Courses by Jomana G . Attia
Whether you're a designer, entrepreneur or a young researcher this course helps you build a susta... more Whether you're a designer, entrepreneur or a young researcher this course helps you build a sustainable socially responsible economical business model through the following Design Research Methods:
1. Qualitative Interviews
2. Empathy Maps
3. User Journey 8 video lessons265 views
Being customer obsessed is key to business success, whether you're an entrepreneur or a business ... more Being customer obsessed is key to business success, whether you're an entrepreneur or a business owner or even a market research enthusiast this course helps you understand the Building blocks of qualitative market research. We explore how multinational research agencies such as Nielsen and Kantar conduct research for FMCGs and Telecom companies around the world. 6 video lessons40 views
Videos by Jomana G . Attia
Although there is a great need for Design, limited research is conducted on Design Management (DM... more Although there is a great need for Design, limited research is conducted on Design Management (DM) in the Middle East compared to Europe. One development in Cairo in the past decade is the increase of startups, generating a diversity of offerings. It is believed that the higher a company is on the DM Staircase, the more revenue it gets, among other benefits. Since Cairo startups are aiming to raise the Egyptian economy, this paper aims to define where Design lies by using the staircase as a measuring unit to plot startups against. Narrative interviews were conducted and processed to gain understanding from entrepreneurs and identify common terminologies used by startups. 61 views
Thesis Chapters by Jomana G . Attia
German University of Cairo, 2022
The startup failure rate in Egypt exceeds 95%, while research approaches this issue quantitativel... more The startup failure rate in Egypt exceeds 95%, while research approaches this issue quantitatively, this study aims to understand entrepreneurs’ challenges through a designer’s lens. As research continues to explore how design adoption is growing in business in the West (Sheppard, Sarrazin, Kouyoumjian, & Dore, 2020), the contribution to knowledge in this study is defining how the Egyptian entrepreneurial ecosystem perceives and uses design, and generates internal factors of startup’s success, which are founder’s experience, hired caliber and culture. The qualitative investigation used Grounded Theory as the primary method, it starts by a simple aim, which is to understand three entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders’ design perception (entrepreneurs, designers and business experts). Accordingly the following research objectives were achieved; understanding designer and non designer entrepreneurs’ failure reasons, understanding the entrepreneurs’, business experts’ and event makers’ view of design, understanding designers’ feedback on working with startups and understanding the success factors of Expansion phase startups’ entrepreneurs.
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.
The aim of the research was to create a model for sustainable socio-economic development in selec... more The aim of the research was to create a model for sustainable socio-economic development in selected informal areas of Cairo, through collaboration of NGO members, informal area inhabitants and designers.
The objectives were as follows:
Using design intervention to develop more effective socio- economical empowerment program for informal areas through NGOs
Repositioning the role of designer in relation to social change
Providing a sustainable project that lives on after the designer has left.
After conducting field research, including extensive interviews with NGO project managers, it was concluded that many of their economic development programs were having limited impact, and new strategies were needed. The selected strategy was to bring design thinking to the development of new product lines to be made by women in informal areas. The concept was to implement a well branded line of clothing targeted to a specific market segment; to be promoted through social media; sold through an online store; to be manufactured by informal area inhabitants, thus the money gained will be returned to the informal area inhabitants.
Therefore a pilot project was implemented for 12 months, where 4 trails were made in 4 different informal areas until acceptable quality of products were produced. The concept is creating a sewing workshop in the homes of the informal area inhabitants where they produce clothes designed through participatory workshops where potential customers are gathered to design for their needs. Then the NGO team uses online marketing to sell the products through a well-branded online shop.
Consequently, after holding 4 participatory workshops, 16 products where selected and produced and eventually promoted through Facebook and Instagram. This resulted in the informal area inhabitants gaining a minimum of 30 LE per piece rather than their previous pricing (2 LE, 7 LE and 14 LE).
Papers by Jomana G . Attia
Barriers, Supports and Celebration of Good Design, Nov 15, 2021
I needed to gain insight into Egyptian business culture that could not be acquired from literatur... more I needed to gain insight into Egyptian business culture that could not be acquired from literature alone.
An Egyptian designer ponders her country's history in education as well as her self-confidence as she navigates getting an MBA.
22nd DMI: Academic Design Management Conference, 2020
Although there is a great need for Design, limited research is conducted on Design Management (DM... more Although there is a great need for Design, limited research is conducted on Design Management (DM) in the Middle East compared to Europe. One development in Cairo in the past decade is the increase of startups, generating a diversity of offerings. It is believed that the higher a company is on the DM Staircase, the more revenue it gets, among other benefits. Since Cairo startups are aiming to raise the Egyptian economy, this paper aims to define where Design lies by using the staircase as a measuring unit to plot startups against. Narrative interviews were conducted and processed to gain understanding from entrepreneurs and identify common terminologies used by startups.
