Creative Technologist,
UX Researcher + Engineer
UX Researcher + Engineer
Amina
Kobenova
The World Within, 2023
Augmented Reality Experience
Sep 2022 - May 2023
Research Through and For Design.
The World Within (2023) is an augmented reality (AR) experience designed to explore digital and immersive ways of therapeutic storytelling.
Exploring the imaginative narratives, magic, and metaphors, I created this project with the intention to speak to all the worlds and children that exist in each one of us.
The World Within (2023) is an augmented reality (AR) experience designed to explore digital and immersive ways of therapeutic storytelling.
Exploring the imaginative narratives, magic, and metaphors, I created this project with the intention to speak to all the worlds and children that exist in each one of us.
We Reap What We SO, 2022
Live Coding Performance
December 2022
“Live Coding” is a new term in creative coding used to program ‘on the fly’ performances with code, music, and beyond.
We Reap What We SO is a live coding performance that uses Haskell programming language and computer networking to create compelling visual and audial output using JavaScript and other tools.
The performance recording was a part of the bi-annual 2022 NYU Abu Dhabi Art Center Showcase.
Technologies:
︎ JavaScript (p5.js, Hydra)
︎ Musical Programming (Tidal Cycles)
Team members: Amina Kobenova, Dania Ezz, Shreya Goel, Thaís Alvarenga.
We Reap What We SO is a live coding performance that uses Haskell programming language and computer networking to create compelling visual and audial output using JavaScript and other tools.
The performance recording was a part of the bi-annual 2022 NYU Abu Dhabi Art Center Showcase.
Technologies:
︎ JavaScript (p5.js, Hydra)
︎ Musical Programming (Tidal Cycles)
Team members: Amina Kobenova, Dania Ezz, Shreya Goel, Thaís Alvarenga.
Making Beshbarmak, 2025
Cultural Heritage Game Experience
June 2024 - Present
“Making Beshbarmak” is an interactive cooking game rooted in Kazakh and Kyrgyz cuisines. Designed to depict and celebrate Central Asian cultural heritage, the game introduces players to the region’s vibrant art and food traditions.
Ongoing research studies suggest that Making Beshbarmak supports linguistic and cultural retention among players unfamiliar with Kazakh and Kyrgyz cultures.
The game was showcased at the 2024 ArtsIT Games & Interactivity Conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and is scheduled to appear in the 2025 BIPOC Games Showcase at the Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.
Technologies:
︎ Unity, Adobe Illustrator
Team members: Amina Kobenova, Adina Kaiymova, Tristyn Lai, Alim Utemisov.
Ongoing research studies suggest that Making Beshbarmak supports linguistic and cultural retention among players unfamiliar with Kazakh and Kyrgyz cultures.
The game was showcased at the 2024 ArtsIT Games & Interactivity Conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and is scheduled to appear in the 2025 BIPOC Games Showcase at the Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.
Technologies:
︎ Unity, Adobe Illustrator
Team members: Amina Kobenova, Adina Kaiymova, Tristyn Lai, Alim Utemisov.
About
Amina is a creative technologist and researcher working at the intersection of art, design, and emerging technologies.
She has professional experience across Kazakhstan, the UAE, the US, and the UK, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Amina holds a BA in Interactive Media from New York University and creates applications that explore therapy, storytelling, and co-creation in mixed reality. Her work blends inclusive HCI research with immersive design, often centering accessibility and learning.
In the past, Amina’s work has been seen at companies like Microsoft Research, Goldman Sachs, and imagiLabs. Her art projects have been showcased at venues such as the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Arts Gallery/Centre.
She has professional experience across Kazakhstan, the UAE, the US, and the UK, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Amina holds a BA in Interactive Media from New York University and creates applications that explore therapy, storytelling, and co-creation in mixed reality. Her work blends inclusive HCI research with immersive design, often centering accessibility and learning.
In the past, Amina’s work has been seen at companies like Microsoft Research, Goldman Sachs, and imagiLabs. Her art projects have been showcased at venues such as the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Arts Gallery/Centre.