https://mohsinykyousufi.com Mohsin Yousufi Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:21 +0000 https://mohsinykyousufi.com en https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Map-Spot Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:07 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Map-Spot 01 MAP SPOT JAN/22 - ∞ A collaborative map-making tool for grassroots advocacyMap Spot is an ambitious effort to build local spaces for map-making and data exploration, with the ultimate aim of giving people the power to interpret, contest and reshape the stories that maps and data tell. The project began in by Jer Thropp 2017 with the creation of the St.Louis Map Room, and in 2018, the project was awarded funding from DILAC and NSF to construct a research-oriented Map Room , led by Dr. Yanni Loukissas, at Georgia Tech. This was followed in 2019 with a grant that allowed us to develop "Map Spot," a low-cost system that enables map-making to take place in any temporary location. We are currently using Map Spot for resilience planning, as part of the Smart Sea Level Sensor team, as it allows us to easily identify areas at risk of flooding and other catastrophes. Map Spot's goal is empowering people to make maps and explore data in creative and collaborative ways. <img width="2048" height="1368" width_o="2048" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/41fe75a1ede41c4297ef6a557e29bbfad7efdd1d439a58f141d6395043b5bf30/mapspot-11.jpg" data-mid="234597714" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/41fe75a1ede41c4297ef6a557e29bbfad7efdd1d439a58f141d6395043b5bf30/mapspot-11.jpg" /> The Map Room is a hybrid map-making tool combining digital and hands-on elements that prioritizes accessibility and puts users in control. Participants use custom-designed software on OpenStreetMaps infrastructure to select a region and data overlays. The resulting image is projected onto a large-format paper, guiding users as they create physical maps combining existing data and their own experiences with pens, markers, paint, or collage materials. <img width="2349" height="1919" width_o="2349" height_o="1919" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fc876ce7097e3949a042954444572caa23e9d922eef6a1c6a61a0fa9c1b0566/mapspot_schematic.png" data-mid="237495602" border="0" alt="Map Spot Schematic" data-caption="Map Spot Schematic" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6fc876ce7097e3949a042954444572caa23e9d922eef6a1c6a61a0fa9c1b0566/mapspot_schematic.png" /> <img width="1920" height="916" width_o="1920" height_o="916" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a34d337094454c70c906a74d43e81fd0265ae7bfa9508dc056bf82a9c8eac42f/mapspot-13.jpg" data-mid="234597715" border="0" alt="Map Spot with the &quot;Grocery&quot; data layer loaded" data-caption="Map Spot with the &quot;Grocery&quot; data layer loaded" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a34d337094454c70c906a74d43e81fd0265ae7bfa9508dc056bf82a9c8eac42f/mapspot-13.jpg" /> ContributionI was responsible for facilitating the translation of Map Spot from its previous iteration, The Map Room, and integrating it into a community advocacy curriculum for middle school students in Savannah, Georgia. The challenge was to design a program around Map Spot that would introduce students to data such as demographic distributions, resources, and environmental data about their communities in an accessible and interestin way. Working closely with Dr. Loukissas and the rest of the YARDS team, I developed 20% of the final curriculum, primarily focusing on teaching students how to work with Map Spot, translate their own experiences on the map, and create maps and visualizations to use as advocacy tools. I also created 36 new data layers&nbsp;that were incorporated into Map Spot. These data layers visualized information ranging from racial distribution, air pollution levels, property prices to food deserts, community facilities. These data layers were visualized using Tableau and Map Box from data pulled from various sources, including the U.S. Census, Chatham County GIS, and Social Explorer. I developed an end-to-end pipeline that parsed, cleaned, and visualized the data in a manner that was accessible to middle school students. I was also responsible for coordinating and teaching the program implementation during Summer and Fall 2022 in Savannah, Georgia, to over 35 students&nbsp;working with the YARDS team, local stakeholders, teams from GT Savannah, and Mercer Middle School. At the end of the Fall program, the students presented their work to Chatham County public officials. Research publications and further expansion of the program are currently in development. <img width="1111" height="728" width_o="1111" height_o="728" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d9fdb9288212be67a852819fb2d90cdcd3b05d73c80fab319409e1fcd532b392/mp.jpg" data-mid="234597722" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d9fdb9288212be67a852819fb2d90cdcd3b05d73c80fab319409e1fcd532b392/mp.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d530fe05d34176a626509830dfcb44c74aa03378b94e07e07575c00521ce7c20/mapspot-9.jpg" data-mid="234597719" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d530fe05d34176a626509830dfcb44c74aa03378b94e07e07575c00521ce7c20/mapspot-9.