Madhuri Rao

Hi, I’m a designer and facilitator dedicated to creating work that is human- and planet-centered. I’m currently a Communications Specialist for New York City’s health and wellness program, helping bring free resources and workshops to city workers, and I also conduct natural dye workshops in my free time.

With over seven years of design experience, I focus on projects that connect diverse communities through design research, strategy, and visual storytelling. I love turning big ideas into clear, engaging experiences through workshops, visual design, and community-centered projects.

Before this, I was a vegan baker and yoga teacher, and I bring a background in law to everything I do. My work is shaped by holistic and regenerative design principles, with the goal of creating solutions that tackle today’s challenges while building a healthier, more just future for people and the planet.



Design
Projects
  1. Theater der Welt
  2. AUTONOM Symposium
  3. Social Alpha
  4. London Design Festival
  5. Report Design


Research
Projects
  1. Earth’s Kitchen
  2. Loving The Bronx

AUTONOM Symposium




Together with my project partner Helin Ulas, we played integral roles in managing, directing, ideating, and designing key elements of the AUTONOM symposium, a groundbreaking initiative at the intersection of artistic production, scientific inquiry, and societal challenges. Our close collaboration with Fonds Darstellende Künste and Digitale Dramaturgie, an interdisciplinary group exploring digital storytelling and representation, fostered rich dialogue on the future and ethics of AI.



Funded by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, AUTONOM is a pivotal component of the federal government's broader AI strategy, supporting artists and collectives investigating the evolving relationships between humans, machines, and algorithms.



Our responsibilities included:

Virtual Environment Design
We crafted the immersive virtual space on Gathertown, incorporating private meeting areas, information desks, a main stage, and specialized presentation rooms, tailored to diverse participant groups through collaborative ideation with partner teams.

Website Development
We designed and developed the symposium website to provide accessible information on events, workshops, and AI-related resources, enhancing participant engagement and outreach.

Interactive Engagement
To foster interaction, participants completed an AI-based quiz via Typeform that assigned them to discussion rooms during the symposium’s final sessions.

Event Management & Support
Mirroring the complexity of physical events, we ensured smooth navigation, coordinated technical support, and worked alongside speakers to monitor and address issues in real time.

Through this multidisciplinary collaboration, we helped create a dynamic platform that bridges creativity, technology, and critical inquiry, enriching conversations on AI’s societal and ethical dimensions.