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Scale is the Graduate Journal of Design. It was written, edited, designed and published by students in the School of Design at San Francisco State University.

Contents 6. Finding Courage Professor Hsiao-Yun Chu

8. The Financial Game Rachael Noble

16. How VR Can Augment Mental Health Treatment Jinal Shah

28. This is Not a Game Aynne Valencia

38. Using Interior Design to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Hospitals and Waiting Rooms Perla Pelayo

44. Understanding Others Ron Boeder

54. Greening Society Alyssa Cortez

60. Notes from the 2020 Pandemic

Contributors

Aynne Valencia

Jinal Shah

Perla Pelayo

Rachael Noble

Ron Boeder

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Alyssa Cortez

About Scale Scale is the annual journal for the Gradute School of Design at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California

Credits Faculty Lead: Hsiao-Yun Chu Art Direction and Cover Art: Aynne Valencia Editing: Alyssa Cortez and Perla Pelayo

Finding Courage Hsiao-Yun Chu On December 31, 2019, 2020 symbolized clarity of vision, focus; it seemed an auspicious way to start the new decade. What followed was a year wracked by a global pandemic, punctuated by acts of violence and scarred by natural disasters. The losses, including millions of lives, livelihoods, and trust in

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our institutions cannot be overstated. In hindsight, 2020 seems to represent chaos, confusion, and mortality. As we slowly dig out from under the rubble, we will begin the hard work of making sense of the pandemic year, both mourning what has been lost and gathering the courage to move forward. A cornerstone in rebuilding our courage may come from recognizing our capacity to adapt. The pandemic period has proven, beyond any doubt, that we are far more flexible than we might have imagined a year ago. Adaptable to online teaching and learning, to remote work, to face masks, to outdoor socializing, and to resetting expectations. Not always easy, but we did it. This tangible proof of our ability to adapt quickly and effectively begs another question: How adaptable might we be in the future to changing the traditions that laid the groundwork for the pandemic year in the first place?

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When the pandemic has passed, will we work to eradicate the wild animal trade, challenge systems of privilege, reduce our use of fossil fuels, and sacrifice some personal liberties for the collective good, because we’ve witnessed the damage that comes when we don’t? A common objection to change, whether that be implementing carbon taxes, diversifying boards, or teaching fully online is that people aren’t ready for it; any change must be implemented gradually. But 2020, notwithstanding its ordeals, refutes this notion, opening up a wider horizon for change and for new design paradigms that take into account our shared responsibilities as global citizens. I am grateful to work in the field of design education, where we can engage with these questions and paradigms while fully admitting that we don’t know all the answers―nobody does. But the future will look different, and I know that some of those changes will be mediated by designers, who will give visual form to change and create workable solutions that never existed before.

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The Financial Game Exploring the use of design in the financial industry

Rachael Noble How the transmedia QAnon Conspiracy blurs fact and fiction By: Aynne Valencia

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The financial industry is rapidly transforming, with the emergence of FinTech companies and the evolution of its primary client base. The growth of technology has produced a surplus of companies whose sole purpose is to improve and automate financial services through technology - FinTech. The financial industry is also in the midst of a generational shift. With millennials becoming the primary client base, an array of different demands are generated. Technology and the 2008 financial crisis are the two primary reasons the millennial generation has financial needs unique to any other age. The growth in technology has brought not just an appreciation but also the imperative need for design and a good user experience. Design and design thinking are powerful assets within all sectors, linked to the contribution of a company’s success (Muratovski, 2015). For traditional financial corporations, such as banks and brokerages, institutions must modernize their design methodologies to stay relevant. However, behavioral design techniques, such as gamification, can ultimately become detrimental to retail investors. Banks and other financial institutions are amidst a period of extreme change, and if they aren’t able to acclimate and adapt to these changes, there could be serious consequences (Forbes, 2020). The demographic to which the financial industry primarily catered to, Baby Boomers (born

between 1946 and 1964), had entirely different expectations on how the financial industry should serve them. For example, the “Boomer” generation preferred to put their wealth in the hands of an investment broker. Most had no desire to be involved in their stock trades. Today, millennials and Generation Z, prefer to be in control of their own wealth and make investment decisions themselves (Malani, 2019). “We’re seeing the millennial population gravitate to that digital offering,” said Brian Concannon, head of Vanguard Digital Advisor (Iacurci, 2020). The rise of smartphones ultimately produced the emergence of personal-financial services such as Qaptial and Acorns. As time continues on, the Baby Boomers are retiring, and that generation is ultimately decreasing. The advancement of digital technology has altered the consumer’s perception of what is legitimate when it comes to financial institutions. According to the data pulled from the Apple store in 2018, the average rating for bank apps scored 50% lower than the leading FinTech apps. This statistic directly correlates with the user experience that is implemented by traditional financial institutions. Deloitte claimed in Business Review Weekly (BRW) that several of their big auditing successes in 2011 and 2012 came from applying design thinking to their audit methodology. The company has now dedicated an entire branch called Deloitte Digital, which acts as a full-service creative

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agency (Science Direct, 2015). The delivery of a solid user experience and design approach not only increases customer satisfaction, but also breaks down barriers to entry for new customers. Over 50% of all Americans monitor their personal bank accounts using an app or a mobile site provided by their banking institution (Federal Reserve Board, 2016). It is imperative for the design of these mobile and web applications to be modernized. Developing a user experience that is simple and engaging goes a long way in financial services. JD Power found that customer satisfaction was negatively impacted with both mobile and online financial channels by the overly complex and hard to understand features that are found in common banking apps (Digilaki, 2020). Before self-service technologies like these, customers would simply hand over their money to the professionals that worked in these financial institutions, giving these advisors near-complete autonomy over investment decisions. Developing a meaningful relationship with a financial advisor was the main priority for customers. User experience came in the form of customer service, not technological interactions (Britt, 2018). Today, it could be damaging to a financial institution if they don’t adapt to a modern approach to design. Through mobile and web applications, users are able to interact with their money on a daily basis and make

large financial decisions on their own. If a user is unable to understand how to operate the interface of a financial platform, they most likely will change providers. According to a poll conducted by Keith Brannan, Chief Marketing Officer at Kasasa, 82% of millennials don’t mind changing banks, and 65% of them would do so if they accommodated a better mobile app (Brannan, 2020). In addition to the rise of technology, the millennial generation’s perception of financial institutions has also been altered by the 2008 financial crisis. Not only have millennials become the largest demographic group in the world as of 2020, but their trust in financial institutions is also at an all-time low (Amunwa, 2016). Today, gaining the trust of millennials and generations to follow, poses more of a challenge. millennials are hesitant to trust large banks because right when they were starting to make their first financial decisions, they witnessed the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Banks and brokerages were the main culprits for their homes being foreclosed on and their parents getting laid off. Many of them saw their parents struggle during the 2008 financial crisis, making them wary of putting their trust in Wall Street. The 2008 financial crisis still influences the millennial generation today, thirteen years later. Millennials also have a much more entrepreneurial mindset, allowing them to be

more trusting of FinTech startups that have a fresher approach to the financial industry. “ [millennials] consider technology and online platforms an important aspect of financial advice. 57% [of millennials] would even change their bank relationship for a better technology platform” – Deloitte (Amunwa, 2016). Millennials have been described as one of the most entrepreneurial and purpose-driven generations. PewResearch Center speculates, “millennials have become more detached from major institutions such as political parties, religion, the military and marriage.” (Daykin, 2018). This generation is far more accepting of change and innovation than any other. This mindset has catalyzed financial institutions to never having such an eclectic array of competition as well as their users being so aware of all of their options. One such solution is a “challenger bank” called Chime. This bank offers spending and savings accounts with a debit card and mobile app. It doesn’t have any branches and is adding 150,000 new accounts every month (Rooney, 2018). Chime utilizes social media as its main platform of marketing and reaching new users. The CEO, Chris Britt, stated that banks originally gained the trust of their clients through a greatlooking edifice. Having white marble pillars in front of a large bank was all a customer needed to know that their money would be safe. “Companies like us are a direct result of what happened in 2008, which exposed

and resulted in distrust among so many consumers for traditional institutions.” (Britt, 2018). Britt also acknowledged that the way Chime builds its brand and trust amongst users is by creating awesome experiences. A popular method of user experience used by FinTech companies is Gamification. Gamification refers to a powerful digital design method that, when implemented correctly, encourages the commitment of users through game techniques, such as badges, trophies, points, and rewards. The reward system is a positive feedback loop, empowering users to keep gaining points, reaching levels, or gain a badge. PNC Bank uses an example of this. in a gamified feature called Punch the Pig. When a depositor reaches their savings goal, an adorable pig appears on their screen. (Fintechtris, 2019). It develops new audiences and motivates them to achieve “goals’’ they didn’t even know they had (Burke, 2016). This is a powerful method to encourage users to digitally and emotionally engage with the product. The results of effective gamification are the enhancement of customer loyalty, enjoyment, and willingness to learn (Bayuke, 2018). When gamification is executed correctly, a person’s natural desires are evoked through several psychological triggers (Jourdrey, 2019). The desire to learn, socialize, compete, and be successful are all capitalized