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1536" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/df26340586d55ad22859da3404f7592a9f695cae6125f4de2198b91e389bc925/mapspot-12.jpg" data-mid="234597721" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/df26340586d55ad22859da3404f7592a9f695cae6125f4de2198b91e389bc925/mapspot-12.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a931ea01f7608f3ff4a4e3cc9f31c8e949bc37ce2fff5e07331eda7a0ae9de20/mapspot-8.jpg" data-mid="234597718" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a931ea01f7608f3ff4a4e3cc9f31c8e949bc37ce2fff5e07331eda7a0ae9de20/mapspot-8.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1368" width_o="2048" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1cb744abebfa992a75e2e549d34684869f07d8c3ee6f679addd27f02c42d6f55/YAL04668.jpg" data-mid="234597723" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1cb744abebfa992a75e2e549d34684869f07d8c3ee6f679addd27f02c42d6f55/YAL04668.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb270ff4164c8e9769628eb91f96861098a010c6999293fae50b6162b6c65a23/mapspot-1.jpg" data-mid="234597716" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cb270ff4164c8e9769628eb91f96861098a010c6999293fae50b6162b6c65a23/mapspot-1.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1368" width_o="2048" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/150f54b182bf3492181b9ee7140353e4187108316e8de609c922d6f08c3b1b41/mapspot-7.jpg" data-mid="234597717" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/150f54b182bf3492181b9ee7140353e4187108316e8de609c922d6f08c3b1b41/mapspot-7.jpg" /> Related Works:&nbsp;Mohsin Yousufi, Yanni Loukissas, Allen Hyde. 2023. Bridging Data and Experiences: Engaging Youth in Digital Civics through Participatory Mapmaking for Resilience, DIS 2023, Designing for and Reflecting upon Resilience in Health and Wellbeing Workshop Hyde, Allen, Meltem Alemdar, Katie OConnell, Philip Omunga, Yousufi, Mohsin, et al. 2024. “Promoting Youth Advocacy for Resilience to Disasters: A Pilot Study.” Gender &amp; Development 32 (3): 749–72. doi:10.1080/13552074.2024.2415224. Map Spot in News:&nbsp;https://www.wsav.com/news/education/savannah-chatham-county-teens-are-learning-to-be-advocates-for-change/https://nique.net/news/2022/10/17/advancing-disaster-resilience-along-georgia-coast/https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/education/2022/12/02/mercer-middle-students-pilot-climate-resilience-after-school-program-savannah-georgia/10816391002/https://www.govtech.com/analytics/bipoc-youth-learn-map-making-to-build-disaster-resilience https://comm.iac.gatech.edu/news/item/661505/georgia-tech-researchers-help-promote-hurricane-disaster-resilience-among#https://nsfcivicinnovation.org/project/1.0/visualizing-resilience-bipoc-youth-advocacy-through-mapmaking/https://www.nsf.gov/news/civic-innovation-challenge-awards-support https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Heating-Complaints Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:08 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Heating-Complaints 02 PUBLIC INTEREST TECHNOLOGIES &amp; EPISTEMIC INJUSTICE NOV/21 - ∞ An ethnographic, user-centered study of IoT temperature sensors Public Interest Technologies consist of a range of technologies, tools, and practices that are designed and used to address societal challenges and advance the public good. By bringing concerns of epistemic injustice, instances where an individual or groups’ knowledge is dismissed or diminished due to social biases and prejudices, the project seeks to foreground epistemic injustice as a concern in the discourse on civic technologies. New York City law requires that homes must be heated during the heating season, starting from October and ending in May. The legal limit for the temperatures is 68°F during the day and 62°F at night. Unfortunately, not all landlords comply with this requirement due to a myriad of factors. In order to get their heat restored, tenants have to go through the 311 to the Housing Preservation and Development Department (HPD) and eventually to the housing court to seek any relief. As we found out, the issue is that heat violations and complaints are notoriously difficult to prove. The difficulty of proving heat complaints is in part due to the “lack of specificity regarding dates and the relative severity” of the situation. <img width="1712" height="880" width_o="1712" height_o="880" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fdc6aa6c1fa2f08ef0ee7e9e191fe3b58c8ccbfdb9dc872c6018c2287f72da7a/sensor_placed.jpg" data-mid="234597733" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fdc6aa6c1fa2f08ef0ee7e9e191fe3b58c8ccbfdb9dc872c6018c2287f72da7a/sensor_placed.jpg" /> Heat Seek, a New York-based startup, provides temperature sensors to tenants with heat problems. Using the sensors, they document the unavailability of heat in the apartment and produce a log that is then used as evidence to launch formal complaints against the landlord “to hold them accountable”. ContributionI conducted an extensive research process to gain an understanding of the key features of Heat Seek and the reasons why it has been a successful intervention. Our research involved conducting indepth interviews totaling 6+ hours with users, attorneys, and the designers at Heat Seek. