Infodemic: Systems & Service Design
Developing an intervention for the growing problem of misinformation
Overview
Intervention Summary
In the early months of 2020, COVID-19 appeared and quickly spread across the globe. As the virus continued to infect more and more people, information related to its origin and makeup also spread at an expedited rate. However, with so much information being shared at a time when very little was known about the virus has led to misinformation, an already growing problem, reaching dangerous levels.
This observation led to our project’s primary research question, how does information related to the pandemic in Ontario get translated and disseminated over time? If we are able to better understand all the variables that are involved in the spread of information and the speed at which it spreads at, then we will be better prepared to recommend interventions that could ultimately reduce the noise misinformation causes.
Problem Statement
To better understand the scope and possible intervention and solutions we were to consider, our team reframed our problem statement as, how might we slow down the rate at which information as a whole is delivered and shared in order to increase information credibility as well as reduce the overall amount of misinformation that exists in the information pipeline.
Intervention/Solution
Following the secondary research we conducted, along with the variety of toolkits we used, we were able to recommend two key interventions. These interventions are digital media literacy and pandemic planning, both of which included specialized requirements for the macro, meso, and micro levels.
Tools
Mural, Illustrator, Photoshop, Service Design Tool Kit, Systems Thinking Tool Kit, Design Thinking Framework
Role
As the project lead I was responsible for facilitating all of our workshops, conducting research, designing all of our design assets and system maps, in addition to presenting the final work.
Research
Initial Research
Through our initial secondary research, our team identified that there are several key variables that contribute to the overall amount of information that exists in circulation, while also increasing the rate at which it spreads. These variables are: the speed at which new and contradictory information is presented, the current emotional state of a person when consuming information, and the number of sources involved in translating and disseminating information.
Our study looked into these three factors to better understand how each variable impacts the flow of information, both true and false, and propose a multi-level intervention to assist in curbing the problematic behaviour. To better understand these variables and how they affect the flow of information, I developed four key personas that are all involved in the translation and dissemination of information. As articulated in the actors map, which is included in the Design section of this report, each of these personas play a unique role in the information chain. Also, as displayed in the persona chart below, each persona has a different sized network and information quality and strength that depends on how close they are to the source of the credible information.
System and Service Design Toolkits
In order to both understand the system of information as it flows through various actors and provide a set of interventions that could be adopted by government organization, social media companies, and individuals in the system we utilized both the system and service design toolkits.
In total, I facilitated 15 workshops that helped our team to work through each toolkit and map out the infodemic through multiple lenses. These assets not only helped us better understand the system but also helped identify gaps in our own knowledge, which guided our secondary research.
The following image is a screenshot of one of many of our work in progress Mural boards, which we used to collaborate and facilitate workshops that would help us not only empathize with our personas but get a closer look at the system of information they are a part of.
Design
Visualizing the flow of information
Our project team identified a large variety of intertwined stakeholders that are involved, at various levels, in the flow of information during the pandemic. To better understand these actors our team created an actors map that grouped closely connected actors together into a representative category. These categories include, but are not limited to Big Tech, Health Workers, Health Sciences, Public Health, Big Pharma, Public Figures, Citizens & People, Provocateurs, Major Media, and Political Organizations.
One of the challenges we faced as a team was identifying the relationship between actor groups and the individual actors within them to map out the flow of information throughout the system. By further investigating how each actor group received and shared information we were able to clearly identify the direct and indirect influences, as well as the tension between them as a result of contradictory information.
Final Result
Once our team finished collecting and analyzing research that helped to provide a better perspective into the flow of information and the variables involved in increasing the speed and quantity of misinformation, I worked on designing multiple graphics that would help make the complex information more consumable. As a result, we were able to provide a multi-tiered solution that aimed at reducing the spread of misinformation at the macro, meso, and micro level.
In summary, the Infodemic Gigamap provides a lens for which to better understand the flow of information and the contributing factors that exacerbate the issues that result in misinformation.