Muammer ‘Titu’ Ayub (MDes 2018) has been building things since he was a child in Bangladesh. “I have always loved to make and create things,” says Ayub.
His artistic career started in technology, specifically animation and video game development. Ayub worked as a chief technical officer for the Bangladesh government after graduating with a BA in graphic design and multimedia from the Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology in Dhaka.
But one day, his computer crashed, and his ambitions shifted abruptly. He began to question himself: If what he was creating truly existed in the world. Shouldn’t it have some lasting value? If it could survive, shouldn’t it still be useful, even a hundred years from now?
“Fourteen years of my portfolio just vanished,” he says. “I thought to myself, ‘I’m done with the digital world, I want to make things that help people in the real world.’ I started educating myself about industrial design, how to build things, how graphic and 3D design can apply to real life functional prototyping.”
Through his independent study, Ayub realized, “Everything I was doing was holding me back because I didn’t have a certificate from a recognized university.”
Enter NSCAD. “I’d never applied to universities in Canada before. The only one I wanted was NSCAD—it just had the right feel. I liked the location, I was impressed by the faculty and the general culture,” says Ayub, whose brother lives in Vancouver.
People laughed at me, people ridiculed me—I had to design my first boat hidden in the jungle.
While in Halifax, Ayub started researching and designing high-performance boats designed for use in Bangladesh.
His early boat design work was the start of his business, now called WDO, that he plans to expand to his ‘second home’ in Nova Scotia. That work also earned him a position as a finalist at the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design’s Canadian competition for the World Global Impact Design Prize in 2015.
“They invited me to design something that would make life better for people around the world. Out of hundreds who submitted designs, I was one of 20 people selected,” says Ayub. “Everything started from there.”
But Ayub’s passion for designing boats started much earlier, when he was growing up in Bangladesh. “Since childhood, I would make small boats for the lake,” he says. “Being in the design field and coming from a country where people say, ‘You can’t do industrial design, those things are not for you.’ People laughed at me, people ridiculed me—I had to design my first boat hidden in the jungle.”
After graduating from NSCAD, Ayub faced some challenges that forced him to return home to Bangladesh. That’s when he applied his design skills to creating affordable, well-designed boats for people who need them most.
“My dad works for a charitable organization, and they were giving wooden boats, rafts, to people in Bangladesh,” he says. “I asked him to let me help.”
There are so many other pioneers who are ready to show the global community what we Canadians can offer.
Ayub established a research and development facility and a factory that produces a variety of models, including small fishing boats, recreational boats, and fast, sleek speedboats for paramedics. He plans to bring his business to Nova Scotia, and eventually expand across Canada.
“My goal is to make small watercraft accessible to those who may have thought them too expensive or difficult to maintain. I’m here to change the mindset that these vessels are expensive to maintain. I want everyone to be able to afford a boat,” he says. “Additionally, I’m pioneering electric-powered small recreational boats, offering an eco-friendly alternative that aligns with environmental design trends.”
Ayub remains focused on his original goal to use design to help people, while also creating employment for highly skilled engineers and artists like himself.
“Nova Scotia’s market is uniquely suited to my business and designs, but it’s not just about me. There are so many other pioneers and entrepreneurs who, given the opportunity, are ready to show the global community what we Canadians can offer,” he says. “My honest dream as a proud Canadian is to export our products globally, showcasing the excellence of ‘Made in Canada.’
“At the same time, I truly appreciate the opportunity to work with skilled professionals and to offer meaningful, dignified, and honest employment for people like me who have a passion for boat design.”