LEAN TECHNOLOGIES · UAE 🇦🇪From history to hands-on.
I ran the Pay by Bank launch: a Museum of Payments walkthrough that led guests into a hands-on checkout demo, with commercial training linked to CRM follow-up.
INDEPENDENT CONCEPT STUDYSAUDI ARABIA + UAE / 2026
Events
at Stitch.
Make the product tangible.
Make the conversation count.
STRATEGY · SPATIAL CONCEPTS · PHYSICAL IDENTITY
↓Six proposed experiences. One connected design language.
THE BRIEFTurn a complex platform
Turn a complex platform
into a useful experience.
Stitch brings the building blocks of financial products together. These concepts explore how that idea could feel in a room, at a workbench and in someone’s hands.
Each format gives guests something specific to do, a reason to talk and a clear next step.
CONCEPT & DIRECTION
Sheryar A. KhanPROJECT STATUS
Independent proposal
Sheryar A. KhanPROJECT STATUS
Independent proposal
“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”
— Steve Jobs
I have built the rooms.
Now, the next chapter.
These are proposals. The experience behind them is real. Here are three moments from my delivered work.
LEAN TECHNOLOGIES · UAE 🇦🇪
LEAN TECHNOLOGIES · SAUDI ARABIA 🇸🇦From concept to show floor.
I delivered Lean's Money20/20 Middle East booth end to end: concept, specifications, build and live floor. I also led the signing programme.
ABWAB.AI · SAUDI ARABIA 🇸🇦From a new brand to a bigger stage.
As a founding team member, I built Abwab's brand and took it onto the international fintech circuit, including its Innovation to Watch award at 24 Fintech.
01EXHIBITION / PARTICIPATORY INSTALLATION
The Product Foundry
Make the product
something people can touch.
THE IDEA
Infrastructure is hard to picture. A physical workbench gives visitors a simple way to explore how a financial product fits together.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Choose a product brief. Move the modules. Ask a specialist to walk through the matching synthetic journey.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
A product blueprint and, where there is a fit, an agreed working session with Sales and Product.
01Choose02Connect03Explore04Discuss
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
A slim solid-surface bench, six tactile modules and a visible metal frame. A fine connecting line links selected docks so it explains the assembly. A lower work position and a separate conversation area support different ways to take part.
Planning notes +
- Planning study
- 9 × 6 m open-sided footprint
- Key object
- Six financial-product modules
- Pilot version
- Portable tabletop kit + existing screen
- Measure
- Relevant use cases and meetings held
Physical assembly explains a product journey. It does not imply instant API deployment. Product, venue, structural and accessibility review precede any build.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
02ACCOUNT WORKSHOP / PRIVATE VISIT
The Decision Room
Put the hard decisions
on the wall.
THE IDEA
A buying group needs a shared view of the problem. A movable blueprint makes boundaries, unknowns and owners visible to everyone.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Map the current journey, move the modules, test integration boundaries and record the decisions still needed.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
A jointly reviewed blueprint and evaluation plan with named owners and next actions.
01Agree02Map03Test04Assign
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Three sliding panels turn the wall into a working surface. Magnetic cards can be moved and replaced. A connecting line marks the selected route across a panel boundary. The table, rails and remote position remain practical and visible.
Planning notes +
- Planning study
- 6 participants / 75 minutes
- Key object
- Sliding blueprint wall + decision log
- Pilot version
- Portable boards in an existing room
- Measure
- Buyer-confirmed evaluation progression
Use synthetic examples until an account agrees how its information will be handled. Confirm facilities, access and retention requirements before use.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
03EXECUTIVE DINNER / HOSTED CONVERSATION
The Next Product Table
Bring one ambition.
Leave with a better question.
THE IDEA
A small dinner creates space for the questions that rarely surface on a conference floor. The conversation starts with a customer problem.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Share a product ambition, identify the operating constraint and compare perspectives with a carefully chosen group. Private questions stay private.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
An unattributed synthesis of useful themes. A separate follow-up is offered only when the guest wants it.
01Invite02Listen03Map04Follow up
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
An off-white oval table and charcoal seating keep the setting quiet. The connecting detail sits within a reusable set of question trays. Each place has a card and pencil. The working objects carry the identity.
Planning notes +
- Planning study
- 12 seats / 90 minutes
- Guest mix
- 8 guests + 4 relevant hosts and specialists
- Pilot version
- Existing private room + reusable paper kit
- Measure
- Guest relevance and requested next steps
Guest mix, dietary needs, local timing and institutional hospitality policies need review. No venue or attendance is confirmed.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
Let people feel
the problem first.
Four working installations, each built around a different buying conversation. Start with familiar friction. Then make the connected journey tangible.
