Digital Doll

Designing critically on Artificial Intelligence and Technological Consumption

Brief

For my senior capstone for the Interaction Design program at Santa Monica College, I decided to tackle Artificial Intelligence(AI). Working within the spaces of design, media, art, and technology, I crafted an interactive experience centered around my decade old habit of journaling and turning it into several different products and pieces. By centering myself as the object of play, I hope people better understand their own habits around their data, personal information, and technological consumption.

Time Frame: Spring 2025 (16 weeks)
Skills:
- Critical Design
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Visualization
- Product Design
- Exhibition Design
Tools: OpenAI/ChatGPT, Figma, Tableau, Google Sheets, Illustrator, Photoshop, p5js, and journaling!

Problem

Artificial Intelligence has been touted as the future of technology and industry, but it does not come without its drawbacks. Issues around data misinformation/bias, privacy, intellectual copyright theft, and other ethical concerns have been put on the backburner in order for AI products to hit the market. 

My Solution

Digital Doll is designed to spark discussion on AI and the way people interact with their data and technology. Using artificial intelligence, data visualization, and processing, people can play with my own personal information in a variety of ways to stay informed on how data is scraped and played with online.

Process

Journaling

My main focus was to communicate who I am as a designer. This is done best through my journals. These hold a physical space for design inspiration, process documentation, sketches, self-reflection, archives, task management, and so much more.

Results

The interactive exhibition relies on various digital/analog touchpoints: Processing, Data Visualization, and of course, Artificial Intelligence.

Processing

Processing is a program/software that allows one to use code to create visuals. p5js is a free and open-source JavaScript library that allows anyone to do this. A precedent for this project was Dear Diary, a random diary entry generator, which allows one to randomly click to see my diary entries or read the code to view them chronologically. 


This visualizes my own information as data art, a unique personal interaction where one can read some of my most vulnerable, private diary entries.

Data Visualization

While Dear Diary was data art, analyzing and representing that data graphically is considered data visualization. I created charts visualizing over 1600+ diary entries over a decade in order to represent information in a somewhat abstract but humane way influenced by Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec.
 

The key was created after transcribing each physical entry into datasheets, analyzing them, and organizing based on a system that highlighted humanity and wholeness. Three variables are present: time, tone, and topic. 

Artificial Intelligence

Finally, the piece that centered the entire process was AI Angel, a custom chatbot made using OpenAI/ChatGPT. It has scraped several hundreds of my entries and is meant to mimic me virtually. People were able to interact with it online and throughout the exhibition.

Reflections

AI Angel

As the centerpiece to the entire project, the interactions that people had with AI Angel were by far the most complex, unique, and interesting. It highlighted data bias in the way it analyzed my entries when asked to find out which of my friends it hated most. It showcased data misinformation with how it generated a random birthday for myself, despite entries highlighting it. In other ways, it was able to mimic my writing style when asked about graduation. Many enjoyed hearing what it had to say, while others thought it was a vicious mockery. My favorite was when my friends tried to break it. 

Scope Management

Originally, the exhibition had several other ideas for components that simply had to be cut for time. I worked with my minimum viable product while still getting my ideas and solution across. I learned through this process that I like to dream big, but I’m able to remain grounded in reality by cutting scope as the project continues and time must be managed effectively. The one idea I wished I had gotten to the most would have to be my cookie experiment on personal data/internet cookies that centered on consumption. These ideas could all be used in the future as well! 

Graduation

I am finally graduating! I originally started college at UCLA for Nursing, and in an unforeseen and ironic sort of events I found my way back into community college at SMC. However, I’ve learned so much through my time in the Interaction Design program and feel properly equipped with the tools and resources to succeed as a designer in the world. I do my best work when its visual, creative, and collaborative, and I believe this is some of my best yet! While I take a break for the summer, I’m ready to move onto the Royal College of Art in the fall!