Annotated Portfolio

Engaging Design, Spring 2014

MA Design: Interaction Research
Goldsmiths, University of London
In partnership with Microsof Research
Samantha Miller
Anuradha Reddy
WIRED
EYE
Overview
On a daily basis, many of us give large amounts of personal data to online compa-
nies and services. We often do not think about where our data is located; where does
it travel to and where is it being stored? Our use of and reliance on the cloud can
make it seem as though our data is foating and abstract, but in fact, there are vast
physical centers around the globe that are responsible for the safekeeping of our
personal data. The Wired Eye attempts to highlight these questions and draw your
attention to these physical locations of data. Pulling information from your internet
browsing history, the device takes the IP addresses of the websites you have recently
visited. From these IP addresses, it fnds the associated data centers these compa-
nies use and pulls an aerial image of the center using satellite imagery. The Wired
Eye displays a series of these images through a kaleidoscopic lens, inviting play and
wonder around visuals that are both strange and beautiful. The optical distortion
comments on the blurry nature of knowing where your data is at any given moment,
as it is constantly moving, shifting between servers, and travelling across the world
in a span of milliseconds. The Wired Eye aims to provoke curiosity in further explor-
ing the complex relationship between our online data and geographical sites of stor-
age.
Acknowledgements
Tobie Kerridge, Alex Wilkie, Richard Banks, Tim Regan, Interaction Research Stu-
dio, Andrew Weatherhead, Richard Brett and other workshop staf
MA Interaction Research, Class of 2013-14
Table of Contents
Overview
1. Introduction
1.1. The Brief
2. The Public Body
2.1 Information Commissioners Ofce
3. The Documentary
3.1 Preliminary Research of ICO
3.2 Interviews and responses
3.3 Developing a framework
4. Research Data
4.1 Brainstorming
4.2 Field Visit
4.3 Interviews
4.4 Probes
4.5 Character Inspiration
4.6 Researching Concepts
5. Design Workbook
5.1 Rear-view Mirror
5.2 Warding Of the Evil-eye
5.3 Recording Paraphernalia
5.4 Closing the Shutters
5.5 Across the Seven Seas
5.6 The Ethical Camera
6. Prototyping
6.1 Journey to Jordan
6.2 Looking Into/Out of the Router
6.3 Risk-based Hard Drive
6.4 Kaleidoscopic View
7. Wired Eye
8. Conclusion
References
1. Introduction
The course Engaging Design launched with an introductory session in partnership with Micro-
soft Research Cambridge at the White Building, London. The session included presentations and
discussions with researchers, artists and other participants in order to set the tone for the project.
There were site visits followed by an exercise, in groups, to explore, observe and derive insights by
engaging in discussions with residents who live around the area. We were also introduced to a brief
concerned with the course outcome.
1.1 The Brief
We were initially asked to identify a public body and design a product or service that may promote,
provide new experiences or even implement changes to improve the services of the organisation.
The brief was open-ended and required a deep understanding of the chosen public bodys ofer-
rings to design something that people could engage with.
2. The Public Body
2.1 Information Commissioners Ofce
The Information Commissioners Ofce (ICO) is the UK governmental body we selected as our
starting point for the design brief. The ICO, formed in 1984 with headquarters in Wilmslow,
Cheshire, deals with data privacy and regulation for individuals, companies, and organisations
throughout the UK. According to the ICO, their mission statement is to uphold information rights
in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. The
current head of the ICO is Christopher Graham, who has been the Information Commissioner
since 2009.
For individuals, the ICO provides services to request your personal information from organisa-
tions; they also provide guidance on how to keep your information secure, as well as how to lodge
complaints against organisations. For organisations, they regulate and enforce how information is
collected, processed, and stored based on privacy legislation. They also provide guidance on how to
comply with these regulations.
The ICO carries out its mission by enforcing fve main pieces of legislation:
- Data Protection Act (1998): protects personal data in the UK and ensures a publicly avail-
able database of data controllers.