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through gamification. The purpose of gamification isn’t to make something into an actual game, rather it is to utilize game mechanics to achieve several goals. The first goal is to engage and motivate its users. The second goal is to change the user’s behavior. The third is to make a mundane activity simply more fun. Finally, the fourth goal is to introduce a complex concept and make it more digestible (Jourdrey, 2019). All of these goals align with financial institutions’ goals for gaining and keeping a customer. Finance can be complicated and uninteresting to many people. It is a massive accomplishment in the financial industry to create a digital design that is engaging and considered fun. The elements that drive user engagement fall into two primary categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation typically consists of rewards that promote users to want to keep performing a task that isn’t rewarding by nature. Intrinsic elements in design come in the form of badges, points, and leaderboards. Extrinsic motivation is something that causes the user to feel internally satisfied. This doesn’t typically consist of the materialistic rewards previously mentioned. Instead, extrinsic motivation allows the users to feel

empowered, independent, and purposeful (Jourdry, 2019). Utilizing a digital design that allows users to understand and learn finance, leaves them feeling empowered, and results in users wanting to continue using a financial institution’s product. Mint is an example of a financial platform that utilizes some elements of gamification in its design. This online platform allows its users to set and track their financial goals. In addition to goal setting, it allows its users to track their expenses, credit scores, and investments. Most importantly, the design of the interface is kept simple. Gamification has broken down a barrier that has been traditionally well established in the financial and investment industry. Historically, investing was reserved for a small minority of wealthy people. Gamification has erased archaic investment practices and encouraged novice investors to participate by making it more approachable through its design. However, recent events demonstrate that this design method also has negative consequences and has exposed destructive human behavior. Robinhood is an app popular amongst retail investors and has also been questioned for its use of gamification. Easy to use and exciting interactions, Robinhood has grown significantly. In 2020 Robinhood revealed that the app

had 13 million active users (Curry, 2021). One example of its gamification feature is when a user makes a transaction, a burst of confetti is displayed on the user’s phone. Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, has criticized such features as evoking the same addictive tendencies you find in gambling (Farivar, 2021). “A lot of this is directly taken from the user experience of casinos: It encourages immediacy and frequent engagement,” Whyte stated in an interview with CNBC. While Robinhood has gained a large amount of success in the market, it does pose some major risks to its users. Robinhood doesn’t encourage its users to develop a strategy when it comes to trading; rather it directs its users into single trading stocks, cryptocurrency and also allows their users to borrow money for these trades (Ingram, 2019). Prajwal Shetty, interviewed by NBC News, stated Robinhood offers a toxic combination for traders that don’t fully understand what they are doing. Burton Malkiel, an American economist and writer, wrote that people who trade stocks frequently, rather than letting them sit over time, are more likely to lose money. This statement is backed by 20 years of economic research (Pisani, 2020). In addition to Robinhood’s gamification strategy, it also implements other design features that can manipulate its user’s actions for the worse. One element of the app is displaying its user’s investment losses in

red. A study done in 2017 discovered seeing this color reduces people’s appetites for risk. This could cause them to overreach to a falling stock and withdraw their money, assuming the stock would keep falling (Ingram, 2019). Robinhood is designed to trigger its user’s emotions, leading them to make uncalculated actions around their finances. William Galvin, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Chief Financial Regulator in the state of Massachusetts, filed a complaint against Robinhood’s marketing strategy stating, “They’re not treating it as a serious risk of money.” These features, Galvin deemed risky, are causing many inexperienced traders not to take the app seriously, ultimately losing large sums. Robinhood is currently being sued by a family whose son, Alex Kearns, ended up taking his own life when he made a risky bet, and the app showed he owed a negative balance of $730,000 (Kaplan, 2021). His parents stated they didn’t realize Robinhood allowed their son to buy and sell options. Investing in options is an incredibly risky investment decision with huge potential losses. Robinhood even allows its users to borrow money to make these bets. While the app’s design isn’t the only culprit to Kearns’ death, it does play a major role. Gamification has the potential to cause retail investors to forget the seriousness of personal finance. Kearns’ death shed light on the need for protection when it comes to novice

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investors making large and risky decisions about their money. It is also evident that certain design measures should be put in place when it comes to financial apps. The financial industry is starting to make a larger push to educate new investors to negate these negative critiques. Some FinTech companies are starting to focus on teaching new customers how to enter the market more judiciously. Mobile apps have been created with certain guardrails such as parental approval or a warning when

addressing the negative impacts caused by gamification early on, designers can extract the positive and eliminate the negative when designing for financial institutions. It is a huge success that technology and digital design can make the financial industry more inclusive. Retail investors have now have the power to control their finances and better prepare themselves for their futures. Designers need to find the balance in making finance accessible while not exploiting an investor’s naivety when making powerful financial decisions.

someone’s portfolio is trending in a negative direction. One such app is Qooore. This app was designed by new investors who found trading difficult. The app’s design is similar to a social media platform and utilizes gamification techniques while only providing financial advice. Designing the app’s interface in such a way appeals to newer investors and simplifies the learning process. “If we want people to be educated, we need to speak with them in a way that’s familiar to them,” stated co-founder Igor Sheremet. Qooore is just one of many emerging apps whose core purpose is to help make personal finance more accessible through modern design while not taking advantage of a retail investor’s naivety (Jargon, 2021). There may be confetti and pretty colors when a user makes a trade. However, regardless of the emotional high, a bad trade will still result in money lost - an outcome that ultimately harms both the trader and the institution. It is important to note that these design approaches are new, and so are the issues that arise. By

Adequate consumer protections, such as gating (temporarily blocking funds) for riskier investments, must be put in place to ensure that novice retail investors don’t make financially harmful decisions. Such protections should include similar legal structures and oversights, typically seen in gambling (Soppit, 2021). Financial institutes need to adopt a design approach that allows them to stay relevant as the market shifts from Baby Boomers to Millenial and Gen Z. With the enormous advances in technology and the rise in FinTech; the financial market is as competitive as ever. Properly executed design and user experience are imperative for modern financial institutes to thrive. It is also important to recognize that design alone has its limits regarding personal finance; the goal is to attract users without diluting the seriousness of allocating one’s assets. Despite Robinhood’s imperfections and design limitations, it is one of the most successful trading platforms for younger generations. If traditional banks and brokerages embrace their future clients’ design needs with respect to the ease of use and clarity that

References Burke. (2014). Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to do Extraordinary things. Bibliomotion inc. https://books.google.com/books?id=r9FXBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Dokoupil, T. (2021, February 9). Alex Kearns died thinking he owed hundreds of thousands for stock market losses on Robinhood. His parents have sued over his suicide. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-kearns-robinhood-trader-suicide-wrongful-death-suit/ Farivar, C. (2021, January 30). Gambling addiction experts see familiar aspects in Robinhood app. NBC News.https://www. nbcnews.com/business/business-news/gambling-addiction-experts-see-familiar-aspects-robinhood-app-n1256213 Jargon, C. (2021 March 13). Investing, Not Gambling: These Apps and Services Help Young Stock Buyers Think Long Term. The Wallstreet Journal.https://www.wsj.com/articles/

ness. FinTechtris. https://www.fintechtris.com/blog/gamification-of-financial-wellness Soppitt, B. (2021, January 6). The Gamification Of Investing Brings Opportunity – And Risks. Forbes. https://www.forbes. com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/08/the-gamification-of-investing-brings-opportunity--and-risks/?sh=56abe977c08e TRANSFORMING USER EXPERIENCE IN BANKING: Here are the strategies winning financial institutions are using to deliver a superior user experience. (2021, March 5). Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/transforming-user-experience-in-banking-report?international=true&r=US&IR=Tty--and-risks/?sh=56abe977c08e Turco, K. (2017, September 15). It’s Not All Fun and Games; Potential Risks of Gamification. TechnologyAdvice. https:// technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/itsnot-all-fun-and-games-potential-risks-of-gamification/

investing-not-gambling-these-apps-and-services-helpyoung-stock-buyers-think-long-term-11615644000 Ingram, D. (2019, September 12). Designed to distract: Stock app Robinhood nudges users to take risks. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/confetti-push-notifications-stock-app-robinhood-nudges-investors-toward-risk-n1053071 Paradigm Shift: Report on the New Role of Design in Business and Society. (2015). She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 1(2), 118–139. https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S2405872615300265 Pisani, B. (2020, November 21). Attention Robinhood power users: Most day traders lose money. CNBC. https://www. cnbc.com/2020/11/20/attention-robinhood-power-users-most-day-traders-lose-money.html Robinhood Revenue and Usage Statistics (2021). (2021, March 9). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/ data/robinhood-statistics/ Sakovich, K. (2019, August 6). Gamification of financial well-

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How VR can Augment Mental Health Treatment Jinal Shah

Image by: Minh Pham 16

In 2020, the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the virtualization of many aspects of our lives. The pandemic also impacted mental health negatively; about four in ten adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder compared to one in ten adults who reported these symptoms in 2019 (Panchal, 2021). Additionally, the World Health Organization has reported that one in four people in the world will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives (Rogers, 2019). The pandemic has forced some people into isolating situations, which may further contribute to their mental stress. In a time of crisis, it is imperative that people have access to mental health services. Traditional face-to-face therapy may not be possible during a pandemic, due to the increased health risk. This presents a unique opportunity for VR-enhanced therapy, to treat mental health disorders. Research indicates that VR-enabled therapy is an accessible option to treat various mental health disorders. Now more than ever, there is a need for a scalable virtual therapy option, making VR-enabled therapy a promising candidate.

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What is Virtual Reality?

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines virtual reality (VR) as “an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment.” Historically VR use was primarily confined to a laboratory, but new head-mounted displays (HMD) are supported by smartphones, laptops, or desktop computers and can therefore be used in homes (Freeman, 2017). HMD’s display images, one for each eye, forming an overall scene. Each image is computed and rendered separately with a correct perspective from the position of each eye (Freeman, 2017). In other words, when a participant moves their head, the computer updates the imagery at a very fast rate, usually 60 frames per second (Freeman, 2017). This correct positioning of imagery helps create the illusion of a dynamic, 3D environment. Immersion is often a reflection of a system’s technical capabilities; as technology advances, VR becomes more believable (Freeman, 2017). VR technology has been around since the 1980s, but it hasn’t been adopted on a large scale until now. One of the main reasons is the price; in the 1990s, a full VR headset could cost upwards of $15,000; today, one can be purchased for around $200 (Briggs, n.d). Technological advancement and cost reduction make VR an accessible option for mental health treatment. VR is considered an imaginal technology; what makes its environments so believable is the graphics used to create them.

VR as Imaginal Technology VR is “an advanced imaginal system and experiential form of imagery that is as effective as a reality in inducing cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses”(Ventura, 2017). Traditional mental imagery has been used in psychotherapy, such as Freud’s interpretation of dreams. Mental imagery is described as perceptual experience in the absence of sensory input, often described as seeing with the “mind’s eyes’ “ (Ventura, 2017). Mental imagery is often used to amplify emotional effects, and it can even hijack attention from the external world, making the internal cognition more believable (Ventura, 2017). There are two ways a mental image can be created: either from immediate perceptual information, or from previously-stored long-term memories. In either case, the problem with using mental imagery is that mental images remain in our minds for an estimated 250ms (Ventura, 2017). Mental imagery can induce learning, emotional responses, and changes in behavior. The same characteristics can be applied to VR, eliminating the need to use mental imagery, providing the user with direct perceptual information that can also last longer.

