Associate Program Head, Interactive Media; Visiting Assistant Professor of Interactive MediaAffiliation:Visiting Education: BSc American University in Cairo (AUC), MArch Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA), DDes Florida International University (FIU)
Aya Riad is a computational architect, design researcher, creative engineer, and educator. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Interactive Media program at NYUAD. She is also the Middle East Regional Manager at DigitalFUTURES; a global, educational, accessible initiative with a particular emphasis on the latest computational design and fabrication technologies. She is currently a Doctorate of Design (DDes) candidate at Florida International University. She has a master’s in architecture (MArch) from the Design Research Lab at the renowned Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Architectural Engineering from the American University in Cairo (AUC).
Her work is positioned at the intersection of architecture, robotics, emerging technologies, and art. It focuses on interactive, participatory design that begins with the person and expands to the surrounding environment. Her research includes looking into behavioral systems that act as autonomous, self-assembling, and self-aware design systems that aim to provide an alternative approach to living and extend the ideas of endless and ever-evolving architecture. She is currently developing a framework for the integration of emotive AI and affective computing methodologies within interactive design and spaces.
Riad, acclaimed for her innovative contributions, secured the prestigious Emarati Futurism Award 2022 (1st Prize) within the Architecture and Urbanism domain, granted jointly by the Dubai Future Foundation & Dubai Culture. Additionally, she earned recognition through the Scriptathon Design Award from Autodesk. Riad has demonstrated leadership by spearheading and participating in numerous international panels, amplifying the discourse on computational design perspectives, particularly rooted in the Arab region.
Courses Taught
With the advent of digital computation, humans have found a variety of new tools for self-expression and communication. Thinking about how we interface with these tools beyond the mouse and key-board, we can approach software and electronics as artists and designers, exploring new interactions with machines and each other. This introductory course will provide students hands-on experience with screen and physical interaction design through programming and electronics using microcontrollers, electronics, and software development. Weekly exercises encourage students to experiment freely, creating their own novel interfaces and controls for working with machines. The course culminates with a final projects exhibited at the program's end-of-semester showcase.
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Summer 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks Michael Shiloh
-
T 15:35 - 18:15; R 17:00 - 18:15
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks Michael Yulin Ang
-
T 14:10 - 15:25; R 14:10 - 16:50
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks Aya Riad
-
R 09:55 - 11:10; T 09:55 - 12:35
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks Michael Yulin Ang
-
M 15:35 - 18:15; W 17:00 - 18:15
Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
Majors > Art and Art History > Visual Arts/Practice Electives
Majors > Film and New Media > Media Practice Courses
Majors > Interactive Media
Minors > Film and New Media
Minors > Interactive Media
Minors > Visual Arts
Pre-Professional Courses > Media, Culture and Communication
This seminar course is an introduction to the theories, questions, and conditions that encompass interactive media. Students will engage in readings that critically examine both the impact that interactive media and technology have on culture and societies as well as the ways in which social contexts shape the development and application of these technologies. The contexts become apparent by examining interactive media and interactivity through the lenses of relevant perspectives including politics, ethics, race, gender, and cybernetics. Throughout the semester students will leverage theory to analyze interactive media works and build a vocabulary for making sense of our increasingly mediated world. The course thus serves to lay a conceptual foundation for students to inform and direct their own creative practice. Readings, discussions, research, and writing constitute the body of this course.
Previously taught: Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2024
Summer 2025;
4 Weeks Aya Riad
-
MTWR 13:00 - 16:00
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks MW 17:00 - 18:15
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks Michael Shiloh
-
TR 09:55 - 11:10
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks Sara Niroobakhsh
-
MW 14:10 - 15:25
Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
Majors > Interactive Media
How can we capture the unpredictable evolutionary and emergent properties of nature in software? How can understanding the mathematical principles behind our physical world help us to create digital worlds? And how can implementing these code-based simulations offer insight and perspective on both environmental and human behaviors. This course attempts to address these questions by focusing on the programming strategies and techniques behind computer simulations of natural systems using p5.js (a JavaScript library in the spirit of Java's Processing framework). We will explore a variety of forces and behaviors that occur naturally in our physical world. This includes properties of movement, physics, genetics, and neural networks. For each topic, we will write code to simulate those occurrences in a digital environment. The results will usually be visual in nature and manifested in the form of interactive animated coding sketches.
Prerequisites: IM-UH 1010, IM-UH 2310, or CS-UH 1001
Previously taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023, Fall 2024
This course appears in...
Majors > Interactive Media > Computational Media
Minors > Interactive Media
This course explores the intersection of parametric design, computational thinking, and digital fabrication, equipping students with the tools and methodologies to conceptualize, create and make innovative designs. Students will delve into the principles of parametric design and computational theories and methods to craft adaptable, data-driven designs while critically evaluating digital design workflows. The course emphasizes the relationship between theory and practice, fostering a feedback loop where ideas shape design techniques, and techniques inspire new concepts. By focusing on the interplay of parameters, constraints, and material properties, students will transform abstract concepts into tangible objects that seamlessly integrate computational logic with physical expression. Through hands-on projects, students will work with Rhinoceros, a 3D modeling software, and Grasshopper, a visual programming platform, to approach design algorithmically and unlock its creative potential. They will navigate the process of transitioning between digital models and physical artifacts, refining their work through iterative experimentation. The course aims to cultivate fluency in parametric workflows, fabrication techniques, and computational design thinking, empowering students to address real-world design challenges, explore innovative artistic expressions, and push the boundaries of computation, technology, and design.
Prerequisite: Intro to IM (IM-UH 1010) or Intro to Computer Science (CS-UH 1001) or Computer Programming for Engineering (ENGR-UH 1000) or request specific instructor approval.
Previously taught: No
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks Aya Riad
-
M 14:10 - 16:50; W 14:10 - 15:25
Taught in Abu Dhabi
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks Aya Riad
-
W 14:10 - 15:25; M 14:10 - 16:50
Taught in Abu Dhabi