Ifrah Usmani
Education
- Bachelor of Communication Design, Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture
Specialization
Entrepreneurship | Branding & Identity | Digital Storytelling | UI/UX Design | Service Design | Product Design | Animation | Illustration | Photography
Biography
Ifrah is an intuitive designer with a passion for crafting meaningful design stories that enhance interaction, ensuring human connection remains at the core of every digital experience. With a background in Communication Design from Pakistan, she brings four years of professional experience working with leading digital marketing agencies and tech companies.
During her tenure at Securiti.ai (now Veeam Software), a Silicon Valley-based tech company, Ifrah collaborated closely with UI/UX teams, where she discovered her deep interest in user-centered design and digital experiences. This experience sparked a transition in her career focus from traditional graphic design toward the intersection of branding, storytelling, and digital interaction.
As a freelance designer, Ifrah has expanded her practice beyond branding to include website design, working with clients to create cohesive digital identities. Her approach is rooted in analyzing target audience psychology and using storytelling as a strategic tool to build authentic brand connections.
Beyond her commercial work, Ifrah is a dedicated photographer whose lens focuses on social issues and human stories. Her photography has been exhibited at a gallery in a show curated by Wendy Marijnissen, a prominent Belgian documentary photographer, curator, and author based in Antwerp. Through both her design practice and photography, Ifrah strives to create work that bridges aesthetics with purpose, amplifying voices and narratives that matter.
She brings creativity, empathy, and a user-centered approach to every project she undertakes, with a particular passion for work that addresses social issues and creates meaningful impact.
Why Digital Media?
I chose the Master of Digital Media program because it offers a limitless platform for creativity, innovation, and storytelling. What drew me to MDM specifically was its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, combining business, design, and technology in ways that reflect the complexity of today's digital landscape.
As a professional designer, staying ahead of industry trends is essential, and I wanted a program that would help me bridge the gap between design and digital innovation. MDM's focus on areas like interaction design, immersive technologies, and entrepreneurship stood out as the perfect opportunity to expand my skill set while deepening my understanding of the socio-economic issues shaping our digital world.
I'm particularly excited about gaining comprehensive, practical experiences through the program's industry partnerships and collaborative projects. Located in Toronto's tech hub, MDM fosters connections with startups and industry leaders that will be invaluable as I work on developing my own startup during the program.
Ultimately, I see MDM as a space where I can evolve not just as a designer, but as an entrepreneur and creative leader who can create digital experiences that are both innovative and deeply human-centered.