Research, Design
& Impact

A curated record of research projects, publications, curriculum innovations, and advisory work - spanning HCI, Explainable AI, UX Design, and inclusive education across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

HCI Research XAI & Ethics Curriculum Design eLearning Development Policy Advisory Cross-cultural UX
40+
Journals, Conferences & Reports
8
Research Projects
12+
Courses Designed
98%
Student Success Rate

Research Projects

Investigating human-centred design challenges through empirical research, design thinking, and technology innovation.

HCI 2023-Present
MindCare - Mental Health UX for Refugee Women
Designing and evaluating a culturally sensitive mental health application for refugee women in New Zealand, applying participatory design and trauma-informed UX principles to address digital exclusion and language barriers.
Participatory DesignTrauma-Informed UXRefugee CommunitiesMental Health Tech
Active Research
XAI 2022-2024
Explainable AI Interface Design for Non-Technical Users
Researching how AI explanations should be presented to non-expert users - exploring visual, textual, and interactive explanation modalities to improve trust, comprehension, and decision-making with AI systems.
Explainable AITrust in AIInterface DesignUser Studies
Published
UX Research 2021-2023
Cross-Cultural UX: Arabic-English Interface Paradoxes
A comparative study examining how cultural framing, directionality (RTL vs LTR), iconography, and colour meaning affect usability and user satisfaction across Arabic-speaking and English-speaking populations.
Cross-Cultural DesignRTL InterfacesUsabilityCultural Cognition
Published
EdTech 2022-Present
AI-Integrated Design Thinking Curriculum
Developing and evaluating a novel curriculum framework that embeds AI tools into Human-Centred Design courses, measuring impact on creative confidence, critical thinking, and industry readiness.
AI in EducationDesign ThinkingCurriculum ResearchHCD
Active Research
Policy 2023-2024
Digital Inclusion Policy Framework - NZ Vocational Sector
Advising on digital equity policy for the New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute, identifying systemic barriers to digital participation for underserved learners and proposing evidence-based interventions.
Digital InclusionPolicy DesignVocational EducationNZQRI
Completed
HCI 2020-2022
Accessibility in Voice User Interfaces for Elderly Users
Evaluating the usability and accessibility of voice-based AI assistants for older adults in home care settings - identifying cognitive load issues, trust barriers, and design recommendations for age-inclusive VUI design.
Accessible DesignVoice UIAgeingCognitive Load
Published

Publications & Academic Works

Selected peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and policy reports.

01
Conference Paper
Supporting Novice Creativity in Design Education Through Human-Centred Explainable AI
Al-Sadi, A.
2026
02
Journal Article
Culturally Sensitive UX Design for Vulnerable Populations: Lessons from MindCare
Al-Sadi, A., et al.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2024
03
Conference Paper
Explainable AI for Everyone: Designing XAI Interfaces for Non-Expert Users
Al-Sadi, A., Smith, J., Patel, R.
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2024
04
Journal Article
RTL and LTR Interface Affordances: A Cross-Cultural Usability Study
Al-Sadi, A., Hassan, M.
Interacting with Computers, Oxford University Press, 2023
05
Conference Paper
AI-Integrated Design Thinking: A Framework for Human-Centred Computing Education
Al-Sadi, A.
ACM International Computing Education Research Conference (ICER), 2023
06
Policy Report
Digital Inclusion in New Zealand's Vocational Education Sector: Barriers and Pathways
Al-Sadi, A., NZQRI Research Division
New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute, 2024
07
Journal Article
Voice User Interface Accessibility for Older Adults: A Systematic Evaluation
Al-Sadi, A., Kumar, V., Wilson, T.
Universal Access in the Information Society, Springer, 2022
08
Conference Paper
Trust, Transparency, and Explainability in Healthcare AI: A User Perspective
Al-Sadi, A., Nguyen, L.
IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), 2022
09
Book Chapter
Human-Centred Design Principles for AI Systems in Educational Contexts
Al-Sadi, A.
In: Handbook of AI in Education, Springer, 2023, pp. 145-168
10
Journal Article
Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence language model ChatGPT on the User Experience
Al-Sadi, A.
Google Scholar Cited Works, 2023 (65 Citations)
11
Literature Review
Exploring User Centered Design in Healthcare: A Literature Review
Al-Sadi, A., et al.
Google Scholar Cited Works, 2021 (48 Citations)
12
Conference Paper
Assessing Educators' Soft Skills: Developing a Self-Assessment Instrument
Al-Sadi, A.
Google Scholar Cited Works, 2022 (26 Citations)
13
Journal Article
User-Centred Design in Educational Applications: A Systematic Literature Review
Al-Sadi, A.
Google Scholar Cited Works, 2022 (24 Citations)

Curriculum Design

Courses and learning frameworks designed to bridge academic theory with real-world design practice.

