Dr. Mathews
Wakhungu
Head of Research
Mathews is the head of research at KUNGU LABS. With his extensive experience in design research, he leads our growth as an organization that seeks insights that enhance the human experience. His approach is quite unique. He uses ethnographic research as a lens to study people's lives and to inform user-centered design. This novel approach to UX provides a descriptive and rich understanding of contextual issues around user experiences with products and services. It is also highly effective in finding solutions for evolving design challenges.
As a design anthropologist, Mathews applies his knowledge and experience doing participatory research to help design products, services, strategies, and policies that address pressing business and social problems.
Before founding KUNGU LABS, Mathews worked on a large National Science Foundation (NSF) project, where he worked to amplify the voices of users in the design and management of engineered technologies and services. His signature projects include a participatory study that greatly contributed to the redesign of water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Tampa, Florida, and a remote usability testing study for an open-source application with users across the US.
In addition to working with government utilities, and NGOs, Mathews has consulted for SMEs including banks, marketing, and advertising firms, event companies, and tech startups in Kenya and the US. In these projects, he used his ethnographic research expertise to help clients (re)imagine their products and services in ways that respond to the needs of their customers, consumers, audiences, and users.
Mathews has a Ph.D. in applied anthropology from the University of South Florida. He has published in international, peer-reviewed journals, and speaks regularly about the strategic role of design research in developing products, services, and programs at international conferences. He is a member of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), and the Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA). He is also an active participant in Tampa Bay UX and UX for Change initiatives across the world.