BACKGROUND

What is a fluid assemblage?

Many of the digital “things” we are designing today are more like fluid assemblages that are changing over time and as a response to collected data and activities and inputs. Many different actors extract different kinds of values from these networks and generated and collected data. Many of these are now optimized for data collection and efficiency which means making users stay at the platform. But how can they be designed to provide meaningful transparency and choice regarding their multiple uses and users?

CHALLENGE

Changing our
digital footprint

Streaming video and audio are the biggest drivers of explosive data growth, and our video consumption accounts for 80% of the entire internet’s carbon emission levels. Many video streaming services today are designed for an efficient and seamless user experience, with the aim to keep users on the platform for as long as possible. Dark patterns implemented in the design of these platforms ensure that there is no room provided for users to reflect on what, how and why they are consuming the given content. But what would happen if we added friction into this model that could trigger a different thought process when streaming online?

What happens when we add reflection
to our video consumption?

OUTCOME

Consumption through reflection

Youtube Reflect is designed in a way to challenge the idea that everything needs to be optimized for efficiency and as a seamless user experience. How many times have we not found ourselves realizing hours have passed by and all we did was watching funny cat videos? We wanted to make the user in charge of their own behavior by adding reflection into why, what and how we are consuming the videos we are watching. By asking the question “what is the aim with your video consumption today?”, we are making the user taking a stance and reflect upon their own consumption behavior.

Explore your content

Explore, listen and see how the content will be influenced depending on your adjusted parameter.

APPROACH

A prototype guided design process

As the concept of designing “fluid assemblages” is new, there are not yet many practices for how to approach a such process. This led us to experiment with different methods and prototypes in order to design something that is constantly changing in the end. Working with a wide range of prototypes and probes guided us through the process allowing us to constantly iterate and develop the different prototypes.

Exploring aesthetics of negotiation

Through various prototypes with we explored ways of negotiation as well as where and how to add friction into the current model. By probing and testing we were able to see the different reactions and actions from people. How does it feel to play poker with a video streaming channel? How does it feel to negotiate with yourself? The different prototypes also brought us to the question; what is an okay behavior and who should have the power to decide it?