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Furthermore, VR as an imaginal system allows for the creation of environments that might not be possible in the real world (Ventura, 2017). Through the use of imagery, the user feels present in the virtual environment. However, mental imagery alone is not enough to make the user feel a complete sense of presence. The concept of embodied technology creates a sense of body ownership, as explored next.

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VR as Embodied Technology

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Embodiment is defined as having a body, and it is based on the following three aspects: the sense of self-location, sense of agency, and sense of body ownership. Self-location refers to the volume in space where one feels to be located. Sense of agency refers to having global motor control over one’s body (Ventura, 2017). Lastly, a sense of ownership refers to having a sense of ownership over one’s body. All three aspects are interconnected in inducing a sense of body ownership illusion (Ventura, 2017). The concept of embodied technology creates a sense of body ownership, as explored next. Body ownership illusions (BOI) created through VR systems can be applied to improving mental health by inducing changes in the patient’s internal body representation (Gomez, 2021). BOI is often created using virtual avatars to induce and can create a sense of body ownership over a partial or full virtual body (Gomez, 2021). These avatars are often modeled after the user’s appearance and can get as nuanced as voice resemblance (Gomez, 2021). This idea of embodied technology paved the way for a study conducted by Slater that allowed embodied participants to engage in self-counseling, as examined below.

VR for Self-Counseling For the first time in human history, VR technology allows us to watch ourselves from a thirdperson perspective (Ventura, 2017). An experiment by Grossmann and Kross showed that participants are wiser in solving a problem from a third-person perspective compared to a first-person point of view (Slater, 2019). This observation supports the idea of self-counseling by alternating between two virtual bodies. Self-counseling utilizes two avatars, one based on the user and the other based on a theoretical therapist. The user explains the problem and then transfers to the therapist’s avatar. This allows the user to hear the problem from a third-person perspective, while gaining a new point of view. While in the therapist avatar, the user gives advice and then transfers back to their avatar to hear the advice (Slater, 2019). This back-andforth conversation is the basis of VR-enabled self-counseling.

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To further explain, Osimo introduced the technique of self-counseling by allowing participants to be embodied in scanned copies of themselves and explaining their problems to a virtual representation of Dr. Sigmund Freud. They were then transferred to Freud’s virtual body and gave a response to the problem (Slater, 2019). The study shows “about 80% of the 29 participants reported feeling like they had a different perspective on their problem and that this would result in a change in the way they dealt with it” (Schwab, 2019). In other words, the users could gain insight and perspective on their problems through a third person point of view. Although the initial cost of developing self-counseling systems can be high, it presents a unique opportunity to offer therapy on a wider scale. It is important to note, self-counseling is not used to treat people facing serious mental health problems. These studies aim to address tribulations of daily life, that may feel serious to the individual but are not life threatening. In other words, self-counseling seeks to increase overall mental well-being and equip the user with problemsolving mechanisms (Schwab, 2019). Treatment of more severe disorders such as anxiety and phobias can more properly be treated through VR-enabled exposure therapy.

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Exposure Therapy The American Psychological Association describes exposure therapy as a “psychological treatment developed to help people confront their fears by exposing individuals to the feared objects, activities, or situations.” Traditional exposure therapy is also known as in vivo treatment, meaning the situation is recreated in the real world. The disadvantage of in vivo treatment is patient resistance due to extreme anxiety (Ventura, 2017). Ventura notes that “VR exposure therapy creates a safe virtual world where the patient can explore and experience “new realities”; this feeling of safety is essential in therapy so that the patient can act without feeling threatened” (2017). VR can help solve this problem by confronting the patient with feared stimuli in a safer environment (Ventura, 2017). For example, it is safer to create a VR situation that induces the fear of heights than actually putting the patient on top of a building. The advantage of VR is that individuals know it is a virtual environment, but have similar psychological and physiological responses compared to a real-world experience (Freeman, 2017). Freeman explains that “minds and bodies behave as if it is real; hence, people will much more easily face difficult situations in VR than in real life and be able to try out new therapeutic strategies. The learning can then transfer to the real world” (2017). With VR, individuals can enter simulations of difficult situations and learn appropriate responses based on the specific disorder (Freeman, 2017). This ability to mirror real-world experiences makes VR an effective method to administer exposure therapy.

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Anxiety and Phobias Anxiety disorders affect 40 million people in the U.S, which is 18.1% of the adult population (Rogers, 2019). Anxiety is viewed as a condition where patients worry about something fearful excessively and consistently (Park, 2019). The rationale behind using VR for exposure therapy is to repeatedly confront the patient with the feared stimuli to desensitize them (Ventura, 2017). By facing feared situations, individuals can learn and practice positive behavior or coping mechanisms to reduce anxiety. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder where the patient has a persistent fear cued by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation (Park, 2019). It is estimated that 19 million Americans suffer from phobias (Rogers, 2019). VR exposure therapy was successful in reducing phobias such as the fear of spiders, social phobias, and flight phobias (Park, 2019). For example, let’s examine how VR might help people overcome the phobia of flying. A study by Botella and colleagues aimed to help participants by presenting three virtual scenarios. In the first scenario, participants were placed in a virtual living room to prepare to fly (Ventura, 2017). They were given tasks such as packing and checking in for their flight. In the second scenario, the participants were at the airport; they listened to boarding announcements and prepared to board. The third scenario simulated the experience of take-off and landing in different weather conditions (Ventura, 2017). Botella followed up with the participants one year after treatment, and the results supported the efficacy of VR in the treatment of flying phobias. After the treatment, all participants flew in real life (Botella, 2004). Repeated use of VR increases the anxiety threshold, making participants less sensitive to the phobia. As illustrated above, VR can provide a safe, controlled environment for exposure therapy.

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PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological reaction that occurs after experiencing stress that has caused life-threatening extreme mental trauma. PTSD affects 7.7 million people in the U.S, causing symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, agitation, and personality changes (Rogers, 2019). People with PTSD often experience flashback-type mental images. These flashbacks often hijack the person’s attention further away from the external world, “making the internal cognitions more believable and associated emotion more powerful” (Ventura, 2017). In other words, flashbacks are powerful mental images that can often change a person’s behavior. VR-enabled therapy focuses on exposing the user to the source of their disorder (Park, 2019). The advantage of using virtual environments means people do not need to imagine their experiences; the work is done for them. Dr. Rizzo developed a program called Bravemind in collaboration with the U.S. Army for the treatment of PTSD. In this program, patients were virtually sent back to areas of conflict like the Middle East. The soldiers held rifles, and explosions were simulated; even smoke and dust were vented into the treatment room. (Rogers, 2019). Bravemind was deemed a success and helped veterans process their experiences, reduce panic attacks, and even allowed some to sleep without Image by: Barbara Zandoval medication for the first time in years. (Rogers, 2019). The benefit of VR is that it “goes beyond space and time, researchers do not have to wait for specific events to occur. Rather, they can simulate them whenever appropriate for the patient and the therapy process” (Ventura, 2017). To summarize, VR allows the patient to have incremental, controlled, and safe experiences to overcome PTSD. As shown in the examples above, VR is a viable option for treating mental health disorders. However, as VR gains popularity, several ethical and technological limitations that must be resolved.

Limitations of VR VR-enabled therapy is a part of the digital health market, which is expected to be worth over $500 billion by 2025 (Briggs, n.d.). As VR reaches a new height of popularity, responsibility and ethics must be considered. Designers who work on VR technology must design ethics into the process. This calls for more people who genuinely care about people’s well-being, not just the monetization of such services (Briggs, n.d.). As the type of data available grows, so does the concern for anonymous data collection. The data collected through VR goes beyond social media activity and purchase history. VR can produce data that can determine people’s feelings, behaviors, judgements and physical likeness, hence posing a threat for misuse (Briggs, n.d.).

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Another challenge is the inherent risk of immersive experiences and their ability to affect the natural world. Nick Yee coined the term “Proteus Effect,” which states that people are affected by their digital representations, and their behavior may change in both the virtual and the real world (Briggs, n.d.). For example, one study found that a taller avatar negotiated more aggressively than subjects embodying a shorter avatar (Briggs, n.d.). The ability to alter people’s perceptions and behaviors can be misused. This poses a risk and the possibility of unpredictable behavior, especially if the creators of these programs fail to address their due diligence. Designers, developers, and mental health professionals need to work in cohesion to create a comprehensive experience focused on the user’s well-being (Briggs, n.d.).

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VR-enabled therapy benefits are being researched at a larger scale, which showcases this tech-

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nology’s possible efficacy. There is an increased interest in using VR-enabled therapy demonstrated by the number of articles published in the Medline database. Health-related articles with the keyword ‘virtual reality’ doubled in less than a decade, going from 3203 articles in 2010 to 8890 in 2017 (Cieslik, 2020). VR technology has been successful in treating mental health as a result of its unique ability to create a sense of presence. Using imaginal technology to induce a sense of body ownership allows the user to feel connected to the virtual environment. The concept of VR self-counseling can be utilized to manage the trials of everyday life. Meanwhile, VR-based exposure therapy can be used to treat disorders such as phobias and PTSD. Using VR to administer exposure therapy gives the patient a sense of safety, hence relieving the user of anxieties. VR also enables researchers and mental health professionals to have greater control and precision. As research continues and technology improves, we look forward to a sense of hope. Hope for a future where mental health services are accessible, affordable, and useful. Perhaps, through design virtual environments can even offer sanctuary. As our world becomes increasingly connected, we must also nurture our connection to self. Creating virtual worlds to promote well-being is not only fascinating but also a noble cause. The use of technology to have a positive impact should be at the forefront of innovation. As we evolve we will face new challenges that can be solved only by working together.

