Augusta Lina

ML Product Engineer

Data Scientist & Design Engineer (MSc, BCom)

Introduction

I am a ML Product & Design Engineer holding a Bachelor of Commerce from UCT and an MSc in AI and Data Science from Goldsmiths, University of London.

I have five years experience in design engineering and digital design with the most recent year covering my Masters degree.

My work in design engineering has involved solving business challenges using technical product development and UX/UI.

This makes me uniquely suited to the interdisciplinary nature of technical product development. Design thinking takes a problem-solving first approach, aiming to understand the nature of a problem. This approach shifts the perspective to carefully considering how to build the right thing before figuring out how to build it.

I have been a regular industry speaker in London, talking at the Media & Production Technology Show, Starting Pixel and the Smalls. I participated in several UK & international fellowships through Screen South and Unreal Engine.

I hold British and South African citizenship as well as an American Green Card which allows me to easily work in an international capacity. Having lived in London for the past seven years while also having lived in the US, I’m connected to the international AI and VC ecosystem and am interested in building a career in South Africa which is connected to and on par with what is happening globally.

Skills / Core Competencies

  • Predictive Modelling & Statistical Analysis: Python & ML Libraries, R, MATLAB, Object-Oriented Programming, Cirq, Qiskit, Stim

  • Feature Selection & Problem Framing Design: Selecting & processing real-world data to be machine readable.

  • Data Architecture for Products: Designing how data flows through a user interface

  • Strategic, Business and Project Management

  • Information Architecture: Organising complex data sets so they are legible and useful to decision-makers.

  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI

  • Creative Strategy: Using design thinking to approach engineering problems from a solution-first rather than tool-first perspective.

  • 3D Design & technologies: AR/VR, motion and audio control, virtual production

  • Visual & UX Design

Much of the opportunity in ML and data science lies in it’s application. As is often the case with technology, simple ideas which address an important need are the most effective. Achieving this involves the ability to identify what analysis to run and how to frame problems, as well as the quality and maintenance of data. I bring the ability to immerse myself into problems and use technical tools to solve these. This helps me solve problems based on the underlying human, organisational and business mechanisms that drive them.

I'm interested in value driven work and exploring new sectors for automation, ML and digital product development such as the renewable energy sector.

I have an interest in better understanding what solutions AI and data science could bring to South Africa's economy and infrastructure which are well positioned to take advantage of AI and automation due to its strong development and entrepreneurial sectors.

Portfolio

GitHub

Data science report showing a systematic iterative development of a predictive model.

Results analysis & the development process.

Github Repo | Direct link to First Report

Theoretical Research

Collated report on techniques used by open source LLMs such as DeepSeek & Meta’s Llama Herd.

Reinforcement Learning, ensemble systems and embeddings.

External Link

Digital product design portfolio

Showcasing interaction design, user flows and creative skills

Portfolio

Integrated Systems Engineering

Master’s thesis on  Reinforcement Learning to build a decoder for topological quantum error correcting codes

Thesis

Medium

Medium articles detailing how I developed an integrated system consisting of a quantum computing circuit simulation and reinforcement learning environment.

Article 1 | Article 2

Experience

My background in product design and design engineering helps me to build models that are useful, intuitive, and aligned with business goals. It bridges the gap between raw data and human decision-making. Similarly, quantitative analytics rely on the ability to interpret and communicate both results and what is technically possible, translating these as they related to business problems.

Founder & Director of Story Springs (2022 - Present)

Founded a design engineering company which solved a variety of creative and business briefs.

  • CGI Production Consultant, Tarzan (Animated)

  • Technical Director, Harper's Bazaar, W1 Curates

  • Technical Producer and Designer, Greenpeace

  • Virtual Production Supervisor & Director, Disguise

Augmented World Expo (2024 - Present)

  • Organiser of AWE’s London events alongside Jeremy Dalton, Head of Immersive Technologies at PwC.

Freelance Filmmaker / Creative Technologist - Virtual Production

FilmScape (2023)

  • Assisted the technical team with previs solutions and created 3D content as needed.

  • Director and Technical Director on a realtime animation and virtual production music video for a song by seven-time Grammy nominee D'Mile.

Freelance Filmmaker (2021 - 2022)

  • Production co-ordinator on Noughts & Crosses 2, and Director’s Assistant Director on a Ridley Scott created series, Raised by Wolves 2 (HBO Max).

Business Development Producer (2019 - 2020)

ArtReview

  • Aligned editorial and commercial teams to enhance advertising placement value through distribution partnerships, leveraging brand value and repurposing editorial content.

Brand Strategist (2015 - 2018)

Old Friends Young Talent

  • Developed brand strategies, mapped customer psychographics and customer journeys, developed campaign strategies and helped interpret and write campaign and marketing briefs.

  • Working independently and under the Chief Brand Strategist, a company Co-owner.