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the process of making a heat complaint, I analyzed 30+ cases from New York Housing Court to see how heat cases have been decided in the past. This gave an insight into how Heat Seek can be effectively utilized and the various advantages it can provide to tenants. I also meticulously constructed the actual process of making a heat complaint, based on testimonial accounts, court documents, and community organizers’ research that allowed us to visualize the complex and messy process of making a heat complaint, and find new areas of interventions [see below]. The goal of the study is to twofold: 1. To find generalizable design principles that can help civic tech and service design create more socially conscious and impactful set of technologies. 2. To help understand the legal implicationns of designing technology interventions for legally charged situations. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the Legal Analytics Lab at Georgia State University and a publication is forthcoming. <img width="2071" height="1120" width_o="2071" height_o="1120" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9d72586c08f5c3ddb4e07a34da46793f08992bd34bcd62b57ddfe9fa790af8c9/heat_seek1.jpg" data-mid="234597734" border="0" alt="The mapped out process of making a heating complaint in NYC" data-caption="The mapped out process of making a heating complaint in NYC" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9d72586c08f5c3ddb4e07a34da46793f08992bd34bcd62b57ddfe9fa790af8c9/heat_seek1.jpg" /> Related Works:&nbsp; Mohsin Y. K. Yousufi, Charlotte Alexander, and Nassim Parvin. 2025. "Credibility Boosters": The Case of a Temperature Sensor in Addressing Epistemic Injustices in Heat Complaints. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 9, 7, Article CSCW392 (November 2025), 30 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757573&nbsp; Mohsin Yousufi, Charlotte Alexander, and Nassim Parvin, “Epistemic Injustice in Technology and Policy Design: Lessons from New York City’s Heat Complaints System,” CHI 2023, Designing Technology and Policy Simultaneously: Towards A Research Agenda and New Practice. (Reviewed Abstract) https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Heart-Sense Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:09 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Heart-Sense 03&nbsp; &nbsp;HEart Sense SEP21-JUN22 A Design-based Inquiry into the Physiology of Embodiment Heart rate data is a meaningful platform for feminist engagement with data, matter, and meaning. It provides a conduit for understanding physical and metaphysical complexity, as well as our interconnectedness with personal, social, and environmental aspects of life. Thus, it offers feminists a unique opportunity to explore the power of data, the meaning of matter, and the significance of meaning. <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fd70cb8a642a718be9ee71206189ccfbdbd5e0aacd319aabbb363868d7f74048/heartsense1.jpg" data-mid="234597751" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fd70cb8a642a718be9ee71206189ccfbdbd5e0aacd319aabbb363868d7f74048/heartsense1.jpg" /> Two installations were created that each provided a point for collective and individual inquiry. 1. Three Participants sit around a table with headphones to listen to music. A floral visualization of individual &amp; collective heart rates will be projected onto the table, size &amp; colors of petals shifting with changes in body. Visualization showcases how bodies relate to each other &amp; the environment, responding to conditions even when unaware. Floral form takes inspiration from trillium, individual flowering bodies connected by underground rhizome roots. 2. This installation takes a participant’s heart rate, galvanic skin response, and breathing as input to produce flower-like visualizations that illustrate physiological responses to a short, emotionally engaging video. The visualizations work eschew standard body tracking visualisations by presenting representations that are whole and designed not to be optimizable. They give participants a sense of their embodied responses to the video and a chance to reflect on their embodied responses in the process. Each heart visualization displays a person's physiological response to watching an emotionally-engaging video. Different physiological characteristics (heart rate, galvanic skin response, and breathing patterns) were used as variables to create a flower-like visualization. <img width="1740" height="527" width_o="1740" height_o="527" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/219bb84b098757a4329dd31b0c6f2558d52318357c20ff038c968797834af4d4/heartsense-4.jpg" data-mid="234597752" border="0" alt="Examples of Visualizations created through Heart Sense" data-caption="Examples of Visualizations created through Heart Sense" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/219bb84b098757a4329dd31b0c6f2558d52318357c20ff038c968797834af4d4/heartsense-4.jpg" /> ContributionI was primarily responsible for leading the second installation, which provided an opportunity for individual reflection. Using p5.js, I coded the visualization that took in a participant's heart rate and responsiveness through a heart sensor and a galvanic skin sensor and dynamically updated the visualization. The heart rate sensors are notoriously finicky in getting readings, so I had to reprogram the algorithms to rely on the shortest possible measurements