References Botella, C., Osma, J., Garcia‐Palacios, A., Quero, S., & Baños, R. (2004, September 17). Treatment of flying phobia using virtual reality: Data from a 1‐year follow‐up using a multiple baseline design. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cpp.404 Briggs, S. The future of Mixed realities and mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://discover.academyxi. com/blog/future-of-mixed-reality-and-mental-health/ Freeman, D., Reeve, S., Robinson, A., Ehlers, A., Clark, D., Spanlang, B., & Slater, M. (2017, March 22). Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders: Psychological medicine. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/virtual-reality-in-theassessmentunderstanding-and-treatment-of-mental-health-disorders/A786FC699B11F6A4BB02B6F99DC20237 Matamala-Gomez, M., Maselli, A., Malighetti, C., Realdon, O., Mantovani, F., & Riva, G. (2021, January 3). Virtual body ownership illusions for mental health: A narrative review. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC7796179/ Nirmita Panchal, R., & 2021, F. (2021, February 10). The implications of Covid-19 for mental health and substance use. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-

Image by: Barbara Zandoval

mental-health-and-substance-use/ Park, M., Kim, D., Lee, U., Na, E., & Jeon, H. (2019, June 27). A literature overview of virtual Reality (VR) in treatment of PSYCHIATRIC disorders: Recent advances and limitations. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.frontiersin.org/ articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00505/full Rogers, S. (2019, May 15). How virtual reality can help the global mental health crisis. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2019/05/15/how-virtual-reality-can-help-the-global-mental-healthcrisis/?sh=522a50e228f7 Slater, M., Neyret, S., Johnston, T., Iruretagoyena, G., Mercè Álvarez de la Campa Crespo, Alabèrnia-Segura, M., . . . Feixas, G. (2019, July 29). An experimental study of a virtual reality counselling paradigm using embodied self-dialogue. Retrieved

Image by:09,Ron March 2021,Smith from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-46877-3 Spiegel, B. (2020, November 15). Virtual reality and the covid mental health crisis. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https:// www.scientificamerican.com/article/virtual-reality-and-the-covid-mental-health-crisis/ Ventura, S., Baños, R., & Botella, C. (2018, May 23). Virtual and augmented reality: New frontiers for clinical psychology. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.intechopen.com/books/state-of-the-art-virtual-reality-and-augmentedreality-knowhow/virtual-and-augmented-reality-new-frontiers-for-clinical-psychology

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THIS IS NOT A GAME

This is not a game How the transmedia QAnon conspiracy fantasy blurs fact and fiction

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Aynne Valencia

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On Jan 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump swarmed the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. The crowd wore t-shirts, flags, and hats with the words “#WWG1WGA” and “I am Q’’, “The Storm has Arrived The Great Awakening #taketheoath” emblazoned on them. The mob, summoned by social media posts, fumed with righteous anger. Their anger stemmed from a variety of beliefs: that members of Congress were part of a secret cabal of pedophiles who harvested the blood of children; that John F. Kennedy Jr is still alive; and the 2020 election was illegitimate and had been stolen from Donald Trump, who they believed was a “lightworker” chosen by Jesus to expose the deep state-among other improbable things. This unlikely and unruly mob of right-wing groups, white supremacists, anti-government militias, anti-vaccinators, and small business owners (Pape & Ruby, 2021) occupied and trashed Congressional offices. As the mob stormed the building, members of Congress hid, terrified, in secret safe rooms. The crowd wandered through the halls of the center of our government, with confused and bewildered looks on their faces, like actors on stage, unable to summon their lines. “Okay, we are here, now what are we supposed to do?” This horrific event was not random or spontaneous. Indeed the rhetoric of President Trump empowered the angry, misinformed crowd, misinformed of a stolen election. The elements leading up to this event happened years leading up to it. News media and political pundits dissected the perpetrator’s actions by tracing the social media they consumed, and an alarming picture began to emerge. The earliest posts and communications that led up to that day had a familiar sensibility to people who have designed alternate reality games (ARGs). The use of symbols and “in-group” sayings, the costumes’ details, and the beliefs that seemed too outrageous and ridiculous to take seriously. What we were seeing was the largest and most successful alternate reality narrative in recent history. The QAnon conspiracy fantasy has all of the mechanics of an ARG) that went very wrong and created a real-life danger. By learning to recognize the mechanics of an alternate reality transmedia narrative, we can hopefully mitigate violent mobs fueled by 29

disinformation from committing acts like this in the future.

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Blurring the lines with transmedia

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Alternate Reality Games, known as ARGs, are clue-finding mystery games. ARGs usually begin with clues placed in easy-tofind places in public or on online forums and social media. The majority of the action takes place on the internet. They create a community of game players who work together online and in-person to find and decode additional clues. Generally, this gameplay culminates in a series of inperson meetups and events that build up to a more significant event taking place in a predetermined location. The alternate reality genre is a relatively new phenomenon that began in the mid2000s, the early days of online social media. The games employ what’s known as transmedia storytelling. Transmedia storytelling is a term first coined by media scholar Henry Jenkins as: “A new aesthetic that has emerged in response to media convergence…that places new demands on consumers and depends on the active participation of knowledge communities. Transmedia storytelling is the art of world-making. To fully experience any fictional world, consumers must assume the role of hunters and gatherers chasing down bits of the story actress media channels, comparing notes with each other via online discussion groups,

and collaborating to endure everyone who invests time and effort will come away with a richer entertainment experience.” (Jenkins, 2006, 21) In short, transmedia narratives are stories and experiences that blend online gaming with real-life and allow the consumer of the story to become a participant in the story. We can categorize transmedia narratives into three distinct categories based upon their believability. First are immersive theatre experiences in which the audience is free to wander around the set and interact with the actors. In these experiences, the audience knows going it the story is fiction. A second transmedia genre is reality TV shows. These shows now tend to have viewer communities that create content and interact with the reality show participants. Unlike immersive theatre, the lines between the “characters” of the show and the audience can blur. In social media channels, some audience members engage in parasocial (one-way relationships) with the characters and create online gossip and reaction content. Occasionally, these content creators can become part of the main storyline as they interact with the reality show characters through social media. Since the 2010s, viewers congregate on online message boards like Reddit and Facebook groups to discuss, and gossip about the reality show personalities. And in the last few years, the ability to penetrate the fourth wall has reached a new level. Audience members

obsessed with reality television shows can contact reality show participants via social media like Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok or through paid services like Only Fans and Cameo to interact with them directly. This intermingling of the fictional and what happens in real life can make a world where it is hard to distinguish reality from fiction and create real-world events from fictionalized information.

The Secret Lives of ARGS ARGs combine all of the above transmedia narrative elements. They are immersive, involve generative content creation, and create parasocial connections. In addition to reality stars having the attention of entertainment media and platforms, the shows’ viewers can now get into the action and sometimes inform what happens in the main storyline in the last few years. ARGs start with game designers, called “Puppet Masters.” The Puppet Master(s) is/are the core team that runs the game both in the online and offline channels. Games usually start with a basic storyline containing elements of real-world events, places, or people. A fictional organization or mysterious person will seek help from the general public to uncover a mystery. They will solicit assistance to decode a series of clues to discover “secret” knowledge. There are many examples of social groups that blend fact and fiction and involve participatory narratives. The Dadaist art movement, fringe historical societies

like eClampus Vitus, is self-described as “popular because it afforded the young men at the mines with a perfect excuse for horseplay. Furthermore, as in the East, it ridiculed the stuffy secret fraternal, benevolent, and political societies, such as the Masons, Odd Fellows,” (E.Clampus Vitus, n.d.) and 1980’s bohemian art group, the Cacophony Society, which describes it’s a group as: ”a randomly gathered network of individuals united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society through subversion, pranks, art, fringe explorations, and meaningless madness.” (The Cacophony Society, n.d.) Groups that blend fact and fiction and participate in acting out narratives and uncovering clues are not new, but the internet-enabled participation by a wider audience is. Cyberculture started in the mid-1990s, fueled by the wide adoption of home computers with internet connectivity. ARGs began as a non-commercialized, fun, social activity. Cyberculture and internet forums are still primarily dominated by college-educated males 18–34. They are into technology, gaming, comics, and pranks, as evidenced by the user data gathered for these forums’ advertisers. (4Chan) In the mid-2000s, advertising agencies jumped on “dark marketing,” defined as “a relatively new form of marketing that adopts the mantra, “less is more.” Dark marketing advertisements don’t use any information directly from the brand or the

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company, unlike traditional advertising methods. “ (Guler, 2019) Major brands that were new to social media began experimenting with new ways to reach younger audiences. Creative Directors and ad agencies created several ARGs to tie into video game releases; These included: Eagle Eye Freefall created for the release of Steven Spielberg’s movie Eagle Eye; I Love Bees made for the release of Halo 2; Year Zero, which tied in with the Nine Inch Nails released by the same name’ and The

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Lost Ring created by AKQA for McDonald’s and the International Olympics Committee as a tie in for the Beijing Olympics and to promote the availability of WiFi in McDonald’s restaurants. Most ARGs do not have a relationship with a brand and were meant for intelligent, benign fun, and socializing. For example, The Jejune Institute by Nonchalance did not have sponsorship. Nonchalance is self-described as “as an “art collective,” “a situational design agency,” or an “immersive entertainment company.”, Really though, it is a castle built in the sky, one whose foundation never actually existed.” (About NonChalance, n.d.). Two other ARGs, 11B-X-1371 and Cicada 3301, are notoriously esoteric and mathematically challenging, requiring a significant amount of knowledge of computers to participate. Both 11B-X-1371 and Cicada are rumored to be a recruiting tool of the Central Intelligence Agency (Hern, 2014), although there is no evidence of this being the case.

A metal sign posted in prominent places all pver San Francisco. One of the many entry points to The Jejune Institute alternate reality game.

This transmedia genre is not limited to games. It also manifests as odd performances with fictitious characters that appear on multiple media channels, such as That Poppy, by Titanic Sinclair, that gain traction and following because of their mysterious purpose and origins.

