Was This Helpful? Yes Or No: Design Explorations Of Ethics And Agency In Social Media

This thesis project focuses on exploring the ways in which designers can facilitate agency and ethical understanding in social media users. My research began with the investigation of how consent forms for online platforms are designed, the rules that govern them, and the amount of user information collected through these forms. At the same time, I investigated the definition of true informed consent on these platforms. I conducted various data visualization experiments, using both simple and complex data, to learn the ways in which information design can make data understandable. Using quantitative methods and design action research, I expanded my investigations to interrogate concepts of data exhaust, inferences, and behavioral modification, with the aim to empower users to understand and control the use of their personal data. Throughout these investigations and research projects, I understood that information design can be a useful tool to uncover ethical, political, and corporate structures which affect the privacy and agency of social media users. Uncovering these structures also assist future designers in understanding their own contributions to these spaces.