Pages on Art and Design, 2019
This paper investigates the struggles faced by Design Entrepreneurs in Cairo. After using grounde... more This paper investigates the struggles faced by Design Entrepreneurs in Cairo. After using grounded theory, general challenges arose from the codes, yet in depth understanding of the communication problems between the entrepreneurs, the designers and manufacturers in a start-up. The study took place in Cairo, where the entrepreneurial ecosystem is still emerging along the past couple of years. Six entrepreneurs were interviewed. The results exhibit most of the problems faced within the start-up and the ecosystem, also challenges emerged in terms of dealing with designers and makers in the product development phases. Understanding the struggles and the failed and successful methods of solving them helps create a foundation for design entrepreneurship. When this foundation is better established, hopefully would allow the economic status in Cairo to flourish. Due to lack of documentation, this study aims to guide design entrepreneurs struggling in Cairo, acting as reference for some of the problems and their possible solutions.
Proceedings of DRS Learn X Design 2019: Insider Knowledge, 2019
Informal areas take up 65% of Cairo. Mansheyet Nasser -one of the biggest informal areas in Cairo... more Informal areas take up 65% of Cairo. Mansheyet Nasser -one of the biggest informal areas in Cairo- alone hosts more than 2,000,000 inhabitants. Several NGO founders feel responsible to create a model that fixes informal areas’ problems (such as education, employment and health). Especially since the 25th of January revolution, they have been doing their role in sustainable development. Currently these NGOs are responsible for providing opportunities that generate income for informal area female
inhabitants. This study focuses on sustaining this income through community centric design. Moreover, the designer’s role was more of moderating between the informal area, the inhabitants and the NGO rather
than designing only. Aiming the women could have sustainable income, the participants’ needs and communities were investigated using Kimbell and Julier’s (2012) Storyworld method. This resulted in three women sewing clothes that are sold using a well branded online store. A sample from the store’s target group were invited to participate in several participatory design workshops to create the chosen products. This action research draws attention to the impact of community centric design on socio-economic status in informal areas.
Pages on Art and Design, 2018
After the January 25th Egyptian revolution, 250.000 Non-Governmental Organizations were active in... more After the January 25th Egyptian revolution, 250.000 Non-Governmental Organizations were active in Cairo alone, with the aim of solving numerous poverty-related problems. In this paper, the unemployment of inhabitants of informal areas is under the spotlight. The aim is to help NGOs establish more sustainable projects serving informal area inhabitants through the intervention of designers. Research aimed to grasp an understanding of the NGOs' problems, micro-projects they undertake and problems facing their target group-the informal area inhabitants-in relation to their projects, in order to investigate how design can intervene. The research results in the analysis of sustainable development in the informal areas of Cairo. As revealed in the NGOs' members unstructured interviewing, poverty in Cairo has four cyclical reasons: lack of education, unemployment, overpopulation and health problems. The analysis concludes that micro-projects face problems and it is hypothesized that they can be solved through a design intervention. Producing outdated products that have no specific target group can be reversed through market research and participatory design. Also, marketing and pricing were better formulated through collaborative strategic design with the NGO team. These results draw attention to the significance of interfering in the local issues to support NGOs sustainable programs.
Conference Presentations by Jomana G . Attia
DRS 2019 Design X Learn, Jul 2019
Informal areas take up 65% of Cairo. Mansheyet Nasser -one of the biggest informal areas in Cairo... more Informal areas take up 65% of Cairo. Mansheyet Nasser -one of the biggest informal areas in Cairo- alone hosts more than 2,000,000 inhabitants. Several NGO founders feel responsible to create a model that fixes informal areas’ problems (such as education, employment and health). Especially since the 25th of January revolution, they have been doing their role in sustainable development. Currently these NGOs are responsible for providing opportunities that generate income for informal area female inhabitants. This study focuses on sustaining this income through community centric design. Moreover, the designer’s role was more of moderating between the informal area, the inhabitants and the NGO rather than designing only. Aiming the women could have sustainable income, the participants’ needs and communities were investigated using Kimbell and Julier’s (2012) Storyworld method. This resulted in three women sewing clothes that are sold using a well branded online store. A sample from the store’s target group were invited to participate in several participatory design workshops to create the chosen products. This action research draws attention to the impact of community centric design on socio-economic status in informal areas.
Talks by Jomana G . Attia
The startup failure rate in Egypt exceeds 95%, while research approaches this issue quantitativel... more The startup failure rate in Egypt exceeds 95%, while research approaches this issue quantitatively, this study aims to understand entrepreneurs’ challenges through a designer’s lens. As research continues to explore how design adoption is growing in business in the West (Sheppard, Sarrazin, Kouyoumjian, & Dore, 2020), the contribution to knowledge in this study is defining how the Egyptian entrepreneurial ecosystem perceives and uses design, and generates internal factors of startup’s success, which are founder’s experience, hired caliber and culture. The qualitative investigation used Grounded Theory as the primary method, it starts by a simple aim, which is to understand three entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders’ design perception (entrepreneurs, designers and business experts). Accordingly the following research objectives were achieved; understanding designer and non designer entrepreneurs’ failure reasons, understanding the entrepreneurs’, business experts’ and event makers’ view of design, understanding designers’ feedback on working with startups and understanding the success factors of Expansion phase startups’ entrepreneurs.