I would prioritise regulated banks, lenders, fintech issuers and payment providers. Stitch's current FAQ puts direct access for non-regulated businesses in the future, so I would treat embedded-finance brands as a partner-led or later audience, not assume they can buy today.
01 / LENDERS & BANK CREDIT TEAMS
The underwriter's desk.
Applications + Loans + Ledgers
Digital loans / BNPL
Concept schematic / open drawing ↗BEFORE
A desk piled with synthetic application files, duplicate checklists and unanswered hand-offs. A deliberately staged friction story, not a claim about every bank.
WITH STITCH
Beside it, a clear decision console. Guests assemble a loan journey from data checks, policy rules and a human review route. A facilitator reveals the application record and repayment schedule.
Guest journey, output & product grounding +
The interaction. Choose a fictional borrower, identify the missing information, then map which decisions can be automated and which need a person.
The useful output. A buyer-owned lending blueprint: policy owner, integration questions and one agreed technical workshop.
Product grounding. Digital loan capabilities ↗. This installation is my proposed interpretation. Product specialists must validate the demonstration, rules and claims.
02 / DIGITAL BANKS & DEPOSIT TEAMS
The account-opening relay.
Applications + Deposits + Ledgers
Onboarding / Deposit accounts
Concept schematic / open drawing ↗BEFORE
Four separate counters pass the same fictional customer file between forms, verification, product and operations. Every hand-off leaves a visible gap.
WITH STITCH
One continuous rail links the same stages. Guests choose a product, arrange its required checks and follow the opening journey into a sample account record.
Guest journey, output & product grounding +
The interaction. Move one customer token through the journey. Try an incomplete record and see it routed for review, rather than pretending every customer is instantly approved.
The useful output. A shared onboarding map with product, compliance and operations owners identified.
Product grounding. Onboarding capabilities ↗. This installation is my proposed interpretation. Product specialists must validate the demonstration, rules and claims.
03 / CARD ISSUERS & WALLET OPERATORS
The card that knows its limits.
Cards + Deposits + Ledgers
Virtual cards / Digital wallets
Concept schematic / open drawing ↗BEFORE
A wall of separate card requests, balance enquiries and spend-limit changes. Guests trace how one employee purchase can cross several systems.
WITH STITCH
A tactile control bench pairs a synthetic wallet balance with a virtual-card scenario. Change a category limit and follow the authorised or declined transaction into the sample ledger.
Guest journey, output & product grounding +
The interaction. Select a use case, set a spend control and test a fictional purchase. The physical card is a prop; no real payment or issuance takes place.
The useful output. A card-programme brief covering audience, controls, funding and the next product evaluation.
Product grounding. Card issuing capabilities ↗. This installation is my proposed interpretation. Product specialists must validate the demonstration, rules and claims.
04 / PAYMENT PROVIDERS & TRANSACTION TEAMS
The payment switchyard.
Transactions + Ledgers
Routing / Payment operations
Concept schematic / open drawing ↗BEFORE
A single illuminated route dead-ends at a failed endpoint. Beside it, a separate reconciliation tray waits for someone to explain what happened.
WITH STITCH
A physical route map branches into eligible endpoints. Guests set a routing rule, trigger a simulated failure and watch the configured fallback, with the transaction state recorded beside it.
Guest journey, output & product grounding +
The interaction. Move a payment token, choose the failure condition and explain the retry boundary. No invented uplift counter: the point is control and observability.
The useful output. A routing-policy sketch, failure questions and a named technical follow-up.
Product grounding. Routing capabilities ↗. This installation is my proposed interpretation. Product specialists must validate the demonstration, rules and claims.
Audience and product grounding: Stitch platform ↗. These are illustrative friction scenarios, not research claims about every institution. No live customer data, regulated decision, card issuance or payment is performed.
Same idea.
Different room.
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
I would start with a small lending or bank-product group in Riyadh. Arabic-first or bilingual facilitation, right-to-left blueprint cards and a Saudi-specific synthetic journey reviewed by Product. Build around local working hours, prayer breaks and guest hospitality policies.
United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
I would test a mixed product, payments and operations group in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Bilingual materials where useful, and a second journey for wallet, card or cross-border needs. Separate competing accounts for sensitive working sessions.
Regional creative treatments, not claims of regulatory approval. Schemes, integrations and eligible products must be checked for the specific market.
WHAT I WOULD PILOT FIRSTOne desk.
The underwriter's desk
One desk.
One buying group.
A useful next step.
The underwriter's desk
inside the Decision Room.
It connects a recognisable lending pain point to a focused product conversation. Test the interaction with six people before investing in a full exhibition build.
- Audience
- One target bank or lender: credit, risk, product and technology owners, with a Stitch facilitator.
- Effort
- Indicative 2-3 weeks: discovery and script, tabletop prototype, Product review, rehearsal and one 75-minute session.