while staying accurate to the user. Additionally, each individual's range of heart rate and sweat response is unique, so the program had to account for that as well. I also had to build the user input interface, using Arduino, Heart Rate sensors, and GSR, that was robust enough to withstand a high rate of turnover as we were exhibiting this in a venue that was expected to receive well over thousands of visitors over a period of 3 days. The challenge was to keep the installation low-cost, portable (so it could be shipped from Atlanta to D.C.), and reliable for bodies ranging from toddlers to elderly, to give each user a fair experience. The program also had to be minimally technical so it could be operated by others from the start of the measurements to the final print that each visitor was provided with. I was successfully able to automate the process, leaving only simple "Next" interactions for the users. I also contributed to the first project by assisting the team in the building the installation and maintaing the code. The project was presented at the 2022 ACCelerate Festival at the Smithsonian’s Museum in Washington D.C. and was voted the runner-up for the "Favourite Exhibit". For further readings: https://heart.gatech.edu <img width="4800" height="7236" width_o="4800" height_o="7236" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9bed6f289b13b2f80d9a49a81f5c14628e49116baa9dbcce97670b4c6afb6b78/HeartSensePoster1.jpg" data-mid="234597753" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9bed6f289b13b2f80d9a49a81f5c14628e49116baa9dbcce97670b4c6afb6b78/HeartSensePoster1.jpg" /> <img width="1463" height="2048" width_o="1463" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a97555477a950aa67ae0f4d532b40b0957fc16606a4bbfed387e96a2eb08f9fb/heartsense-1.jpg" data-mid="234597748" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a97555477a950aa67ae0f4d532b40b0957fc16606a4bbfed387e96a2eb08f9fb/heartsense-1.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1463" width_o="2048" height_o="1463" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/754872b5dec3bd63ff008bc0052cdc658e03c4c0b9a7be76022cd7ddce0bf4c2/heartsense-3.jpg" data-mid="234597750" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/754872b5dec3bd63ff008bc0052cdc658e03c4c0b9a7be76022cd7ddce0bf4c2/heartsense-3.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1463" width_o="2048" height_o="1463" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9b31f0385ab591c49c4571e2182bfc85bb4bca676850a8f99a40d23ebc1db5fa/heartsense-2.jpg" data-mid="234597749" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9b31f0385ab591c49c4571e2182bfc85bb4bca676850a8f99a40d23ebc1db5fa/heartsense-2.jpg" /> https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Lost-Window Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:10 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Lost-Window 04 Conversing with Clay JAN22-JUN22 <img width="517" height="720" width_o="517" height_o="720" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/239c75349f4e73f7fa410cc4bb01cc05e860522e8cfe00ef997ea1fd7487b7d3/cover-img.gif" data-mid="234597783" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/517/i/239c75349f4e73f7fa410cc4bb01cc05e860522e8cfe00ef997ea1fd7487b7d3/cover-img.gif" /> <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70c21427cbff6b575f2934e665e9e086ac41468fa261f61cff070f8a932295f2/window1-2.jpg" data-mid="234597780" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/70c21427cbff6b575f2934e665e9e086ac41468fa261f61cff070f8a932295f2/window1-2.jpg" /> Explorations in Clay &amp; Air Conversing with Clay is an interactive installation that explores human and non-human agency, whether and how we make choices, and what implications this has in an increasingly complex technological world. Installation elements include air-dried clay tiles strung up in a rectangular grid hanging from the ceiling with a projected video. Whenever a participant approaches the installation a clay tile drops, destroying itself in the process.&nbsp; The work calls into question some basic assumptions about human agency. The clay and air, for example, behave according to their material properties, bound by the laws of physics. Yet we see ourselves as different. What forces guide our actions as we approach the artwork? As humans become more immersed in technology and virtual environments, what does it mean to have agency in the physical world? Is it merely a useful myth that we can control our impact, or is there something particular - even if inscrutable - about what it means to be human? The project explores these ideas by creating a fragile balance between materials, technology, and the viewer, which is easily disrupted once a person gets involved. This illustrates the fallacy of anthropocentric thinking and reveals that we are not always in control of the consequences of our choices. The installation aims to evoke reflection on human hubris and inspire more mindful interactions that respect the agency of non-human entities. Gallery <img width="2048" height="1536" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb17392b3d60005c4a4add558eba27d5c9ebf7359ead54738357b15f05654bce/window-1.jpg" data-mid="234597772" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fb17392b3d60005c4a4add558eba27d5c9ebf7359ead54738357b15f05654bce/window-1.jpg" /> <img