- Freedom of Information Act (2000): allows the public to have the right to access informat
ion held by public authorities, including the Houses of Parliament and the NHS.
- Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations (2003): prohibits the
sending of automated recorded messages, emails, or text messages for marketing purposes
without prior consent. The ICO can impose fnes of up to 500,000 for breaches of this.
- Environmental Information Regulations (2004): allows the public to have the right to ac
cess environmental data held by UK public authorities, including the Security Service.
- INSPIRE Regulations (2009): allows the public to discover and access spatial data sets.
Each of these pieces of legislation address particular concerns in regards to fair data usage, includ-
ing obtaining personal information, digital communication, and spatial and geographic informa-
tion.
3. The Documentary
Using the ICO and its mission as our starting point, we set of to make a documentary that ex-
plored the work of the ICO and its relationship to peoples feelings around their personal data,
specifcally in an online context.
3.1 Preliminary Research of the ICO
The ICO in recent times has been primarily concerned with the privacy policies of large corpo-
rations such as Google, which hold crucial personal information of millions of people. Following
Snowdens leak, a sudden spotlight on the NSA has raised increasing privacy concerns among
individuals. In the face of global terrorism and dangers to national security, there are lingering
tensions regarding the government seeking access to individual information. These events have led
the ICO to be more vigilant and aware of peoples rights to protect their information. Additional-
ly, the ICO is involved in advising individuals and organisations to be wary of bringing their own
devices to work and accessing unsecure networks in public spaces, highlighting the vulnerability of
their data to an attack.
3.2 Interviews and Responses
We started our documentary on the ICO by thinking about the ways in which we frequently give
our personal data to companies, services, and various organisations. We read books on e-readers,
listen to music on Spotify, carry out banking transactions, and purchase all kinds of goods online.
We wanted to explore how people felt about this constant exchange of personal data. Overall, the
answers to the question How do you feel about companies and organisations having access to
your online data? was overwhelmingly negative. People expressed skepticism and distrust in com-
panies having access to their personal information, and pointed out a wish to be informed if and
when data was collected about them, and to be told exactly what it would be used for.
In the prior image, the student in the yellow jacket felt that companies should get his permission
frst before using his data in any capacity. For him, permission was of the utmost importance.
Another scenario depicted below shows a security guard with a pessimistic view of surveillance,
noting concern about hackers and the fact that all of our activity is monitored.
A library IT employee expressed disgust at the sharing of information online. He took great pains
to protect his information, creating his own email service provider.
3.3 Developing a Framework
We then created a diagram of a relationship framework to map the relationships between people
and data; what are the conscious and unconscious forms of data input? How do certain uses of our
data feel comforting and positive, and others fearful and negative? We explored the extremities of
values people associate with data, such as being open and free to closed and protected.
4. Research Data
As we began the research phase of our project, we moved away from our prior focus on the regu-
latory, legislative aspects of the Information Commissioners Ofce. We became more interested
in aspects of data privacy and surveillance that raise psychological and philosophical questions
involving themes of fear, trust, comfort, and control. We also focused on optics in relation to data
privacy and surveillance technologies, not only in terms of CCTV cameras, but in other possible
ways of seeing and spying on the things and people around us.
4.1 Brainstorming
In one of our frst brainstorming sessions, we identifed themes we wanted to explore further
through probes, interviews, feld visits, and our literature review. This map used the Internet of
Things and communication as a start point to explore themes around data privacy and surveil-
lance. What does it mean for objects to communicate with each other without our explicit knowl-
edge or input? We thought about whether it is necessarily a negative thing for humans to relin-
quish this control; in what scenarios might this be a benefcial thing for humans? We considered
emerging technologies in terms of near-feld communication (NFC) and existing technologies like
RFID tags that make objects uniquely identifable. We were also interested in what it would mean
for objects to see that we do not normally associate with vision or perception in an everyday
sense.
4.2 Field Visit
We visited the Spymaster store in London at 3 Portman Square to see diferent gadgets of surveil-
lance frst-hand. The store consisted of covert objects like spycameras, radio bugging devices, tiny
microphones, and self-help books for masquerading oneself. It was interesting to see these objects
available to consumers who feel their safety is threatened.
