Isaac Tate

Seismic-Shift, Sabotage

A research focused design project that explores the relationship between the theme of seismic-shift and the concept of sabotage. The exploration was carried out in four stages. The first relying heavily on research, followed by two stages of creation each producing an individual piece and to conclude the project, an observational curation of the works and their relationship to the research. Represented physically by a poster, a web application mockup, and written rational.

“Social media is a dynamic aspect of society that has continually displayed its impact as a tool for the distribution of information or in some cases mis-information. A growing number of users are utilizing social media as their primary source of news media and communication presenting opportunities for sabotage by organisations with interest in controlling these streams of info. The project aims to explore how seismic shifts in technology have been used to sabotage users through the nature of the content distributed though them. Throughout history, advancements in technology have distracted users from the information they consume which has recently been at the forefront of politics and social issues due to the massive increase in social media use over the past two decades. Using poster design similar to that which was used in propaganda during World War II, I explore the relationship between the seismic shifts in types of media and the idea that each has been used as a tool for sabotage. More similar to the applications of discussion, my second piece is concerned with the users of social media and how they themselves can become the agent of sabotage through the content they share. Everyone who participates in the sharing of information through these platforms has a role to play each with their individual motives to have their voice heard. There are positive reasons which is why I want to note the potential that these platforms have to share meaningful ideas. It is important to interact through these platforms, but vigilance is crucial to avoiding the moments of informational sabotage that are so volatile through the exciting”