ANONYMOUSOCIETY: ANOTHER ESCAPE FROM SOCIAL SURVEILLANCE

Day02. Thursday, July 08, 11:00 EDT

Anonymousociety is a social critique design project using a mockumentary perspective to document the existence of a world that is overly exposed to social media, reality TV shows, and YouTube. This talk will discuss the design process and story behind the project, how to build imaginary worlds through the lens of a mockumentary, and how to leverage design as a tool to better understand one’s internal universe.

Anonymousociety is an award-winning social critique design project. In this project. I created a non-existent secret organization named Anonymousociety. While creating this project, I am using a mockumentary perspective to document the existence of Anonymousociety.

People now live in a world that’s overly exposed to social media, reality TV shows, and YouTube... Society forces us to unwillingly expose ourselves, regardless of whether we are in public or in private. When people have to constantly serve as the exposure itself to gain recognition, being in others‚ attention becomes surveillance. Because everyone in this society is experiencing this social control unconsciously, he/she has to internalize that surveillance by changing his/her actions, not because they want to, but because they know that they are being watched by others‚ expectations.

Anonymousociety wants to create a safe house where people can hide from the spotlights, escape from the attention, and let go of themselves.In this presentation and discussion I will share:

1. Design process and story behind Anonymousociety

2. How to build an imaginary world by using mockumentary perspective

3. How to use design as a tool to look inwardly and understand the internal universe

4. Discuss the distinguish between art-making and design

Yan Yan is an interdisciplinary designer whose passion lies in observing and criticizing social landscape through building artifacts and narratives with critical thinking. Design is the truth she uses to explore the world and observe the internal universe.Her works are expanding experimental possibilities and fictionalizing certain scenarios to address contemporary social behavior. Through a systematic and hypothetic lens, her works inspire contemplation and empower her audience to reflect.