Hi, you can call me Zai.

As a designer I consider myself to be a student of life. I’m endlessly interested in how we retain our humanity in an increasingly technological world. While I enjoy the aesthetics of design, I believe it shouldn’t be restricted to just enabling consumerism without conscience. I believe in design as a tool to improve quality of life for everyone.

As a British–Pakistani who has lived extensively in each country, I spent much of my childhood travelling between Europe and the subcontinent, giving me a broad and international perspective. At school I studied under the International Baccalaureate Diploma program — an academic system which encourages varied academic interests, multiple hobbies, and a strong social conscience. I initially studied Architecture at Manchester University but realised I was not aligned with the rigours of designing buildings. Instead I moved to Barcelona to learn Spanish, and then began a Design degree in 2016, specialising in interaction design and the practical application of transmedia narratives.  On a personal level I’m also extremely interested in cultural psychology.

I’m an abstract thinker who enjoys solving puzzles, writing, and reading. I am also meticulously organised, directing my mental energies to help me find patterns between contexts, however unrelated they may be. My ability to connect diverse ideas is a key part of how I develop my work as a designer. I am quite introverted and prefer working within my own silo, though I do find that ideas flow better with more brains for them to flow between.

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