STATUS

MVP in development

STATUS

MVP in development

Designing SoukAI: Turning an unfamiliar oil and gas trading process into a seamless digital experience that is winning stakeholder confidence

Designing SoukAI: Turning an unfamiliar oil and gas trading process into a seamless digital experience that is winning stakeholder confidence

Product Design, UX UI, Branding, Startup, AI, Oil & Gas, Marketplace

Product Design, UX UI, Branding, Startup, AI, Oil & Gas, Marketplace

Abdurrahman and Shoaib, the two co-founders of SoukAI, saw a gap in the oil and gas space, an industry relying on slow, traditional methods to buy and sell the physical commodity. To form their team, they reached out to me to lead their product design and creative. I was the sole designer, and I had to familiarise myself with the meticulous, and often messy, processes involved in the oil and gas space – to ultimately streamline the buying and selling of oil and gas, using AI.

Abdurrahman and Shoaib, the two co-founders of SoukAI, saw a gap in the oil and gas space, an industry relying on slow, traditional methods to buy and sell the physical commodity. To form their team, they reached out to me to lead their product design and creative. I was the sole designer, and I had to familiarise myself with the meticulous, and often messy, processes involved in the oil and gas space – to ultimately streamline the buying and selling of oil and gas, using AI.

Project Background

Role, duration and tools

The Role

Design Lead (Product Design and Creative)

Duration

Ongoing

Tools

Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, Jitter.video, Slack, Miro

Design Process

Discover

Brand strategy,
The problem,
Existing experience

Define

Persona,
Opportunities,
User stories,
Task flow

Develop

UI inspiration,
Sketches,
Wireframes

Deliver

Marketing site

DISCOVER

Brand Strategy

Brand Strategy

The oil and gas space was alien to me, so I sat down with Abdurrahman and Shoaib to better understand the industry, its challenges, the vision driving SoukAI and what they wanted to achieve. More than just a Product Designer, I played on my role as a creative to shape SoukAI’s brand from the ground up. This way, we can solve the problem in a more comprehensive way – beyond just the product, but how the company shows itself to the world.
The oil and gas space was alien to me, so I sat down with Abdurrahman and Shoaib to better understand the industry, its challenges, the vision driving SoukAI and what they wanted to achieve. More than just a Product Designer, I played on my role as a creative to shape SoukAI’s brand from the ground up. This way, we can solve the problem in a more comprehensive way – beyond just the product, but how the company shows itself to the world.

The Problem

The Problem

Oil and gas deals can take a long time to complete: New business deals in the oil and gas sector typically take 6–18+ months to close, due to complex decision-making, regulatory requirements, and multi-stakeholder approvals (Optimum7)
Oil and gas deals can take a long time to complete: New business deals in the oil and gas sector typically take 6–18+ months to close, due to complex decision-making, regulatory requirements, and multi-stakeholder approvals (Optimum7)
A huge amount of documentation makes tracking and handling more difficult and inefficient: Multiple documents are required at every stage, from early-stage transaction documents, due diligence and legal, contractual agreements, trade documents and regulatory documentation.
A huge amount of documentation makes tracking and handling more difficult and inefficient: Multiple documents are required at every stage, from early-stage transaction documents, due diligence and legal, contractual agreements, trade documents and regulatory documentation.
This complex process opens the doors to fraud: Oil and gas trading is plagued by fraud and forged documents, with lengthy, opaque processes eroding trust between buyers and sellers. Without fast, reliable verification, legitimate deals face delays, disputes, and lost opportunities.
This complex process opens the doors to fraud: Oil and gas trading is plagued by fraud and forged documents, with lengthy, opaque processes eroding trust between buyers and sellers. Without fast, reliable verification, legitimate deals face delays, disputes, and lost opportunities.
So…
So…

How might we make oil and gas deals faster, simpler, and more trustworthy for buyers and sellers in the oil and gas space?

How might we make oil and gas deals faster, simpler, and more trustworthy for buyers and sellers in the oil and gas space?

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©2025 Ruhel Ahmed. All rights reserved.

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©2025 Ruhel Ahmed. All rights reserved.