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.
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Courses by Jomana G . Attia
1. Qualitative Interviews
2. Empathy Maps
3. User Journey
Videos by Jomana G . Attia
Thesis Chapters by Jomana G . Attia
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.
The objectives were as follows:
Using design intervention to develop more effective socio- economical empowerment program for informal areas through NGOs
Repositioning the role of designer in relation to social change
Providing a sustainable project that lives on after the designer has left.
After conducting field research, including extensive interviews with NGO project managers, it was concluded that many of their economic development programs were having limited impact, and new strategies were needed. The selected strategy was to bring design thinking to the development of new product lines to be made by women in informal areas. The concept was to implement a well branded line of clothing targeted to a specific market segment; to be promoted through social media; sold through an online store; to be manufactured by informal area inhabitants, thus the money gained will be returned to the informal area inhabitants.
Therefore a pilot project was implemented for 12 months, where 4 trails were made in 4 different informal areas until acceptable quality of products were produced. The concept is creating a sewing workshop in the homes of the informal area inhabitants where they produce clothes designed through participatory workshops where potential customers are gathered to design for their needs. Then the NGO team uses online marketing to sell the products through a well-branded online shop.
Consequently, after holding 4 participatory workshops, 16 products where selected and produced and eventually promoted through Facebook and Instagram. This resulted in the informal area inhabitants gaining a minimum of 30 LE per piece rather than their previous pricing (2 LE, 7 LE and 14 LE).
Papers by Jomana G . Attia
An Egyptian designer ponders her country's history in education as well as her self-confidence as she navigates getting an MBA.
inhabitants. This study focuses on sustaining this income through community centric design. Moreover, the designer’s role was more of moderating between the informal area, the inhabitants and the NGO rather
than designing only. Aiming the women could have sustainable income, the participants’ needs and communities were investigated using Kimbell and Julier’s (2012) Storyworld method. This resulted in three women sewing clothes that are sold using a well branded online store. A sample from the store’s target group were invited to participate in several participatory design workshops to create the chosen products. This action research draws attention to the impact of community centric design on socio-economic status in informal areas.
Conference Presentations by Jomana G . Attia
Talks by Jomana G . Attia
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.
1. Qualitative Interviews
2. Empathy Maps
3. User Journey
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.
The objectives were as follows:
Using design intervention to develop more effective socio- economical empowerment program for informal areas through NGOs
Repositioning the role of designer in relation to social change
Providing a sustainable project that lives on after the designer has left.
After conducting field research, including extensive interviews with NGO project managers, it was concluded that many of their economic development programs were having limited impact, and new strategies were needed. The selected strategy was to bring design thinking to the development of new product lines to be made by women in informal areas. The concept was to implement a well branded line of clothing targeted to a specific market segment; to be promoted through social media; sold through an online store; to be manufactured by informal area inhabitants, thus the money gained will be returned to the informal area inhabitants.
Therefore a pilot project was implemented for 12 months, where 4 trails were made in 4 different informal areas until acceptable quality of products were produced. The concept is creating a sewing workshop in the homes of the informal area inhabitants where they produce clothes designed through participatory workshops where potential customers are gathered to design for their needs. Then the NGO team uses online marketing to sell the products through a well-branded online shop.
Consequently, after holding 4 participatory workshops, 16 products where selected and produced and eventually promoted through Facebook and Instagram. This resulted in the informal area inhabitants gaining a minimum of 30 LE per piece rather than their previous pricing (2 LE, 7 LE and 14 LE).
An Egyptian designer ponders her country's history in education as well as her self-confidence as she navigates getting an MBA.
inhabitants. This study focuses on sustaining this income through community centric design. Moreover, the designer’s role was more of moderating between the informal area, the inhabitants and the NGO rather
than designing only. Aiming the women could have sustainable income, the participants’ needs and communities were investigated using Kimbell and Julier’s (2012) Storyworld method. This resulted in three women sewing clothes that are sold using a well branded online store. A sample from the store’s target group were invited to participate in several participatory design workshops to create the chosen products. This action research draws attention to the impact of community centric design on socio-economic status in informal areas.
The results direct towards four main issues; that failure reasons and challenges are submerged from lack of knowledge when it comes to self cognizance and practical skills. While the designers’ challenges are overwhelming, their miscommunication with their clients resulted in a lot of them. Also, numerous of similarities and linkages take place between findings in the first and final research objectives listed above.
In conclusion, through one open business model, three proposed services are presented to tackle the problems faced by designers and entrepreneurs. This research sheds light on the importance of defining design in Cairo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by observing it through several stakeholders, then using design (Design as Storytelling + Service Design) as means to solve entrepreneurs’ challenges.