Phillip Mudavanhu

I work at the intersection of engineering precision and human-centered design — two worlds that most people keep separate, and that I’ve spent my career trying to connect.

Currently, I’m working towards being an electrical engineer at Deutsche Bahn AG, working in Leit- und Sicherungstechnik (LST) — maintaining the signal and switch systems that underpin safe rail operations across Germany. It’s high-stakes, safety-critical work that demands both technical rigour and sharp diagnostic thinking.

Before that, I studied Human-Computer Interaction and Media Informatics at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, where I also tutored the HCI course under Prof. Eva Hornecker and co-authored a peer-reviewed paper published by ACM at Mensch und Computer 2021. The paper explored how smart, interactive textiles could help international students feel at home in shared dormitories — a study that combined empirical research, tangible interaction design, and physical computing.

Earlier in my career, I worked as an art director in advertising — building brand identities, developing 360° user experiences, and delivering under tight creative pressure. That background, combined with technical engineering training, gives me an unusual lens: I think in systems, but I design for people.

🔧 Railway Signaling · LST · Deutsche Bahn

🧠 HCI · UX Research · User-Centered Design

🎨 Art Direction · Brand Strategy

💻 Python · Physical Computing · Smart Textiles

Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe. Based in Germany.

Open to conversations about railway systems, HCI research, and the human side of complex infrastructure.