When fact and fiction collide ARGs tend to follow similar principles: • Begin with multiple entry points into the

Cicada 3301 Logo

“game” found in prominent places. • A “character” solicits help in a quest • There will be a series of secret codes that participants decipher. • The story will combine some confirmed, factual information or historical evidence with actual real-life events or places. • The “play” requires audience participation, and the audience generates more content for the narrative. • They typically culminate in a large realworld event. If we follow this logic and accept that QAnon may have begun as an ARG, it will help us understand the subculture in which it started. 4Chan is an anonymous internet message board started in 2003. Described as “a hub of Internet subculture, with its community being influential in the formation of prominent Internet memes, such as lolcats, Rickrolling and rage comics, as well as hacktivist and political movements, such as Anonymous and the alt-right.” (Wikipedia, 2021) 4Chan has a self-described audience of 70% Male 18–34 from the United States and the U.K with interests in Japanese culture, anime, manga, video games, comics, technology, music, and movies (4Chan) An audience is familiar with and predisposed to playing games and gamer culture. QAnon first appeared on 4-Chan in 2017, with a cryptic, anonymously posted

message: “Mockingbird HRC detained, not arrested (yet). Where is Huma? Follow Huma. This has nothing to do w/ Russia (yet). Why does Potus surround himself w/ generals? What is military intelligence? Why go around the 3 letter agencies? What Supreme Court case allows for the use of MI v Congressional assembled and approved agencies?” The format and structure are similar to a transcript of the first I Love Bees ARG message posted as a .wav file in 2004 and on an online message board. “Survive, evade, resist escape. Mother, Bermuda, 41 waitresses. From “I Love Bees archived recording Both of these messages have an odd, almost poetic structure, employing repetition and referencing government terms and information that one can quickly look up to verify which reinforces their plausibility. Shortly after this first missive, other messages followed regularly, and the posts gained a small following on 4Chan. But it was not until former President Donald Trump made a speech in October 2017 that QAnon was so named and began to build massive popularity with its fictitious conspiracies based on anti-Semitic tropes. In a 2017 speech, former President Trump said, “You guys know what this represents? Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.” (New

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First known Q-Anon post 4Chan Archive, first known Q-Anon post-

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https://archive.4plebs.org/

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York Times, 2017) Shortly after, someone began posting a series of cryptic messages in a 4Chan thread titled “Calm Before the Storm.” The poster claimed to be a high-level government insider with Q clearance. “tasked with posting intel drops — which he, for some reason, called “crumbs” — straight to 4chan to covertly inform the public about POTUS’s master plan to stage a countercoup against members of the deep state. It was, in short, absolutely insane. However, thanks to some rather forced coincidences — like Q kind of, sort of guessing that Trump would tweet the word “small” on Small Business Saturday, and this one time the internet decided that Q was “totally on Air Force One” because he posted a blurry picture of some islands while Trump was on his trip to Asia — and a whole heck of a lot of wishful thinking, people believed he was the real deal.” (Martineau, 2017)

I love Bees homepage

From then on, the online phenomenon started to expand into other online message boards. Later called “Q-Drops,” these online messages began to reference even more outrageous predictions about what actions the then-President would take and escalating accusations about celebrities and politicians. Eventually, message posters began to believe that an event called “The Storm” would occur. They claimed members of the Democratic party would get arrested as part of a “Great

Awakening” movement. Subsequently, a Reddit SubReddit channel called “The Great Awakening” appeared. This conspiracy fantasy emerged in mainstream social media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook, seen by people with no exposure or understanding of the online gamer message board culture. “Even some of Q’s most avid students say they do not know if Q is, as the anonymous author of a book compiling Q’s missives put it, “either the most long-lasting Live Action Role Playing, a.k.a. prank, on 4chan, or indeed the biggest intelligence drop from the U.S. government to the public ever.” One regular QAnon follower wrote on Reddit that “Reading and diving into Q had me occupied for many hours. Definitely better than watching mindless TV programs. Even if it was all a lie, the entertainment value is real :)” (Fisher & Stanley-Becker, 2018) As QAnon’s content grew, the channels in which it flourished changed as well. 2018 saw Qanon message content move from 4Chan and its successor, 8Chan and Reddit, all of which had similar user demographics, to broader social media channels. For example, QAnon communityproduced video content started appearing on YouTube, which is the second most visited website globally and appeals to a dramatically different audience. According to HootSuite, the social media marketing platform, “YouTube is most popular with users 35 and under, but only slightly. 73% of Americans aged 36 to 45 use YouTube,

along with 70% of those aged 46 to 55 and 67% of those 56 and older. Usage of these channels is a very different pattern from other social platforms, where use drops off sharply in the older age groups.” (HootSuite, 2021)

This is not a game: new media aesthetic. This is not a game is a refrain used by puppet masters in an ARG. This denial that the game is not a game keeps the players engaged in the mystery. And this statement is more poignant when we consider the implications of what happens when cultures collide, misunderstandings occur, and what evolves becomes something else entirely. QAnon may have started as a narrative gone out of hand. However, it has now evolved into an entity with a life of its own. It is an example of what can happen when social media meets conspiracy. If one applies the same framework to an ARG’s mechanics, an alarming possibility emerges. An ARG usually ends with a significant event, and then it spawns other games. While there may be a temptation to excuse this event as driven by manipulation for a specific political end, the danger is that the manipulation works. And because of the ease with which misinformation and fiction disguised as truth flood the internet, the public must become more active and aware, discerning what is real and what is not. As Thomas DiZengotta wrote in his 2005 book, Mediated, “Media, cultures, and individuals are no longer bound by predetermined

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QAnon “Where we go one, we go all all Flag” at a protest Photo by Flickr user: Anthony Crider

limitations. With modern design culture, the means of production have fallen into the hands of the workers, who now possess the power to mold media, society, and self.” The emerging aesthetic is moving into the meta-modern with transmedia at the center. In 2021 we have a society with four generations of people active on the internet that have a completely different understanding of the medium. The Baby Boomer generation is the last of these to have experienced news coming solely from news organizations. GenX pioneered cyberculture and cynical pranking. Millennials grew up with social media, and Gen Z is the first generation of individuals raised in post-social media with a high degree of ability to generate content. We live in a world where we are no longer content to consume news but need to be the news. Phenomena like Q-Anon may not be something we can eventually leave in the past but is likely a harbinger of things to come. This is not a game.

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References

About NonChalance. (n.d.). nonchalance.com. https:// www.nonchalance.com/about.html The Cacophony Society. (n.d.). You May Already be a Member. The Cacophony Society. http://www.cacophony.org/sample-page/ Davis, B. (2018, August 18). Is the QAnon Conspiracy the Work of Artist-Activist Pranksters? The Evidence for (And Against) a Dangerous Hypothesis. ArtNet. https://news. artnet.com/opinion/q-anon-hoax-1329983 de Zengotita, T. (2008). Mediated: How The Media Shapes Your World And The Way, You Live In It. Bloomsbury USA. E.Clampus Vitus. (n.d.). THE MYSTERIOUS HISTORY OF E CLAMPUS VITUS. Yerba Buena 1. http://www.yerbabuena1.com/history.htm Fisher, M., & Stanley-Becker, I. (2018, August 1). The mystery of ‘Q’: How an anonymous conspiracy-monger launched a movement (if the person exists). The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ politics/the-mystery-of-q-how-an-anonymousconspiracy-monger-launched-a-movement-if-heeven-exists/2018/08/01/6d10f5b4-95a3-11e8-80e100e80e1fdf43_story.html 4Chan. (n.d.). Advertise with 4Chan. 4Chan. https://www.4chan.org/advertise A Game Designers Analysis of QAnon. (2020, September 30). Medium. https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5 Guler, A. (2019, December 11). The Emergence of Dark Marketing. Business Review Berkeley. https://businessreview.berkeley.edu/the_emergence_of_dark_marketing/

Harmanci, R. (2011, April 21). Interested in the Jejune Institute? https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/us/22bcculture.html Hern, A. (2014, January 10). Cicada 3301: I tried the hardest puzzle on the internet and failed spectacularly. Hon, A. (2020, August 2). What ARGS Can Teach Us About QAnon. MSSV. https://mssv.net/2020/08/02/ what-args-can-teach-us-about-qanon/ Hon, D. (2020, August 6). s08e18: QAnon looks like an alternate reality game. Things That Caught my Attention. https://danhon.substack.com/p/ qanon-looks-like-an-alternate-reality HootSuite. (2021, February 2). 25 YouTube Statistics that May Surprise You: 2021 Edition. HootSuite Blog. Javanshir, R., Carroll, B., & Mallard, D. (2020, January 31). Structural patterns for transmedia storytelling. PLoS ONE, 15(1), 45. Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture. New York University Press. Leary, T. (2014). Chaos and Cyber Culture. Ronin Publishing; 20th Anniversary edition. Martineau, P. (2017, December 19). The Storm Is the New Pizzagate — Only Worse. New York Magazine. McLuhan, M. (2001). The Media is the Massage. Gingko Press. Pape, R. A., & Ruby, K. (2021, February 5). The Face of American Insurrection Right-Wing Organizations Evolving into a Violent Mass Movement. The University of Chicago Division of the Social Sciences. https://cpost. uchicago.edu/research/domestic_extremism/

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Better Spaces Using Interior Design to reduce Stress and Anxiety in Hospitals and Waiting Rooms Perla Pelayo

The human body is made of cells, all of which work in harmony to keep our bodies up and running. There is an exceptional, nuanced, and delicate science to keeping our bodies balanced; this is true for one’s physical health and mental health as well. As time passes and we learn more about our own species, there seems to be a growing consensus that it is essential to balance physical and mental health. Physical health, as in eating healthy and exercising daily; mental health, as in having coping mechanisms in place and reducing stress. But sometimes, having to take care of one’s physical body may compromise one’s mental health, for example hospital visits or hospital stays. Since hospital visits are to maintain physical health and are sometimes necessary, we can use interior design to help mitigate the stress these environments can produce. Although interior design for hospitals and healthcare facilities has been improving throughout the years, there is still a necessary evolution to be made, in terms of the design of waiting rooms. Creating more welcoming environments will lead visitors to feel more relaxed and welcomed. Hospital waiting rooms or areas can be stressful environments for patients and visitors alike. Often when the word hospital is mentioned, it can invoke stressful thoughts in people (Veitch and Arkkelin, 1995). Thoughts of long sterile hallways, stainless steel utensils, banks of lifemonitoring equipment, specialized

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rooms for unique functions, and the smell of rubbing alcohol and disinfectant come to mind. Hospitals are a place of uncertainty, not knowing what news lies ahead, not knowing how long one will have to wait. Not being able to control one’s situation can feel stressful, and all in all, it can make patients and visitors feel incredibly vulnerable (Lim et al.). When an interior designer is planning for a hospital, a natural hierarchy must be looked at and taken into consideration. The standard ranking places clinical and medical needs first, inpatients second, 40

outpatients third, and visitors last (Leather et al.).Which,in retrospect, makes sense when designing a hospital and its needs. Clinical and medical conditions are essential as that is the primary purpose. Inpatients, outpatients, and visitors are second in priority, but the requirements are not as crucial. Interior designers can blend these two groups’ voices and needs into a hospital; they are two sides to the same coin. When providers’ and patients’ voices integrate, there is a greater synergy of treatments and healing from both parties. The reduction of anxiety and stress to patients may allow the

channels to open for physical healing. In turn, removing anxiety and stress from visitors can reverberate back to the patient because they will see their loved one in a serene headspace; which may relax the patient even further. In 1984, Ulrich found that adding a window to a hospital room reduced recovery time and cut hospital stay. Furthermore, in 1998 Moore discovered that using color, art, and plants made patients feel safer and calmer. The interior design components do not have to be complicated or overly expensive; even minute changes can give patients and visitors a feeling of importance.