width="1536" height="2048" width_o="1536" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/19f602e114b4946b65eaadf8012f184015612b4e7ca8ee8132963ca20acfd577/window-3.jpg" data-mid="234597774" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/19f602e114b4946b65eaadf8012f184015612b4e7ca8ee8132963ca20acfd577/window-3.jpg" /> <img width="1536" height="2048" width_o="1536" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2168ff4c7d227583eb65b936e1b865eae776104eb12ccd7e224f9567d476d14/window-4.jpg" data-mid="234597775" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c2168ff4c7d227583eb65b936e1b865eae776104eb12ccd7e224f9567d476d14/window-4.jpg" /> <img width="1536" height="2048" width_o="1536" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0280b17b4815cd97f71a8a265251d1b0433b414ca5b0014729f6f3462255aa83/window-5.jpg" data-mid="234597776" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0280b17b4815cd97f71a8a265251d1b0433b414ca5b0014729f6f3462255aa83/window-5.jpg" /> <img width="1536" height="2048" width_o="1536" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f8f490b1bdba038eccb49fc6dd3e64a8bb86c6333548e106cd2c247d8032f9cc/window-6.jpg" data-mid="234597777" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f8f490b1bdba038eccb49fc6dd3e64a8bb86c6333548e106cd2c247d8032f9cc/window-6.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1152" width_o="2048" height_o="1152" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01bda6f9910902089fb7965beac32e2e8cbb3bdf7233cc763ae7dcb67cfa474f/window-7.jpg" data-mid="234597778" border="0" alt="The mechanism" data-caption="The mechanism" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01bda6f9910902089fb7965beac32e2e8cbb3bdf7233cc763ae7dcb67cfa474f/window-7.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1152" width_o="2048" height_o="1152" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8fb1c97ca6160b0885c30038149b68c71264952a5d75861999ad496f9f2b35f2/window8-1.jpg" data-mid="234597781" border="0" alt="Prototype 2" data-caption="Prototype 2" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8fb1c97ca6160b0885c30038149b68c71264952a5d75861999ad496f9f2b35f2/window8-1.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1365" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42bb1690aeace6ccd4d070969761c92d7b7c4478d73d7b5037259137d165b5ef/window8-2.jpg" data-mid="234597782" border="0" alt="Prototype 1" data-caption="Prototype 1" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/42bb1690aeace6ccd4d070969761c92d7b7c4478d73d7b5037259137d165b5ef/window8-2.jpg" /> https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Trellis Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:13 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Trellis 05&nbsp;Trellis JAN22-JUN22 <img width="2048" height="2048" width_o="2048" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0e67e13267389702929584de2c747633cab79895e40bc2f5e882137c08c6ccdf/trellis3.jpg" data-mid="234597816" border="0" alt="Sectional axo drawing of the project" data-caption="Sectional axo drawing of the project" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0e67e13267389702929584de2c747633cab79895e40bc2f5e882137c08c6ccdf/trellis3.jpg" /> A Shared-Housing Project in Karachi The following project was the result of a year long investigation as part of my Bachelors of Architecture final thesis. The project, while initially conceived to explore Architecture through the lens of Economics to look for a post-capitalistic form of architecture. It eventually focused on Sharing Economy and its potential impacts on the problem of Housing and Sustainability in the context of Karachi and the Urban environment. While presented as an architectural design thesis, the project’s full scope included outreach to create awareness among the urbanites of a more sustainable and financially viable ways of living, and as such a booklet was designed as well. The project was eventually given an Honorable Mention in 2020 Institute of Architects’, Pakistan Graduate Kausar Bashir Award for Socially Responsive Architecture. The essay that formed the underpinning of the project, Prospects for a 21st Century Architecture, was also awarded a distinction. &nbsp; &nbsp; The thesis aims to explore the potentials of shared-economy inside the scope of built environment. It explores the possible applications of the concepts of shared-economy, such as re-usability and right-to-access, inside the environment we live in. Applications of these concepts can be used to tackle the problems of massive inequity &amp; sustainability in the socio-economic and environmental spheres of the urban areas. By focusing on developing ‘systems’ instead of just a building, the thesis also attempts to open areas of inquiry for architects beyond the building itself. By using a framework of shared-economy, the thesis presents the possibilities of a future in practice and application of architecture, not afforded to us by the existing framework of neo-liberal economics.