- Working budget
- SAR 8,000-15,000 for a small local tabletop prototype in an existing meeting room. Creative planning estimate, not a supplier quote; excludes tax, travel, venue hire and software integration.
- Success
- One buyer-reviewed journey map, named decision owners and an agreed or explicitly declined next evaluation step. Log meetings held and follow-up ownership in HubSpot; do not count badge scans as pipeline.
I would own the brief, audience, guest journey, production and follow-through. Product owns demo accuracy; Sales owns account qualification and the next commercial step. No spend or booking is proposed without approval.
Three supporting formats +
04PRODUCT LAUNCH / DEMONSTRATION
One Product, Live
Let the demonstration
carry the story.
THE IDEA
One useful customer journey gives the launch a clear focus. The set supports the explanation and leaves room for technical questions.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Follow the need, watch the synthetic demonstration and choose a technical or commercial clinic afterwards.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
A clear capability story, reusable demonstration content and attended evaluation conversations.
01Need02Explain03Demonstrate04Evaluate
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Six freestanding frames form one backdrop. A precise connecting line leads toward the demo console. Off-white panels and charcoal acoustics keep the room legible, with no theatrical lighting to distract from the product.
Planning notes +
- Planning study
- 40-person format
- Run of show
- 20-minute story, then clinics
- Pilot version
- Existing studio + modular frames
- Measure
- Evaluations attended and next steps agreed
Launch only against an approved release. Rehearse the demo, agree claims and prepare a clearly labelled recording as fallback. Layout and sightlines require validation.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
05MICRO-CONFERENCE / CLOSED-DOOR ROOMS
Signal Sessions
Smaller rooms.
More useful conversations.
THE IDEA
A focused forum gives product, technology and operations leaders room to work on a decision. Each discussion has a clear purpose and a facilitator.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Choose a relevant track, work through a question and contribute only approved themes to the shared synthesis board.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
A useful playbook of approved insights, with optional clinics and Sales-owned follow-up where relevant.
01Qualify02Choose03Work04Synthesize
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Three enclosed rooms share one arrival space. A modular board connects the tracks and captures takeaways. Clear alignment helps guests read that structure. Opaque walls and closable doors give privacy a physical basis.
Planning notes +
- Planning study
- 24–30 guests across three rooms
- Tracks
- Product / implementation / operations
- Pilot version
- Existing breakout rooms + reusable boards
- Measure
- Useful outputs and qualified follow-up
Acoustic performance needs testing. Avoid placing competing accounts together in confidential workshops. Publish only approved themes.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
06PHYSICAL IDENTITY / WORKING TOOLS
The Seam
A useful identity.
Down to the last detail.
THE IDEA
The same design language should travel from invitation to conversation to follow-up. Practical objects give that identity a consistent physical form.
THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Equip hosts with a blueprint folio, notebook, question cards, modular cards and a simple staff overshirt. Use the tools throughout the experience.
THE USEFUL OUTPUT
Consistent hosting and useful paperwork that can be revisited after the event.
01Invite02Equip03Use04Keep
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Charcoal fabric, off-white paper and small construction details. A pull tab opens the folio, thread binds the notebook and an alignment mark positions the question. Branding stays selective.
Planning notes +
- Object family
- Folio / notebook / question / modules / garment
- Material approach
- Matte paper and durable neutral fabric
- Pilot version
- One sample set before procurement
- Measure
- Practical use and host feedback
These are concept samples, not approved gifts. Check recipient policies, sourcing, finishes and garment fit. A digital or no-gift option remains available.
Indicative design study. Not for construction.
THE EXPERIENCE STARTS BEFORE ARRIVALAn invitation
An invitation
with a clear purpose.
One product ambition.
One useful conversation.
A sharp folded tab, a charcoal envelope and a direct invitation. The same idea carries through from the first touchpoint to the paper tools used in the room.
General and personalised concept versions.Dates and venue deliberately left unconfirmed.
THE DESIGN LANGUAGEOne connection.
One connection.
Many expressions.
Off-white surfaces. Charcoal structure. Honest materials.
Monochrome carries the identity. Small accents stay functional.
Existing brand identityTYPEAa
Denim / Headlines
ABC Diatype / Body
Charcoal
#121212Off-white
#FCFCFCBody grey
#4B4B4BPROPOSED MATERIALS
Solid surface / brushed aluminium / acoustic fabric / uncoated paper
Stitch's current website is monochrome-first. Denim and ABC Diatype guide the type; physical materials and connection details are my proposed applications, not an official brand guideline.
SHERYAR A. KHANI build the story.
I build the story.
Then bring it to life.
7+ years across marketing, brand and GTM.
Experience with Abwab, Lean Technologies and MENA Fintech Association.
Research & deeper delivery notes +
Product information checked 16 October 2026. Creative concepts, dimensions and costs are proposals, not commissioned work or commitments.