Case Studies and Examples IndoorPlants

Djikstra et al. from The Netherlands investigated if (one) having indoor plants in hospital rooms reduced stress and (two) if having indoor plants in hospital rooms made the room look more attractive. 77 random subjects were told to imagine a hypothetical situation for which they needed to stay in a hospital for a few days and were shown pictures of the same hospital room. The first photo was a room with 41

no indoor plants but an urban painting on a wall, The second photo was a room with multiple indoor plants. Several tests were taken to measure stress levels and prove a correlation between the indoor plants and how attractive the room was perceived. The tests determined that having indoor plants present led to reduced stress in patients as opposed to the urban painting. Confirmation was also found that plants in a hospital room leads to a higher perceived attractiveness to the room, leading to fewer feelings of stress in patients. Adding touches of biophilia can impact one’s vibrations and therefore allow the channels to open up to relaxation and feelings of peace.

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Wood

Shen et al. investigated the effects of wood versus non-wooden design elements affecting cognitive function and subjective perceptions. He conducted an experiment where 20 subjects took a computerized cognitive test for four days in a row. There were four rooms where the subjects were split into. Room one was the control; it was a room of pure concrete walls; rooms two through four were the variants where wooden surfaces were introduced. Room two contained light brown wooden facades, room three had dark brown wooden facades, and room four included 50/50 light brown and white painted wood facades. Test results from the cognitive tests revealed that the subjects tended to be in a more positive attitude in the wooden rooms, specifically the dark wooden room. The subjects also showcased a faster response rate and more correct answers in the wooden environments. As proven, nature can affect our cognitive function and one part of nature is light.

Fractals

Fractals are irregular geometric structures that cannot be described by classical geometry. Fractals are especially apparent in natural forms and phenomena because 42

the physical world is largely abstract (Disctonary.com)Abboushia et al. investigated the visual interest, visual preference, and moods elicited by fractal lighting patterns projected on interior spaces’ walls and floors. This study was done with 92 participants in a lecture hall. In this hall, there were white and black fractal and nonfractal patterns projected onto a screen. The participants were told to assess their mood and react instinctively by having only seven seconds to vote on the mood the fractal and non-fractal patterns emitted. Results showed that fractional designs were preferred over non-fractal patterns and the mood responses showed that uniform fractional patterns elicited a better balance of relaxation and excitement.

Lighting

Pathak et al. investigated preferred office lighting by employees. They randomly selected 15 offices with a wide range of industries in Nagpur, India. and this study was conducted over months to include the winter, summer, and monsoon seasons. A total of 450 employees took qualitative surveys to measure visual comfort, performance, and satisfaction with the lighting levels. The results showed that 196 employees preferred a mixed combination of natural lighting and electrical lighting in office workspaces, proving that natural lighting can affect physiologically and psychologically.

Discussion

These case studies and examples have proven that simple design elements like color, lighting, nature, and natural features can convey and elicit feelings of peace, while reducing stress and anxiety. These simple elements are essential for existing hospitals because adding these design components can be done in a cost efficient way. The cost of implementing these features is outweighed

by the benefits they provide. For hospitals not yet constructed, these simple elements could be easily incorporated into the design phase. Hospitals’ main goals are to provide care in order to help people maintain mental and physical wellness. Although excellent progress has been achieved in just a few years improvements can still be made in hospital design. Hospitals are often places where many unknowns are constantly looming, but there is still a way to keep one grounded amongst the fear. A few minor interior design changes can provide major benefits to patients and visitors. Phil et al. measured heart rates of patients and visitors measured over time in a traditional waiting room and new waiting room with added biophilic elements. The waiting area’s physical design did indeed buffer the negative impact of the stress known to build in the waiting room. Heart rates slowed down in the waiting room with the added biophilic features. In truth, the hospital environment’s physical design is an essential and integral part of hospital design.

References

Evans, J., Crooks, V., & Kingsbury, P. (2009). Theoretical injections: On the therapeutic aesthetics of medical spaces. Social Science & Medicine, 69(5), 716-721. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.040 Lim, B., Rogers, Y., & Sebire, N. (2019). Designing to distract. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 26(2), 1-19. doi:10.1145/3301427 Olausson, S., Lindahl, B., & Ekebergh, M. (2013). A phenomenological study of experiences of being cared for in a critical care setting: The meanings of the patient room as a place of care. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 29(4), 234-243. doi:10.1016/j. iccn.2013.02.002 Petersson, A., Sandin, G., & Liljas, M. (2015). Room of silence: An explorative investigation of design students’ redesign of an arena for reflection and existential meaning-making. Mortality, 21(2), 130-148. doi:10.1080/13576275.2015.1046825 Vaaler, A. E., Morken, G., & Linaker, O. M. (2005). Effects of different interior decorations in the seclusion area of a psychiatric acute ward. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 59(1), 19-24. doi:10.1080/08039480510018887 Cheng, S., (2020). APPLICATION OF AESTHETIC PSYCHOLOGY IN THE COLOUR MATCHING OF ART DESIGN. REVISTA ARGENTINA DE CLINICA PSICOLOGICA, 29(2), pp.622-627. DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.287 Abboushi, B., Elzeyadi, I., Taylor, R. and Sereno, M., 2019. Fractals in architecture: The visual interest, preference, and mood response to projected fractal light patterns in interior spaces. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 61, pp.57-70. Shen, J., Zhang, X. and Lian, Z., 2019. Impact of Wooden Versus Nonwooden Interior Designs on Office Workers’ Cognitive Performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 127(1), pp.36-51. DOI: 10.1177/0031512519876395 Dijkstra, K., Pieterse, M. and Pruyn, A., 2008. Stress-reducing effects of indoor plants in the built healthcare environment: The mediating role of perceived attractiveness. Preventive Medicine, 47(3), pp.279-283.

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Understanding Others How emerging technologies are providing immersive experiences for empathic design research Ron Boeder

How the transmedia QAnon Conspiracy blurs fact and fiction By: Aynne Valencia

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Empathic design research, where the designer “experiences” the users’ experience, is personified by a breakthrough experiment conducted in the 1960’s by the designer Patricia Moore. In the 1970s, Patricia Moore was a young industrial designer working at a top New York design firm. During a project meeting, she posed a question: ‘Couldn’t we design the refrigerator door so that someone with arthritis would find it easy to open?’ A more senior designer replied: “We don’t design for those people.” Patricia was incensed. Not taking direction from this Senior Designer, she took it upon herself to conduct an empathy experiment to experience firsthand the realities of life as an eighty-year-old woman. Moore applied theatrical makeup so she looked like an old

wrinkled woman, wore glasses with lenses that blurred her vision, wore earplugs so she could barely hear, applied braces on her arms and legs, wrapped bandages around her body forcing her to be hunched over, and put on wobbly uneven shoes, so she was forced to use a cane to walk. Over the next few years, Moore visited dozens of unfamiliar cities as her new persona, attempting to navigate the environment around her and experiencing not only the challenges that elderly people face, but also how others treat them. She shopped in supermarkets and department stores, going up and down stairs, purchased bus tickets and rode the bus to unfamiliar destinations, and much more. On one occasion she was robbed, and beaten, by a gang of young men. Based on her experiences and insights, 45

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Moore was able to design a series of innovative products that were suitable for use by elderly people, and those with disabilities. She actually designed the first potato peeler with a big soft rubber handle. She is considered one of the founders of Universal Design, a design approach in which products are designed for use by the widest range of consumers possible, and which is now the industry standard. She later wrote about the ‘empathic model of design’ and became an authority in the field of Gerontology. Had that senior designer not scorned Patricia Moore, she might not have had the brainchild to “walk in the shoes” of an elderly woman and contribute so much the concept of utilizing experiential empathy in design. Following her groundbreaking study, designers from many disciplines utilized similar firsthand experiential empathy experiments, though perhaps not to the same intense degree, end user empathy is now nearly ubiquitous in the design process. However, there is a limit to what can be easily experienced using these readily available physical tools and props. Furthermore, there is significant time and cost associated with conducting these firsthand experience-centered studies, particularly when researchers desire a large, diverse group of subjects to experience these challenges. Beyond this, there are challenges in conducting experiences that are in distant locations to understand cultural impacts, or in settings not conducive to such tests, such

as hospitals, prisons, battlefields, nuclear powerplants, disaster areas, active crime scenes, or even something as commonplace as driving down the road. Cognitive disabilities are practically impossible to safely simulate and study firsthand. (Krznaric, 2009) Emerging Technologies: Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (VR) In the last decade, we have seen the rapid development of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. Virtual Reality is a technology that provides a simulated immersive experience that simulates a real or artificial environment or experience. Augmented Reality uses technologies to add a layer of information or sensory experience to a real-world experience. While VR and AR are still in their infancy, researchers and designers are rapidly envisioning new applications and opportunities for these technologies. Many find it challenging to distinguish similar-sounding, IT-based concepts such as augmented reality and virtual reality. People may believe that all of these terms mean nearly the same thing, and as a result, the terms are often used interchangeably. There are six different types of reality and virtual reality; reality, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented virtuality. The focus of this article will be to explain how these technologies, and mixed reality in particular, are utilized in empathic design research.

Virtual Reality (VR) Virtual Reality typically involves wearing a viewer/headset, which covers one’s eyes and displays immersive/3D images something like a View-Master, the stereoscopic viewer introduced in the 1960’s, which simulates the experience of being in a different time or place. What differentiates VR headsets from the mid-century View-master is the ability to display an interactive 3D view, whereby by turning one’s head or walking changes one’s viewpoint, and provides the

virtual experience of being in the environment, real or computer generated. These virtual environments can be constructed from 3D video data of real environments, or can be completely computergenerated environments. Often, surround sound audio / 3D audio is integrated to deliver an even more immersive and realistic experience. The primary commercial use of VR technology is in gaming, but other applications such as viewing 3D CAD models and virtual tourism are gaining momentum.

