I’m Maya Abdallah, a researcher, designer, and software developer. I study Media and Communications at the American University of Beirut, with a minor in Digital Marketing. My work brings together critical media research, visual communication, and the development of software and digital experiences.

My interest in media begins with how meaning is constructed: who produces a narrative, whose perspectives it represents, and how its circulation shapes its interpretation. Writing and research allow me to investigate these questions. Design and development give me another way to engage with them, through the interfaces, platforms, and experiences I create.

I am currently developing my research into large language models and algorithms in media, exploring their relationship to authorship, cultural representation, recommendation systems, and audience trust. I am interested in understanding how these technologies work alongside the assumptions, incentives, and decisions shaping their use. This research connects my media studies background with my technical practice, as I work toward combining critical analysis with coding-based investigations and concrete media evidence.

My independent research includes Synthetic Personas, an investigation into AI-generated influencers, commercial persuasion, and the responsibilities surrounding disclosure. The project examines what audiences need to know about synthetic identities to make informed decisions about the relationships and messages they encounter.

Alongside research, I develop software, interactive websites, and visual and editorial projects. My work ranges from tools for writing and business operations to experimental interfaces and browser-based creative experiences. Some projects address practical needs; others explore the expressive possibilities of typography, interaction, and code. Both require careful attention to how an idea is communicated, experienced, and implemented.

I work across research, concept development, visual direction, interface design, and implementation. Moving between these stages allows me to carry an idea from its initial question to a functioning outcome, while remaining attentive to the decisions that connect its purpose, appearance, and behavior. I value experimentation, but also the discipline required to make work clear, accessible, and usable.

Football is another longstanding commitment. I am a goalkeeper for AUB’s women’s football and futsal teams, continuing a relationship with the sport that began in childhood. Preparation, communication, and accountability are central to how I contribute to a team, and they also inform my approach to creative and technical work.

Research and making are closely connected in my practice. Building gives me concrete decisions to examine; research gives me stronger reasons for making them. My aim is to understand media critically and contribute to it through thoughtful writing, distinctive design, and carefully developed software.