Print, 2019
A series of pre-thesis explorations that focus on the centralization of data and poses questions like: How is our data collected? What is collected? and How much is this data worth? Through these questions, my thesis aims to explore how we can navigate and engage with our products, platforms and services in order to maintain the most control and ownership of our own data.
Exploration 01 —
How is data taken away from us? To answer this, I designed and built a mundane, simulated checkout experience that was riddled with Dark UX Patterns. Try it for yourself
Instead of harvesting your data, much like many websites today, I tried to show you just how much data you were giving away unwillingly. From detecting which soical medias you're logged into, to your location and zip code, to even your public profile image (through your email), this website shows you just how much data you're giving away on a daily basis.
Exploration 02 —
What data is taken away from us? In order to answer this, I requested my data from different social medias and platforms (Facebook, Google, Apple, etc.). What resulted was a 40 GB archive with over 15,000+ files, all with 0 documentation as to what was included in that archive. From this data, I was able to put together a detailed 40 page dossier profiling me through the data these companies collected on me.
Exploration 03 —
How much is our data worth? To explore this, I designed and built a tool that would determine the value of your twitter account. The receipt "printed" for you contains this valuation. Try it for yourself
To expand and translate this digital information, I also laser etched it into transparent plexiglass. Not only to re-enforce the idea that once you've given your data away, you can never take it back, but also as a jab at Microsoft’s new Project Silica, which now let’s just store even more digital information (and for longer periods of time) on glass, further proving how data hungry we’re becoming.