4.3 Interviews
We interviewed some experts in the feld, including two cryptographers, one based in Luxembourg
and the other in London. We found their responses fairly technical and objective driven. The cryp-
tographer from Luxembourg shed some light on the Internet of Things, suggesting that the only
sure way of turning devices of is to remove the battery. We also interviewed Thomas Thwaites, a
designer/artist based in London. He refected upon his own experiences as a designer and men-
tioned the importance of including mysticism in the designed outcome.
4.4 Probes
We created probes to elicit responses from people on their relationship to data privacy and sur-
veillance. We showed photos of CCTV operators working and asked people to write their responses
on post-it notes. Another image probe included photos of peoples feet using public restrooms; we
were aiming to highlight the spaces that are deemed private but still exist within public spaces.
To generate comments across a breadth of topics related to data privacy, we made two books that
contained quotes cut out from various online news articles, inviting people to fip through and
write or draw a comment underneath a quote they found particularly interesting. Another activity
we designed was a page outlining various types of online data, from geographical to medical; we
asked participants to rank the types of data in order of importance to them (which do they care
most about protecting and keeping secure?). The fnal probe we designed was called Trace a Link
and think; it was a map of underground cables and we had people trace over those links and com-
ment on what these connections mean to them.
4.5 Character Inspiration
As part of our research we took inspiration from characters in movies and television shows we
found relevant. Who are characters that exhibit extreme and interesting behaviours? What can we
learn from them?
Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a paranoid surveillance expert, in The Conversation (1974)
James Stewart as L.B. Jef Jefries, a spying photographer, in Rear Window (1954)
Ryshi Morino from the anime series kami-san, who is afraid of
people seeing him and hides behind his long bangs
4.6 Researching Concepts
We researched concepts related to extremes of paranoia and faith, and in particular we were fasci-
nated by the anxiety disorder known as Scopophobia. People sufering from this disorder have an
irrational morbid fear of being seen or stared at. We also looked at diferent objects of faith people
use to protect themselves from the evil eye, including the nazar, an eye-shaped amulet, and the
hamsa, a palm-shaped talisman.
5. Design Workbook
We identifed seven main themes that we structured our design workbook around: transparen-
cy, agency, paranoia, remoteness, prediction, waste, and protest. We used these themes both as
prompts to explore relevant work we admire by other designers and artists, as well as a conceptual
framework to develop our own design ideas.
We considered overarching theoretical questions in relation to the workbook as a whole:
Who has access to our data and how is it being used?
When do we know this is happening and when is it hidden from us?
Are we always being watched?
What are the ethics of surveillance?
How could we protest or fght against this ubiquitous surveillance?
Use it to our advantage? Take it to extreme cases?

The following is a brief overview of each theme, followed by selected design proposals from across
these sections.
Transparency: Investigating ways in which we can trace transparency to what we can more lit-
erally see or feel in the way information is presented to us. Lacking consent or control in many
of the ways we are monitored leaves us with a desire for more transparency in processes of surveil-
lance.
James Bridles Surveillance Spaulder project (2013)
Agency: Looking at how much (or little) choice, say, or control we have in our world full of sur-
veillance. Is part of our fear and unease at our lack of control in knowing that we have a part of us
that wants to take a peek at the inappropriate or of-limits? We were also interested in what will
happen when the technologies and gadgets of surveillance have minds of their own; what will
that agency be like?
Shizuka Yokomizos Stranger (1998-2000)
Paranoia: In our surveillance society, it is easy to feel like someone, or something, is always
watching, looking, or following us. We investigated this fear, looking at how it plays a role in our
lives - is it an overreaction or is it there to protect us?
Vito Acconcis Following Piece (1969)
Remoteness: We were interested in drawing on ideas that characterise surveillance with respect
to the spatiality and temporality of data capture and monitoring. As digital technologies connect us
to people, places, markets, and organisations without having to physically travel, we tend to over-
look all of the manpower, geographical boundaries, and time durations involved in running these
technologies.