UX
UXD 501 / HCI 301
Human-Computer Interaction & UX Design
Foundational to advanced HCI theory, user research methods, prototyping and formative evaluation. Integrates real-world client briefs and inclusive design principles throughout.
Level 5-7 Full semester 25-40 students
DT
DT 401
AI-Integrated Design Thinking
A pioneering course embedding AI tools into the Design Thinking process - from empathy mapping with AI insights to AI-assisted prototyping and ethical evaluation. Achieved 98% student success rate.
Level 6-7 Full semester 98% success rate
WEB
WEB 303 / WEB 401
User-Centred Web Design
Practical web development through a UX lens - students build accessible, cross-cultural, responsive interfaces validated through user testing, heuristic evaluation, and accessibility auditing.
Level 5-6 Full semester Industry projects
RES
RES 501
Research Methods in Computing & Design
Rigorous grounding in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research for computing and design students. Covers ethics, literature review, data collection, analysis, and academic writing.
Level 7 Full semester Postgraduate
PM
PM 302 / PM 401
Agile Project Management for Technologists
Hands-on agile and scrum training using real project simulators - Kanban boards, Jira workflows, retrospectives, and stakeholder management in a collaborative studio environment.
Level 5-6 Full semester Simulation-based
RTL
IXD 205
Cross-Cultural & Accessible Interface Design
Explores inclusive design across languages, cultures, and abilities - covering RTL design, WCAG accessibility, culturally sensitive iconography, and internationalisation for diverse New Zealand communities.
Level 5 Half semester WCAG focus

Teaching Philosophy

My approach to education is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and the belief that technology should serve people - not the other way around.

"I design learning experiences the same way I design interfaces - starting with deep empathy for the learner, understanding their context, removing barriers, and iterating until the experience feels effortless and meaningful."

- Dr. Ahmed Al-Sadi

LD
Learning by Doing
Theory without practice is hollow. Every concept I teach is anchored to hands-on projects, real tools, and authentic challenges from industry and community contexts.
ID
Inclusive by Design
I actively design for diverse learners - different cultures, languages, abilities, and backgrounds - because inclusion in the classroom mirrors the inclusive design principles I teach.
RT
Research-Informed Teaching
My teaching draws directly from active research. Students engage with emerging findings in HCI, XAI, and UX - making the classroom a live research community, not just a lecture hall.
CT
Critical Thinking First
My goal is not to teach answers - it's to teach students how to ask better questions. I challenge assumptions, encourage debate, and reward intellectual courage.
TL
Technology as a Lever
I introduce students to the most relevant tools - AI, prototyping platforms, analytics - but always in service of the human goal, never as an end in itself.
EB
Evidence-Based Improvement
I treat my courses as design artefacts - constantly evaluated, iterated, and improved based on student feedback, learning outcomes data, and industry relevance.
Read Full Teaching Statement → Read Research Statement →

Advisory & Industry Impact

Translating research into practical guidelines, industry standards, and policy across the education and technology sectors.

New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute
Policy Advisory - AI in Tertiary Education
Co-authored the pivotal draft policy report shaping how Artificial Intelligence is integrated responsibly across New Zealand's tertiary providers, focusing on academic integrity, equity, and capability building.
2024 - Present
Industry Design Consortium
UX Consultant & Auditor
Regularly consult with software teams to audit and enhance cross-cultural software usability, particularly evaluating right-to-left (RTL) interface configurations and accessible design standards for non-Western demographics.
2021 - Present
Whitireia and Weltec
Curriculum Innovator
Spearheaded the integration of practical Agile project management (Jira, Kanban) and trauma-informed design principles into core computing syllabi, achieving a verifiable increase in graduate employability and student retention.
2019 - Present

Advisory & Industry Impact

Translating research into practical guidelines, industry standards, and policy across the education and technology sectors.

New Zealand Qualifications and Research Institute
Policy Advisory - AI in Tertiary Education
Co-authored the pivotal draft policy report shaping how Artificial Intelligence is integrated responsibly across New Zealand's tertiary providers, focusing on academic integrity, equity, and capability building.
2024 - Present
Industry Design Consortium
UX Consultant & Auditor
Regularly consult with software teams to audit and enhance cross-cultural software usability, particularly evaluating right-to-left (RTL) interface configurations and accessible design standards for non-Western demographics.
2021 - Present
Whitireia and Weltec
Curriculum Innovator
Spearheaded the integration of practical Agile project management (Jira, Kanban) and trauma-informed design principles into core computing syllabi, achieving a verifiable increase in graduate employability and student retention.
2019 - Present

Course Development with Articulate 360

Professionally authored eLearning modules built using Articulate 360, showcasing instructional design, scenario-based learning, and multimedia course development.

🎬

Articulate 360 - Authoring at Scale

Examples in this section represent course development practice focused on engagement, clarity, and structured learner guidance across tertiary education contexts.

eLearning Design

Interactive Learning Modules

Designed structured eLearning assets that combine narrative flow, visual clarity, and stepwise learner feedback.

Instructional Strategy

Scenario-Based Activities

Built activities that move learners from concept explanation into applied decision-making and reflective review.

Assessment Design

Practice and Reinforcement

Developed checkpoint interactions and guided review tasks to strengthen retention and applied understanding.