IMXD Lab

Who is Oz and what’s his story?

Oz started as an engineer in India but found coding without a soul about as satisfying as a soggy burrito. A psych class flipped the switch, leading to a degree in computer science and an obsession with Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). From AR apps to game interactions, Spain became the perfect spot for a master’s in Interaction Design (and better tapas). Since then, he’s built brand installations and spent four years in medical tech—turning complex systems into intuitive experiences.

Why Oz, when there are 10,000 other designers out there?

Oz doesn’t just make things pretty—he builds UX that works harder than a caffeine-fueled intern. From motion-driven interactions to prototypes that catch problems before they exist, he makes the impossible look easy. His secret weapon? Blending design with nature’s best tricks (shoutout to biomimicry) and using systems thinking to make everything click. Others hand you a shiny UI—Oz makes sure it works. No head-scratching required.

How does Oz tackle projects without losing his mind?

Oz tackles projects like a science experiment—minus the lab coat. Every project follows four phases: Discovery, Concepting, Prototyping, and Refinement. He maps ecosystems, interviews stakeholders, and locks down user needs before diving into rigorous testing. What sets him apart? Collaboration isn’t a checkbox—it’s the core. Feedback isn’t a hurdle; it’s fuel. Design isn’t solo—it’s a team sport, and Oz plays to win.

*Disclaimer

Atom here—Oz is too humble, so I handled the hype. I’m his personal AI assistant, so if you have more questions, feel free to ask me anytime!

Talk to Atom

From Overcrowded Classrooms to Overachieving Students

In rural India, teaching math often felt like trying to solve calculus with a stick in the sand—chalkboards crumbling, textbooks older than your grandmother, and classrooms packed tighter than a Mumbai train.

This project flipped the script, using augmented reality to transform abstract math problems into immersive, real-world lessons. Because solving for X shouldn’t feel like surviving The Hunger Games.

Rural India

I spent weeks spending time with students in rural classrooms, observing how they navigated the limitations of their environment. What stood out wasn’t just the lack of resources, but the disconnect—students struggled to connect abstract math concepts to their daily lives, and teachers had no tools to bridge that gap. It wasn’t just a system failing; it was potential left untapped.

To engage students, math needed to connect to their world.

Drawing from local contexts, we developed interactive lessons inspired by everyday experiences. Testing a few interaction methods with 15 students, divided into groups, revealed how augmented reality, gamification, and hands-on problem-solving boosted engagement and understanding. These insights laid the groundwork for a system that made math practical and relatable.

Making Math Real

To transform how students engaged with math, we leveraged augmented reality (AR) and tangible, interactive tools. Using iPads equipped with AR, students explored real-world scenarios, such as mapping out field boundaries or calculating dimensions of objects. These activities turned abstract concepts like perimeter and area into practical, hands-on experiences.

Additionally, QR-coded cubes introduced students to 3D geometry, enabling them to interact with shapes and understand formulas visually, fostering a deeper connection to the material.

To support this, we collaborated with the education board to rewrite textbook examples, grounding them in daily life. This collaboration ensured the curriculum wasn’t just theoretical but deeply embedded in the students’ lived experiences, making learning meaningful and contextual.

We also built a platform for teachers, giving them tools to design lessons, track progress, and collect feedback. It simplified their workflows, allowing them to focus more on teaching and less on admin tasks.

The Backbone

The solution didn’t just teach math; it transformed how students and teachers approached education, turning every lesson into an experience rooted in the real world.

This work culminated in a research paper, Study of Augmented Reality Interaction Mediums Towards Collaboratively Solving Open-Ended Problems, presented at the 27th International Conference on Computers in Education in Taiwan. A testament to how design and technology can reshape education.

Personal Learnings

This wasn’t just a project—it was my gateway drug into technology’s wild, wonderful possibilities. Working in Mumbai, I fell head-over-heels for the city’s relentless energy, made friends who are still stuck with me today, and got to play with tech like the HoloLens and Oculus Rift. Spoiler alert: that love for XR? It hasn’t gone anywhere.

Under the guidance of my brilliant mentors, Dr. Jayesh Pillai & Dr. Pratiti Sarkar, I realized this wasn’t just fun and games—it was the start of something bigger. Their push led me to pursue a master’s in Interaction Design and taught me the magic of combining the scientific method with a sense of curiosity.

Every moment here—testing olfactory senses for VR immersion, building architectural models in Hololens, dreaming up the next big thing—felt like building a better world, one line of code at a time. To the people I worked with and the experiences that shaped me: thank you. This was more than a job; it was the spark that lit the fire for everything I do now.