layered mapping framework, integrating refugee testimonies, GPS data, and humanitarian insights. We mapped 80+ key locations, from medical facilities to security risks, and designed SMS-triggered geofences with adaptive messaging to prevent exploitation by adversaries. Collaborating with mobile networks, we ensured effective delivery in low-connectivity areas while maintaining data security and compliance.
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Solution
The project validated SMS-based geofencing for refugee safety, achieving 92% message delivery success in rural areas. While regulatory reviews paused implementation, the research and prototype now serve as a scalable blueprint for future humanitarian tech interventions, reinforcing the power of community-led solutions in migration crises.
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Responsibilities
User research, field research, system architecture design and development, interaction design, geofencing implementation, data mapping, usability testing, security risk assessment, compliance navigation, stakeholder collaboration.
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Tools
OpenStreetMap (OSM), GPS Visualizer, Google Maps, Figma, Nomad Sculpt, Twilio (for SMS alerts), KoboToolbox (for data collection), QGIS (for spatial analysis), ArcGIS (for mapping validation), Garmin eTrex (for GPS data collection), Airtel/Vodacom geolocation services, PostGIS (for geospatial database management).
Initial methodology planning notes
Research
Insights
Over the course of June to August 2022, I interviewed 48 Burundian refugees across at Nyarugusu, Kakinga and Nduta Camps in Tanzania as well as refugee resettlement organizations in the are about migration journeys. Their stories revealed patterns of hardship and systemic gaps:
Opportunity Areas - The Feature Phone
"This phone is my lifeline—it’s how I find out where my family is and if the border is open."
"Sometimes, we don’t have money to send a message. We have to wait for someone else to share news."
"If we could receive messages about safe places along the way, it would make such a difference."
300,000+
Burundian refugees have fled to Tanzania.
87%
of East African refugees own mobile phones, mostly feature phones.
40%
of migration-related deaths occur in areas lacking resource information.
Incorporating Geo-Fencing.
Live community of mapping and verification of dangerous and safe areas.
Cross-referencing with potential routes towards safety.
Cross-referencing with potential routes towards safety.
But why Geo-fencing?
1.Operates without internet, using cell tower triangulation.
2. Compatible with feature phones.
3. Scalable for large geographic regions.
Results?
92% message delivery success in rural areas!
Successful tests on no-internet feature phones entering remote geo-fenced areas.
Successful tests on smart phones entering geo-fenced areas with internet access.
Read more about this project here:
While government regulatory reviews have paused implementation, we hope to continue development in the near future.
Citations
- GSMA. "The Digital Lives of Refugees." Available at: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/resources/the-digital-lives-of-refugees/.
- UNHCR. "Global Trends 2023." Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends.
- ICRC. "Free Phone Calls Help Refugees Stay in Touch." Available at: https://www.icrc.org/en/document/rwanda-burundi-free-phone-calls-help-refugees-stay-touch.
- Samuel Hall Consulting. "Refugee Journeys in East Africa: Lessons for the Future." Available at: https://www.samuelhall.org/.
- OpenStreetMap. Available at: https://www.openstreetmap.org/.
- GPS Visualizer. Available at: https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/.
- Truelove, S. et al. "Geospatial Technologies in Humanitarian Crises," 2022. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004141.
- Mixed Migration Centre. "East Africa Migration Report 2022." Available at: https://mixedmigration.org/resources/east-africa-migration/.
- USAID. "Technology for Humanitarian Response." Available at: https://www.usaid.gov/.
- World Bank. "Mobile Connectivity and Refugee Resilience," 2021. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/refugees.
- Norwegian Refugee Council. "Digital Tools for Refugee Safety in Africa," 2023. Available at: https://www.nrc.no/resources/.
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Brief
At Mozilla Festival 2021, I set out to bridge the gap between AI-generated art and human creativity by making Chimera Painter accessible to artists and game designers unfamiliar with machine learning tools. Through extensive user research, I identified key challenges: beginners struggled with AI segmentation logic, lacked creative control, and found the tool’s outputs unpredictable. My goal was to develop an adaptable sketching framework that would empower users to better engage with the AI while preserving their artistic intent.
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Solution
I conducted preliminary research with beginner artists, game designers, and digital illustrators to understand their struggles with AI-assisted tools. This led to the creation of 20+ iterative sketches and structured guides, providing a clear step-by-step framework for creature creation. At the Mozilla Festival, I ran interactive sessions where over 300 users tested the tool, following my sketching process to produce their own AI-enhanced creatures. Their live feedback helped me refine the workflow, making Chimera Painter more intuitive and artist-friendly.
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Outcome
The framework I developed resulted in a 75% increase in user engagement, making it significantly easier for participants to integrate AI into their creative workflows. My research and feedback on usability pain points were shared with the development team, contributing to improvements in how AI interpreted user-drawn sketches. This project demonstrated my ability to merge user insights with technical innovation, shaping tools that enhance creativity rather than hinder it.
Image Gallery
Using an image imported to Chimera Painter or generated with the tools provided, an artist can iteratively construct or modify a creature outline and use the ML model to generate realistic looking surface textures. In this example, an artist (Lee Dotson) customizes one of the creature designs that comes pre-loaded in the Chimera Painter demo.
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