Augmented Reality (AR) Augmented Reality (AR), correspondingly presents information and images, typically using AR glasses, with clear lenses, allowing one to simultaneously see the virtual images or information overlaid 47

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on (or “augmenting”) one’s view of the real world. As with Virtual Reality, AR applications being developed are commercially inspired. For example, AR glasses can point out where the nearest Starbucks is as one drives down the road, overlaying an arrow on the lens of one’s glasses, superimposed on top of the view of the Starbucks storefront. It can then place an ‘X’ over the view of the nearest parking spot. After entering the Starbucks, one’s glasses might tell about a new beverage that Starbucks just introduced, which is on sale today. Less consumer-centered applications are also being researched in labs. These include assisting surgeons and technicians, by overlaying images and text over the workspace/task of the professional, or by providing text on the lens to aid the hearing impaired. However, the greatest attention is still being applied to consumer centered applications like shopping, communication, and navigation.

Augmented Reality by turkletom

Mixed Reality (MR) Mixed reality combines augmented reality and virtual reality. In combination, the virtual world or scene that one is exploring can be enhanced with additional information. For example, as one is taking a VR tour of the Louvre, they could turn their head and look at an

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artwork, and the glasses could display the artist name, year completed, artist’s bio, etc. Mixed Reality holds great promise in empathic design research as researchers can experience that of others, and the experience can be enhanced or manipulated to simulate extreme, unusual, or even potentially dangerous user experiences.

A Mixed Reality Experience While most mixed reality today focuses around clearly artificial (fictitious) worlds, or fantasy games. Many of these experiences aren’t that realistic; they are clearly virtual. But mixed reality has real world applications, for example offering a simulation of being in a potentially very dangerous situation. One mixed reality experiment involved creating a very realistic depiction of being on top of a skyscraper. In front of the user is a diving board, allowing the viewer to walk out of the street below. A very small percentage of test subjects could muster the strength and “bravery” to walk down the diving board, even though they knew they were actually in a lab, on a large open floor, and in no danger of falling. Another particularly enlightening mixed reality experience was developed to simulate the experience of being an autistic child. Some of the realities of daily life for autistic children can include exaggerated environmental sounds, preventing the child from hearing their parents speak; exaggerated lighting, causing a temporary loss of vision and inability to focus. These

can add up to an overwhelming and uncomfortable experience for the child. To better understand the experience of the autistic child, researchers produced a mixed reality user experience demonstration. The producers gathered 3D video inside a busy, noisy, and brightly lit shopping mall. The video was taken from the viewpoint of a child. Stimuli, such as lights, sounds, and other shoppers’ behaviors, were exaggerated using augmented reality, to simulate how this environment would be perceived by the child. The virtual reality component allows the person virtually experiencing this situation to turn their head and change their viewpoint and focus, simulating a real-world experience. A mixed reality representation, using a VR headset and headphones, allows the viewer to feel empathy for the child’s experience and emotions. The experience lasts only two minutes, but afterwards many viewers reported being emotionally exhausted. Many were stunned and silent, even after removing their headsets. The video is available online and it allows one to change their viewpoint with a cursor. However, if given the opportunity, it is best viewed on a VR headset for the full immersive experience.

Empathic Research using Mixed Reality A study using mixed reality to better understand autism was conducted by Matt Clark. This immersive virtual-reality 49

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(VR) experience was an art installation at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London sought to recreate how autistic people perceive the world, and is now on display at the gallery that commissioned it, Birmingham Open Media. Matt has an autistic 15-year-old son. “He can’t talk; his behaviors are extremely challenging,” says Clark, creative director of United Visual Artists, an art and style group based in London. Clark built this exhibition so others could see the environment through his son’s eyes. He collaborated with artists who either are on the spectrum or have relations who are. The project exemplifies a new approach to the use of VR for autism. For more than two decades, scientists have experimented with the technology to set up controlled scenarios to study autistic traits. What’s more, some teams have used VR to make virtual role-playing environments for practicing social skills. Increasingly, however, people with autism are using VR to convey their own experiences, both to boost awareness of the condition and to capture the cognitive and perceptual differences that characterize it. (Rizzo, 2018) Some experts hope these efforts will lead to new research collaborations and applications. About a dozen projects that can be viewed online use loud noises or flashing lights to simulate sensations like sensory overload at a mall, office meeting, or a family get-together. A couple of exhibitions are especially ambitious in attempting to provide specific sensory

impressions (Rizzo, 2018). Proponents of VR argue that no other medium comes as close to experiencing being in someone else’s shoes. “That’s something we haven’t been able to do without VR,” says Albert Rizzo, a research professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and a pioneer of using VR in psychiatry. “You can watch a movie, but it’s different than walking around and having one’s own experience” (Rizzo, 2018) Simulations of autistic experience are met with similar ambivalence. They also must confront the essential question of whether subjective experiences are some things that will ever be shared. “I can understand that a neurotypical parent might be desperate to understand their autistic child’s point of view,” says Susan Kruse, gallery supervisor at Birmingham Open Media, who is autistic. “But how can anyone get inside another person’s mind and experience what they experience?” (Rizzo, 2018) These two autism studies reveal how mixed reality experiences can be valuable tools for conducting immersive design research, but still lack the truly immersive experience.

Immersiveness research A new empathic research method that is user-driven, not researcher-driven, adapts to the varying cognitive and physical states people go through in mixed reality (MR). It utilizes empathy maps, a common tool for design researchers, to capture feelings, thoughts, actions and verbal expressions

from a first-person perspective. (Springer, 2018) Both AR and VR have steadily progressed in recent years. They travelled through Gartner’s technology Hype Cycle from the “Innovation Trigger” phase with unproven promises in 2010 [7], to the “Slope of Enlightenment” where their benefits are being realized now [8]. Breakthroughs in displays, optics, tracking, sensors etc. have made this happen. However, user experience (UX) in AR and VR has been often overlooked in the midst of this technological evolution. (Springer) Measuring immersion, or “presence” has been studied extensively by researchers from HCI, psychology and design fields. Some proposed objective physiological methods to track bodily metrics as signs of presence, e.g. heart rate, skin temperature and muscle tension . Many others created subjective questionnaires and rating systems that users had to supply answers during or after experiments. The Author introduces the Hyper/Actual Immersiveness Scale, a novel user-driven method that is questionnaire free. The method allows participants to score their experience along the Hyper-Actual Experience Continuum that stretches between two extremes: Hyper Reality and Actual Reality. (Springer, 2018)

Design Thinking Empathy Maps to Evaluate Immersiveness The agility of their scale is made possible

through using empathy maps from the design thinking framework. An empathy map is a collaborative user research tool used by designers and developers to get closer to the needs of the end-user they are creating an application or service for. It is generally made of four quadrants that collect data about what the user Thinks, Feels, Does and Says. Experts and endusers participate in creating this data to develop a conceptual cognitive, emotional, attitudinal, behavioral and physical model that reflects actual states. The author has applied design thinking and created empathy maps for clients in a multitude of industry domains. They have witnessed first-hand how they help consultants and user researchers resolve ambiguity and gain deep empathetic understanding (and set aside own assumptions) of the needs, desires and hurdles of conceptual personas. The researchers also have previous experience building AR and VR systems. They understand the challenges that may impact the sense of immersion in such systems (e.g. navigation, pose tracking, interaction models, agency, visuals quality, motion-sickness, multi-sensory feedback, etc.). Hence, it was logical for them to explore assessing such challenges by applying the principles and values from the design thinking. Gabbard et al. for instance argued that user-based experiments are critical for driving better design activities, usability studies and knowledge discovery in VR. The current technical state-of-the art has not 51

reached the point where it could simulate realistic perceptions simultaneously across several sensory modalities. This is however the envisioned future denoted as “Actual Reality” in his paper. (Springer, 2018)

Immersiveness Study Conclusion

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The hyper/actual immersiveness scale presented in this paper is non-instrumental. It is not a script or a fixed researcher questionnaire like the conventional

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presence evaluation methods discussed by the research community. Rather, it is a process driven by real users that adapts to their feedback and perceptions. They collaboratively and democratically describe the cognitive and physical states they experience in MR. The framework guides them through to reach a quantitative scientific result that use at its core qualitative behavioral data sourced by the wisdom of the crowd. The score derived from applying the scale gives indication as to what human factor angles need to be improved to bring their immersion in MR closer to the sought-after actual reality. Having natural experiences mediated through immersive technologies such as AR and VR is the ultimate goal and having a flexible natural measurement paradigm that helps quantifying that more accurately is the purpose of this work. The author proposes that when MR achieves sufficient level of hyper/actual immersiveness, it can then be used as a useful tool for empathic design research, particularly for hard to understand user

groups, dangerous environments, and distant settings.

Conclusion Although mixed reality (AR and VR) are primarily associated with gaming, shopping, travel, and tourism, these technologies offer great opportunities for designers and researchers to conduct immersive design research, by simulating the realities of unique or hard-to understand user groups, settings, and experiences. Immersive design research and empathic design has been a part of the design process for decades. However, in-person research can be costly and time consuming, particularly if multiple researchers and multiple subjects are involved. Some research settings can also be hazardous to explore in-person. And perhaps most importantly, experiencing that of another can be incredibly challenging, if not impossible, in many cases. mixed reality technologies, including augmented reality, and virtual reality are beginning to be used as tools for empathic design research. This experiential research can be experienced by researchers, designers, and focus group study subjects as well. This process allows both designers and potential users to experience products, systems, and environments, that were formerly challenging to study and evaluate in the field. As the technologies and methodologies continue to develop and evolve, the experiences will be more realistic and immersive, resulting in more valuable data and associated

design solutions. Researchers are already beginning to integrate these technology tools into their user experience studies. As the technologies develop, there is an opportunity for design researchers to simulate, test, and more experiences and deliver more accurate and useful data and feedback. Where Patricia Moore’s empathic design research in the 1970’s took years to complete, and was only experienced by one person, future studies using mixed reality technology tools can potentially address a

References

I.U. Admin, IDEO U, (2020), What is Design Thinking?, https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/what-is-designthinking Krznaric, R. (2017), How an industrial designer discovered the elderly, https://www.romankrznaric.com/ outrospection/2009/11/01/117 Springer, Beck, D., Nena-Rios, A., Ogle, T., Economou, D., Mentzelopoulos, M., et al. (2019) , 5th Immersive Learning International Conference Proceedings. Rizzo, 2018. Science Mag (https://www.sciencemag.org/ news/2018/10/virtual-reality-could-show-others-whatautism-feels-and-lead-potential-treatments)

much larger user group, and be completed in a fraction of the investment of time. Imagine the mixed reality research studies that could be conducted to help train commercial fisherman at sea, law enforcement officers at an active shooter crime scene, a medic on the battlefield, a search and rescue team in the aftermath of an earthquake, a construction worker on top of a high-rise under construction, a bomb squad disabling a bomb, and so on. The designers and subjects can virtually experience these situations, and train and prepare to work in these situations, without danger, or potential injury. Through this empathic research process, the author suggests that designers can better develop tools, systems, and processes to aid in empathic research in these critical and challenging to replicate experiences.

