du

du, officially known as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), was established in 2005 and launched services in 2007. As one of the UAE's primary telecom providers, du offers mobile, fixed-line, broadband, and digital TV services. It also provides ICT solutions, satellite services, and supports initiatives like Smart Dubai. du emphasizes innovation and customer satisfaction, contributing to the UAE's digital transformation. The company is publicly traded on the Dubai Financial Market and supports Emiratization, with a significant portion of its workforce comprising UAE nationals.

Project

Character Design, UI/UX

The Brief

The brief was to design a vibrant, child-friendly UI that would engage kids aged 6–12 while simulating a du call centre experience. The interface needed to be intuitive, colorful, and icon-driven, with minimal text. Characters were to represent diverse du customers—cartoon-style avatars with playful expressions, distinct outfits, and unique personalities—each presenting a different call scenario. The design had to balance realism and fun, reflect du’s brand identity, and create an immersive, educational environment with a professional yet playful tone suited for the KidZania setting.

The Solution

My solution was to design an engaging, easy-to-navigate interface using bright colors, large icons, and du’s brand elements to appeal to children aged 6–12. I created a set of animated customer characters with diverse looks, unique personalities, and exaggerated facial expressions to simulate real call scenarios in a fun way. Each character presented common service queries through speech bubbles and audio, encouraging kids to respond with the right solutions. The UI mimicked a simplified call centre layout, guiding users step-by-step. I ensured the experience was both educational and entertaining, blending playful visuals with purposeful design to reflect du’s values and KidZania’s mission.

Kidzania

KidZania Dubai is an interactive, award-winning edutainment center located in The Dubai Mall. Designed for children aged 4–16, it offers a realistic, scaled-down city where kids can role-play over 40 professions—from doctors and firefighters to chefs and broadcasters. Each activity is crafted to teach life skills, responsibility, and teamwork in a fun, immersive environment. KidZania combines education and entertainment, allowing children to earn and spend “kidZos” while gaining valuable insights into the adult working world.

Meet The Characters

The characters were animated du customers named Rajiv, Omar, Zayd, Navid, Hugh, Lina, Noor, Ines, and Ama, showcasing the UAE’s cultural diversity. Each character had distinct features, clothing, and accents reflecting their ethnic backgrounds. Their expressive animations and varied personalities helped children engage with realistic, inclusive customer scenarios in a fun, relatable way.

App UI Design

I created the UI design using a bright, clean layout with du’s signature blue tones to ensure brand consistency. Large character tiles, rounded corners, and bold icons made navigation intuitive for kids. Clear visual hierarchy, friendly fonts, and playful animations helped create an engaging, educational experience suitable for ages 6–12.