New York, United States
2023 - 2025

Challenge:

Jeddah’s historic district, Al-Balad, holds immense cultural and architectural value, yet many of its urban spaces are underutilized or uninviting to pedestrians. Visitors often pass through without deep engagement, while locals may feel disconnected from the district’s evolving identity. The challenge was to revitalize Al-Balad’s public spaces through a human-centered design approach that prioritizes community connection, cultural experience, and walkability, without compromising its heritage integrity. A deep understanding of how people move, feel, and connect in urban environments was essential to guide the intervention.

Solution:

I launched the Al Hay Initiative as a participatory, research-driven project to reimagine how people interact with the historic fabric of Al-Balad. Grounded in user research, cultural probes, and co-design, I led a series of ethnographic studies, walking interviews, and workshops with locals and visitors. Insights were mapped using affinity clustering and research synthesis, revealing emotional, cultural, and spatial patterns that shaped the design response.

The result: a flexible, community-based program that offers curated workshops and immersive experiences, allowing participants to engage with Al-Balad through storytelling, creativity, and shared memory. The design system included:

A website to document events and stories.
A visual identity rooted in the textures and rhythms of Al-Balad.
A brand strategy focused on placemaking and cultural intimacy.

This initiative not only encourages slower, more intentional experiences in Al-Balad, but also gives the community a platform to shape how their space is perceived and used. It’s a living system that grows with its people.

User Research – UX Design – Cultural Probe – Affinity Clustering – Research Synthesis – Co-designing Website Design – Brand Strategy – Concept Development – Visual Direction

Raghad Alkhattabi

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