<img width="5000" height="2619" width_o="5000" height_o="2619" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8b30220a9fa04c4d4b4f371f71b31bcaa507ae2ff3d7153d84a92bf3aff62ed/trellis1.gif" data-mid="234597814" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d8b30220a9fa04c4d4b4f371f71b31bcaa507ae2ff3d7153d84a92bf3aff62ed/trellis1.gif" />The project explored the implications of the capitalistic economic influences upon architecture, especially on housing, and its drawbacks. By tracing the changes in economic frameworks, the project’s premise sits on the evolution of our economic system due to the proliferation of Internet and the rise of new technologies. Through examining the drivers of this evolution, issues such as rising inequality and environmental concerns, our economic system may potentially move from that of consumption-based to that of sharing-based. The project further explores implications of such an evolution on issues concerning not just architectural design, but the entirety of built environment and its social, economic and environmental spheres. Using the urban context of Karachi, and the trends of sharing resources that exist in our societies, the project attempts to provide a more socio-economically relevant alternative to the current design of dwellings. The project instead of designing just a building, also attempted to design and integrate the various system that govern a building. The systems of financing, managing resources and sustainable energy use are then designed for the project. The project is explored from both macro and micro scales. At the macro level, the project is conceived as a node in a network of similar projects, all working together in cohesion and providing for not just its occupants but also the society at large. On a micro level, the project aims to benefit its immediate context through minimizing its consumption of resources and wastage while providing safe, affordable, healthy and cohesive living spaces. By looking at architecture as a systematic exercise instead of a boutique response, the project’s goal is to provide a version of architecture which benefits everyone instead of only those who commission it. <img width="2560" height="1441" width_o="2560" height_o="1441" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f7e2a6ee01149b46a49a34cc50eabbe166a16d41a82bb63fc90c90947787ab36/trellis2.jpg" data-mid="234597815" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f7e2a6ee01149b46a49a34cc50eabbe166a16d41a82bb63fc90c90947787ab36/trellis2.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="2048" width_o="2048" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9362a3ebc6dcc8215bd4e5ab9c50a14e9563e10edc05ca16581febdef765ce92/trellis4.jpg" data-mid="234597818" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9362a3ebc6dcc8215bd4e5ab9c50a14e9563e10edc05ca16581febdef765ce92/trellis4.jpg" /><img width="1024" height="647" width_o="1024" height_o="647" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01b8ddcddc00d8f64301e714e867334a8c1ab5f1ba0b5a774dfdc65c9b018a90/trellis5.png" data-mid="234597819" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01b8ddcddc00d8f64301e714e867334a8c1ab5f1ba0b5a774dfdc65c9b018a90/trellis5.png" /> https://mohsinykyousufi.com/AIR Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:15 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/AIR 06 A.I.R. JAN/22 - ∞ <img width="1920" height="1080" width_o="1920" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/19f037dd3f5e5029e63ef8f339ec0ad00984e267cdb33b6dda279113f29872e3/air.png" data-mid="234597830" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/19f037dd3f5e5029e63ef8f339ec0ad00984e267cdb33b6dda279113f29872e3/air.png" /> AIR, or Architectural Image Recognition, is a result of a research project that was undertaken as part of an exploration into Artificial Intelligence and its application inside architectural practices. AIR uses deep learning to provide a ‘similarity index’ of a architectural plan against a set of ten architects. The set of architects includes Alvar Aalto, Daniel Libeskind, Jean Nouvel, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Oscar Niemeyer, Rem Koolhaas, SANAA, Steven Holl and Zaha Hadid. AIR was simultaneously developed as a standalone program and as a plugin for the parametric modelling environment Grasshopper inside Rhino. The program, in its current stage, is intended primarily towards students and researchers in architectural practice to analyze their drawings against the styles of the ‘masters’ or study the designs of these architects themselves in relation to one another. AIR can serve as a way of sparking discourse about the implications of the ‘similarity index’ while designing new projects. A more developed iteration, trained on larger data sets, can also be utilized in archiving and study of architectural drawings of various architects. It can be used in the discipline of history of architecture to find architects, or the best-guesses, of those projects whose architects have been lost to us. With a sufficient data set, and new techniques in Deep learning such as low-shot and one-shot learning, the programs capabilities can become important to the processing of architectural drawings in libraries, institutions and offices alike. For me, it also serves as a departure point for a wider discourse on what comprises of an architects’ style and their imprint on the final building. It also highlights the limitations and mysteries of AI but also the potential that this novel technology seems to hold for a profession so ancient. AIR is written in Python, while the deep learning model used in the program was developed through Google’s Teachable Machine which uses Keras and Tensorflow. All python libraries used in