James Bridles Dronestragram (2012)
Prediction: We used data capture as a tool to identify patterns for the future of prediction, based
on past lives, personality types, and potential relationships. It was especially interesting to us to
look at diferent views on prediction and its powers, from scientifc scepticism to a more ritualistic,
spiritual faith.
Waste: We aimed to expand the notion of what surveillance could be by looking at forms of use-
less, involuntary, and overlooked data. Often, massive amounts of data collected is considered
waste and is discarded after a short period of time.
Protest: We delved into ways of protesting against practices of data capture and its usage without
our prior consent, questioning the inherent power relationships between the watcher and the
watched. Government regulations that enforce lawful behaviour and discipline through surveil-
lance may face resistance from its citizens if they feel their freedom or belief systems are threat-
ened.
The following section elaborates on selected pages from the workbook, providing a background
and context to the fnal design.

5.1 Rear-view Mirror | Paranoia
Would having an extra pair of eyes watching over your shoulder help to protect you, make you
feel safer, or make you unnecessarily obsess about being able to see what is behind you? The rear-
view mirror glasses are a straightforward way of exploring an altered way of seeing what is around
us. Through this idea, we tried to question if the refecting mirror was a source of comfort and
self-protection or if it was enforcing even more paranoia.
5.2 Warding Of the Evil-eye | Paranoia
Charms such as nazars or talismans are used for protecting oneself from the evil eye and other
harm-causing external entities. Similarly, can we protect our data from hackers by sticking charms
on our data? By casting a spell? Perhaps we would want to use a charm on our data when we are
accessing our data through a vulnerable network (for example, in a caf).
5.3 Recording Paraphernelia | Paranoia
Why might people want to have their own record of everything that happens around them? As
more of our lives become recorded and archived by various entities, it might be benefcial to have
your own recording of what took place - for documentation, proof, or recollection. If you have your
own recording of event(s), then no one else (or nothing else) can tell you what really happened.
We imagined a scenario where one would want to be equipped for total surveillance at all times
with a camera, microphone, and lights.
5.4 Closing the Shutters | Transparency
How do we know if the laptop camera is turned of? Is the green LED sufcient proof that we arent
being recorded covertly?
5.5 Across the Seven Seas | Remoteness
We looked at two IP address trace routes to Google and Facebook headquarters respectively, both
in California, from Goldsmiths, University of London. The images reveal the geographic locations
where the requested data is relayed in order to reach its fnal destination. Using websites like IP
Location (http://www.iplocation.net/), we were able to obtain a street view image associated with
the geographical location of where each IP address is hosted.
5.6 The Ethical Camera | Agency
What if surveillance technology had the capability for ethical judgment, the agency to decide what
should or should not be recorded on camera?
Moving to Design Prototypes
In reviewing our workbook ideas, the traceroute exercise stuck with us the most, pushing us to
investigate how we could manifest the way our data travels in a visible form. How could we draw
from IP addresses and their associated geographical locations to bring awareness to these myste-
rious servers and data centers across the world? The feeling of uncertainty in knowing where our
data is at any given moment was a key turning point for our project. We intended to design a form
that would retain this element of mystery, while inviting someone in to explore these issues in a
visual way. The following section details a series of prototypes we generated for exploring these
thoughts.
6. Prototypes
6.1 Journey to Jordan
Our frst prototype used the idea of travel and tourism to link how we desire to travel to certain
places with how our data travels across the world. We selected the website of Petra, Jordan, one of
the seven wonders of the world, as the destination - www.visitjordan.com. We imagined a charac-
ter that would travel to the diferent exchange points in the IP address traceroute, showing where
diferent servers are located in this particular journey, and highlighting that our data travels to
places we may not be aware of. Even websites that are focused on a particular geographical loca-
tion (in this example, Petra, Jordan), are hosted in an entirely diferent region of the world (e.g.
Atlanta, Georgia). We designed a scenario where we would try to obtain a photo of the exterior of
each data center the request to Jordan traveled to, perhaps with a person or a designed object rep-
resenting the data, visualising this particular journey through the locations of data exchange.
