Partners: UNDP Lebanon, MENA Design Research Center
Lebanon ( 2019)
As part of Lebanon’s crisis response framework, I co-led a nationwide initiative introducing human-centered design and environmental systems thinking to tackle the country’s growing waste management crisis. In collaboration with UNDP and the MENA Design Research Center, we worked with three multidisciplinary teams of Syrian refugees and Lebanese residents, supporting them in co-creating solutions that addressed urgent urban and environmental challenges.
Through immersive design thinking workshops, field coaching, and eight-week prototyping sprints, participants developed and tested localized interventions — from upcycling programs in refugee camps to community-driven recycling networks and environmental education campaigns.
Our approach centered on:
Design research & discovery methods to map issues and engage diverse stakeholders
Prototyping tools and coaching to support iterative development and user testing
Facilitation of cross-cultural teams working across urban and rural contexts
Capacity-building in project planning, budgeting, communication, and stakeholder engagement
The program culminated in a Pitch Day and a field implementation phase, where finalists received mentorship to refine and test their solutions in the field. The project created viable, community-led waste interventions and helped cultivate soft skills, strategic thinking, and design capacity among youth and displaced communities.