the program are available, to the best of my knowledge, as open source. The entire project was carried under the supervision and guidance of Professor Yun Kyu Yi at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. <img width="1024" height="336" width_o="1024" height_o="336" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d1b2f406875a634e8e232e47d686fe479314dfd86cc908292a40408b34f3695/air-1.png" data-mid="234597831" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6d1b2f406875a634e8e232e47d686fe479314dfd86cc908292a40408b34f3695/air-1.png" /> https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Writings Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:16 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Writings Writings JAN/18 - ∞ Articles Mohsin Y. K. Yousufi, Charlotte Alexander, and Nassim Parvin. 2025. Credibility Boosters as a Lens for Understanding Epistemic Injustice in Civic Tech: The Case of Heat Seek. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 9 7, Article CSCW392 (November 2025), 30 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757573Sumita Sharma, Behnaz Norouzi, Edward Peter Greenwood White, Eva Durall Gazulla, Mohsin Y. K. Yousufi, Netta Iivari, Noura Howell, Pauli Klemettila, Suleman Shahid, Sayan Sarcar, Xingyu Li, and Wricha Mishra. 2025. Lost in Translation: Researchers’ Reflections on Writing in English for CHI. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 636, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706599.3716231 Hyde, Allen, Meltem Alemdar, Katie OConnell, Philip Omunga, Yousufi, Mohsin, et al. 2024. “Promoting Youth Advocacy for Resilience to Disasters: A Pilot Study.” Gender &amp; Development 32 (3): 749–72. doi:10.1080/13552074.2024.2415224. Yousufi, M., Epistemic Injustice in Technology and Policy Design: Lessons from New York City’s Heat Complaints System', Proceedings of Public Interest Technology - University Network Summit Research Symposium 2023 *Awarded Best Graduate Paper (Peer Reviewed) Mohsin Yousufi, Yanni Loukissas, Allen Hyde. 2023. Bridging Data and Experiences: Engaging Youth in Digital Civics through Participatory Mapmaking for Resilience, DIS 2023, Designing for and Reflecting upon Resilience in Health and Wellbeing Workshop (Reviewed Abstract) Mohsin Yousufi, Charlotte Alexander, and Nassim Parvin, “Social Justice through Technology and Policy Design,” CHI 2023, Designing Technology and Policy Simultaneously: Towards A Research Agenda and New Practice. (Reviewed Abstract) Mohsin Yousufi, 2020,&nbsp; “On Schisms and Generalism”,&nbsp; Moving Forward, Vol. 1, Issue: Aug 2020, Pages 44-45, Indus Valley School Architecture Journal &nbsp; Mohsin Yousufi, 2019. “Prospects for a 21st Century Architecture”,&nbsp; Undergraduate Dissertation, Indus Valley School of Art &amp; Architecture, Pakistan *distinction awarded Mohsin Yousufi, 2018, “Architecture + Communal Space and the Future”,&nbsp; Proceedings of IAPEX - Karachi 2018, Institute of Architects Pakistan.Theoretical Explorations 2021,&nbsp;The Problem of Context This paper applies Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to explore the concept of 'context' in architecture. ANT traces associations between actors in an 'actor-network', providing a useful descriptive tool. It helps clarify and expose weaknesses of assumptions and ideas underlying 'context' in architecture. As the need for more relevant and sustainable architecture increases, an exploration of 'contextual' is timely and essential. Supervised by Prof. John Stallmeyer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign's School of Architecture. &nbsp; https://mohsinykyousufi.com/about Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:19 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/about ** I am on the job market now - if you know of any exciting opportunities in HCI, design research, civic tech or UX, please let me know! ** /* Hide all list items after the first two */ .updates-container ul li { display: block; } I am a civic technologist and a Ph.D. candidate in Digital Media at Georgia Tech, working with Dr. Yanni Loukissas and Dr. Richmond Wong. I am research engineer at the Public AI Network, helping build public AI infrastructure for public use! My research interests center around a field called Civic Technologies, with a specific focus on collective intelligence and digital public infrastructure. In my research, I apply a sociotechnical lens to using emerging technologies (of course, including AI!) for civic systems. Specifically, I examine how social groups interact with and shape sociotechincal knowledge infrastructures in collective and civic spaces. My research challenges traditional approaches to civic technology development by centering local communities' and citizens' experiences, and knowledge systems. Through this work, I aim to contribute to theoretical understanding and practical applications of intelligent civic platforms for collectives. My work intersects with design, philosophy, computer science, and urban policy. I was a researcher at&nbsp;metaLAB at Harvard where I helped led projects on AI pedagogy and critical examinations of technologies. I have also conducted research at the&nbsp;Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University. researching integration of LLMs within social media and algorithmic bias on social media. I was previously a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where I explored the implications of Artificial Intelligence on architectural practice and design, as well as the ethics and politics of surveillance technologies in urban contexts in the Global South. During my undergraduate studies at Indus Valley School of Art &amp; Architecture, Karachi, Pakistan, I focused on using architecture to design sustainable social systems in urban contexts. I graduated with the Founders’ Award, the highest graduating honor, and a national award for “Socially Responsible Architecture.” My work has been presented at various leading academic conferences and venues, including the NeurIPS, ACM CSCW, ACM CHI, ACM DIS, Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, Columbia GSAPP, among others.