6.2 Looking Into/Out of the Router
Our interest in visualising how and where our data travels led us to re-imagine the router, as it
is the physical object that connects us to the internet. What if you could look into your router to
see where your data is travelling to at any given moment? We designed an object that would have
eyepieces allowing you to either peer inside the object from the top or look in from the side. This
design conjured up notions of the mystical black box and our desire to make this process of data
travel more transparent to someone. We also imagined a version of the router that would project a
visualisation of your data travelling onto the nearest wall.
6.3 Risk-based Hard Drive
We asked ourselves what we found most interesting about these physical locations where our
data travels, and realised it was the datas destination; where does our data end up and where is it
stored? These are the locations we all put a lot of faith into, in terms of keeping our data secure and
accessible to us at any time. With the risk-based hard drive prototype, we wanted to highlight the
vulnerabilities of these data centers in terms of their geographical locations and physicality - what
are possible threats to these centers? We designed a hard drive that would begin to back up your
personal data stored in these centers if it detected a high risk of a threat in those locations (wheth-
er that threat was related to weather conditions, political climate, violence, or another cause). We
prototyped forms that highlight the precariousness of our data and would refect the degree of
threat the hard-drive calculated.
6.4 Kaleidoscopic View
We moved from the risk-based hard drive to our fnal prototype of the Wired Eye, taking our de-
sign from one that emphasised vulnerability and fear to one that highlighted play, curiosity, and
wonderment at the extensive storage of our data worldwide. In incorporating the kaleidoscope, we
related our design back to an initial interest in optics in the realm of data privacy and surveillance.
What is it possible to see or peek in on?
We were inspired by James Bridles project titled Rorschmap which distorted existing digital
maps (such as Google Maps) by applying a flter on the aerial image, resembling a Rorschach Test.
In his blog, he writes Were so busy looking for ways to make digital books and maps usable in
ways that we understand that we fail to do things with them that we dont understand, or that are
beyond our understanding.
Rorschmap, James Bridle (2011)
We liked the visual form of the kaleidoscope, as it naturally invites you to look into the eyepiece
to explore the visuals inside. We felt the distortion of the displayed image behind the lens aptly
commented on the complex, blurry nature of discovering where your data really is at any given
time. Our frst prototypes were limited in our form by the use of the iPhone screen to display aerial
images of data centers. When we used an iPod nano screen instead, we were able to reduce the size
of the base and explore other forms.
7. Wired Eye
In order to make the fnal prototype, we used clear acrylic with the CNC machine. We felt that
black and white colours served several communicative purposes for us; from the top view an opti-
cal illusion was created that resembled a nazar (a charm against the evil eye), and the main black
piece evoked the notion of the black box and the desire to make something more transparent.
We designed an accompanying publication that introduced the project and our fnal design, along
with a sampling of images of data centers you may see through the Wired Eye. We selected a vari-
ety of centers in terms of services/companies, size, and location, to display the breadth of places
that may store your data. The publication was a way for us to synthesize our fnal design and show
people the connections we hope to make between their online activity and the visuals of data cen-
ters displayed through the Wired Eye.
6. Conclusion
In taking our project further, we want to consider how the Wired Eye would in fact function. Is an
object that could make clear links between your internet activity and associated data centers even
possible? Would the Wired Eye pull images from your recent browsing history (perhaps the past
24 hours), or would it be a live refection of your browsing activity? The possible issues with being
able to link IP addresses to companies and then to their associated data centers is refective of the
complex, intricate web of data storage that weve only begun to untangle.


As we have an interest in deploying the object for more extensive periods of time in the future, we
also must consider how important the functionality of the object is to the deployment. What would
people get out of the experience of interacting with the Wired Eye if the object wasnt fully func-
tional? It may be ideal to make more of the fnal objects for deployment in diferent homes, get ini-
tial reactions and feedback from people on their experience with the device and use this feedback
as a start point for further developing the Wired Eye.
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