&nbsp; In my free time, I enjoy being a hobbyist musician and a coffee aficionado! Recently I have become interested in pessimistic thought, especially those of Emil Cioran, Peter Zapeffe and Thomas Ligotti, as well as Quantum Physics.&nbsp; Current Focus:&nbsp;Building local and publicly owned AI tools and thinking about civic deliberation through complex systems perspectives. Shoot me an email if you are intreseted in any of the ideas!&nbsp; ⊠ UPDATES: 04/26: Gave a talk on my dissertation research on “Epistemic Breakdowns” at the IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture at Georgia Tech.04/26: Our paper on “Slow Engagement:&nbsp; Slowness and Meta Writing on Tumblr as Alternative Forms of Engagement in Online Communities” was accepted to CSCW 2026!04/26: Giving a talk at Georgia Tech IPaT Lunch Lectures!&nbsp;03/26: Our paper on Plasmatic Visualization: Visceral Attunement to Environmental Data was accepted to DIS 2026! 03/26: Invited to present my work at The Future of Open Data Conference at the Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN)03/26: Gave a talk on the Public AI Libraries Project at UW-Madison Information School on Navigating the Generative AI Landscape.11/25: Received the Foley Scholar Award!&nbsp;(the highest award for PhD student research contributions to computing at Georgia Tech!)10/25: Contributing as a research engineer to Public AI to bring AI tools to public libraries in Utah, New Jersey and Massachusstess in the U.S09/25: Our paper on Local LLMs was accepted to NeurIPS 2025 Alogrithmic Collective Action Workshop!09/25: Selected as a Finalist for the Georgia Tech Foley Scholars Award!&nbsp;09/25: Presented on the “Sociotechnical Perspectives on Public Interest Technologies” panel at 4S Annual Meeting08/25: Awarded The Collective Impact of Cultural Technologies fellowship at Georgia Tech!08/25:&nbsp;My paper on “Epistemic Breakdowns in Civic Tech” was accepted at the Information+ Conference!&nbsp;08/25: My paper on “Credibility Boosters” was accepted to ACM CSCW 2025 -&nbsp;https://doi.org/10.1145/375757308/25: Selected to serve on the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board (ELAB) at Georgia Tech for AY 2025 - 202607/25: Graduated from the Oxford Internet Institute and UC Berkeley iSchool Summer Doctoral Programme in Berkeley, California!06/25: Joined Public AI Network as Research Intern&nbsp;03/25: Gave a talk on “The Unmappable Atlas: Reclaiming space from AI’s gaze” as part of Atlanta Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Network’s workshop series&nbsp; 02/25: Our paper “Promoting youth advocacy for resilience to disasters: a pilot study” is out now -&nbsp;https://doi.org/10.1080/13552074.2024.2415224 11/24: Successfully defended my dissertation proposal! Moved to PhD Candidacy&nbsp; 11/24: Gave a talk on technology and architecture futures at the Institute of Architects’ Pakistan’s conference in Lahore 10/24: Presented my research at the National Women’s Studies Conference in Michigan 02/24: Became a research affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University 11/23: Presented my research at 4S 2023 on two panels: “Collective Action in a Datafied World” and “Decolonizing Data Infrastructures: Pluralizing Imaginaries and Histories of Datafication” &nbsp; 10/23: Joined metaLAB (at) Harvard &amp; FU Berlin as a Researcher! 10/23: Awarded best paper at PIT-UN annual convening 2023 09/23: Gave a talk on “Architectural Futures: Thinking about Design, Cities and Architecture” at UET Lahore, School of Architecture 08/23: Graduated from NSF I-Corp program 07/23: Participated in DIS workshop on Designing for Resilience and Wellbeing 06/23: Joined the Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University as a summer researcher 05/23: Successfully passed my PhD qualifier exams! 05/23: Gave a talk at the Atlanta Air Quality Symposium at Georgia Tech 04/23: Participated in ACM CHI Workshop on “Design X Policy” https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Contact Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:21 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Contact CONTACT ︎ EMAIL mohsin.yousufi@hotmail.com yousufi@gatech.edu ︎ LinkedIN: linkedin.com/in/mohsinykyousufi ︎ Twitter (X): @mohsinyky ︎Github: https://github.com/mohsinyousufi ︎Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tVoOVowAAAAJ&amp;hl=en https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Untitled-Page Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:06:21 +0000 Mohsin Yousufi https://mohsinykyousufi.com/Untitled-Page