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Greening Society Behavioral Design and Sustainability

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Alyssa Cortez

Design has the power to change the way we live our lives, whether it be by moving from plastic to paper bags or encouraging what products we buy; design is all around us. The topic of climate change has been a serious concern for many people over the past few years. “In 2020, 82% of Americans said that global warming will be a very or somewhat serious problem for the world if nothing is done to stop it” 54

(Krosnick, Climate Insights: 2020). Every year, climate change seems to become more pressing, from drastic weather changes to rising sea levels. One way to combat this issue is to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle sooner rather than later. One may wonder what a sustainable lifestyle looks like, and why should we care, particularly as designers? The

basic definition of sustain is to “hold up or give support to” something. When used in correlation to the environment, “Sustainability is usually defined as the processes and actions through which humankind avoids the depletion of natural resources, in order to keep an ecological balance that doesn’t allow the quality of life of modern societies to decrease” (Global Footprint Network, 2020). In short, living

a sustainable lifestyle means being greener, and for some, that means living plastic-free, eating less meat, and lowering one’s overall ecological footprint. “The ecological footprint is the only metric that measures how much nature we have and how much nature we use. The footprint helps: countries improve sustainability and well-being, local leaders optimize public project 55

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investments and individuals understand their impact on the planet” (Global Footprint Network, 2020). We should care about our ecological footprints because it is the impact we have on Earth and its natural resources. Living more sustainably can help us lessen

done with a purpose, whether it be to make something more functional for users or convey some kind of message. When used appropriately, design can be a powerful tool to encourage change, which is why it can be a useful line of defense against climate change. “There’s no such thing as a ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ product, only a more sustainable

our impact. Lowering our ecological footprints and living more sustainably is crucial because if successful, we can preserve the planet and its natural resources for future generations to come. So how would we be able to encourage living a sustainable lifestyle and make it more mainstream? Design, is a multifaceted field that includes the design of products, packaging, buildings and services, can offer

or greener one. A ‘green product’ is one that’s never made; the most sustainable solution is to avoid making unnecessary items altogether.” (Ruggles et al., n.d.). This is an important point to keep in mind when designing for sustainability. The goal is to be green without creating more waste, using too many materials, or being harmful to the environment. Depending on what the designer is developing, they may only avoid

a wide variety of solutions to this pressing matter when environmental education is applied. Not only is sustainability essential for all types of designers to learn, but also how they should design to reinforce sustainable behaviors among various users. Pairing design with sustainability is an important step towards counteracting climate change. Design is almost always

one or two of those environmental impacts. Sustainability is a very complex topic, so it is important for designers to understand what it is and what aspect of it they want to try to achieve with their skills. “Amid the myriad sustainability tools, techniques, global and local activities, and corporate initiatives, the product designer plays a key role” (Ruggles et al., n.d.). With the concept

of sustainability in their back pockets, designers will have the tools to recreate products into greener ones and have greener ideas in general. Living more sustainably cannot be achieved overnight, but designers have just the creative means and mindsets to help our society get there. To encourage their users to buy sustainable products and to live eco-friendly lifestyles, designers need to find a way to make the transition as seamless as possible. It should not be assumed that people are lazy

new green growth routines by designing appropriate cues and rewards” (Lockton, 2013). Greener designs should inform the user about the product and why they’re making a good decision by using it, either by telling them the benefits or by rewarding them in some way. There are many ways designers can ‘nudge’ users in a sustainable direction while also making it effortless to do so. If designers incorporate green nudging into their current design methodology, they have

and do not care about their effects on the environment. Instead designers should remind themselves that many people find environmental issues very overwhelming and often do not know how to create change. This is where designers come in, “design has a massive opportunity: enable more sustainable behavior through making it easier to do things in a more sustainable way” (Lockton, 2013). Designers can achieve this by redesigning current everyday products to be greener and creating informative campaigns on why being eco-friendly is essential. By studying user behaviors, designers will have a better understanding of how to create with them in mind while also finding the best ways to present sustainable messages and products. “Decision-makers can motivate the formation of

a better chance at encouraging the public to live more sustainably. Green nudging is using behavioral studies in one’s favor to get others to care for the environment and

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to adapt greener behaviors naturally. Using green nudging increases the chances of users making more sustainable choices than less wasteful ones. There are several different ways green nudging can be done. “A recent review of green nudging practices grouped them broadly into three categories: nudges that appeal to people’s self-image, nudges that appeal to people’s tendency to conform socially, and nudges that re-set the default choice” (Koomen, 2020). As stated above, green nudging can often play on people’s

2016). Different designers can tackle each of these practices. This can include visual designers creating green lifestyle campaigns, product designers redesigning current products, and so much more. Considering there are so many different outlets of design, the possibilities for green nudging are endless. When applying green nudging to labeling and packaging laundry detergent, a study found that consumers were more likely to buy the product labeled “green” once they

self-image and how they appear to others in their life and society. Research shows that once people begin making greener choices, they like to show it off, encouraging others to be greener when they see it. “A classic example is the purchase and use of Toyota’s hybrid car, the Prius (Sexton & Sexton, 2011). Stickers that tell others about the fuel efficiency of one’s car are another way to express and signal one’s green credentials (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008: 204f)” (Schubert,

discovered that the product was more environmentally safe. “For researchers, this study provides initial findings to further examine consumer responses to sustainability claims and package labeling. Also, environmental impact framing appears to be an effective communication tool for persuading consumers to act with greater environmental awareness” (Cho, 2015, p. 80). This along with the example above, shows green nudging is a useful tool to have. It also confirms that we should include sustainability and green nudging into basic training and education for designers. Sustainability and green nudging education are just as essential for up-and-coming designers to learn as they are to current designers. The topics presented are important for any designer to learn and aid them in combating environmental issues. Younger generations have recently been in the spotlight for being concerned for the future of our planet, like Greta Thunberg, for example. “With the potential to model sustainable practices for society and to

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promote awareness and engagement among students and extended communities, universities are at the forefront of the transition to sustainability” (Mouchrek, 2018, p. 92). Universities should take advantage of the fact that younger designers want to protect their environment and encourage them to take sustainability and behavioral design classes. It would be exciting for them to get out into the world knowing they had the skills and the knowledge to support positive environmental change. “Design-based activities are opportunities for experimentation that can both engage youth in sustainability and support their integral development” (Mouchrek, 2018, p. 100). Educating young designers is key to getting society to live more sustainable lifestyles because design can be expressed in so many different ways and reach many users. Environmental education should be used to increase designers’ empathy towards the planet and inspire them to preserve it for future generations to come. Sustainability is essential for all types of designers to learn about so they are able to reinforce sustainable behaviors among various users. While there isn’t such a thing as an entirely “green” product, designers should use their sustainability knowledge to redesign those products into greener ones. To get users on board with this transition, designers need to make it easy for users to adapt by studying how users react to eco-friendly designs. By doing so, designers will adopt the strategy of green

nudging into their designs, whether it be through products, packaging or campaigns. Adapting green nudging skills will allow designers to encourage sustainability among users naturally by slowly changing their behaviors over time. While all designers should incorporate sustainability into their

References

Cho, Y. N. (2015). Different Shades of Green Consciousness: The Interplay of Sustainability Labeling and Environmental Impact on Product Evaluations. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(1), 73–82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24702853 Ecological Footprint. (2020). Global Footprint Network. https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/ Hassim, A. (2021,). Why Younger Generations are More Willing to Change in the Name of Sustainability | Greenbiz. GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-younger-generations-are-more-willing-change-name-sustainability Krosnick, J., & MacInnis, B. (2020). Climate Insights 2020: Overall Trends. Resources for the Future. https://www.rff. org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020/ Lockton, D. (2013). Design for Sustainability: Making Green Behavior Easy. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/design-sustainabilitygreen-behaviour Monreal, I. (2020). What’s a green nudge? The Behaviouralist. http://thebehaviouralist.com/whats-a-green-nudge/ Mouchrek, N. (2018). Engaging College Students in the Transition to Sustainability Through Design-Based Approaches. Consilience, 20, 88–103. https://www.jstor.org/stable/ 26760104 Ruggles, R., Phansey, A., & Linder, B. (0). Guide to Sustainable Design Using SolidWorks Sustainability. Guide to Sustainable Design Using SolidWorks Sustainability, 5–78. http://www.solidworks.com/sustainability/images/content/sustainability/guide_to_sustainable_design.pdf Schubert, C. (2016). Green Nudges: Do They Work? Are They Ethical? SSRN Electronic Journal, 09, 1–29. https://doi. org/10.2139/ssrn.2729899

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e h t m o r f s e t c i o N m e d n a P 0 2 20

2020 will be forever imprinted in our society’s collective memory. A global pandemic began when a coronavirus called Covid-19 spread across the globe, causing 137 million cases and killing 2.95 million people to date. Every country in the world scrambled to respond to prevent the spread while researchers, public health officials, and medical community members scrambled to develop treatments and vaccines. The worldwide response to the 2020 pandemic is a modern miracle. Spurred on with massive worldwide investment in research dollars, in less than 12 months, scientists and clinicians from all over the world took partially completed research on a similar virus. They accelerated the creation, trial, and production of several highly effective treatments and vaccines.

and turmoil worldwide. We saw how people behaved at their worst and how they preserved at their best. The Covid-19 pandemic is hopefully a once in Century event. While we may move on as a society and the memory of the day-to-day complications of its presence will be lost to history, it is essential to learn from the experience and make changes and improvements to ensure that things like this happen again. The pandemic is far from over. The future leaves many open questions, but, for now, we have reason to be hopeful about the future. This journal’s contributors chose an artifact or activity that had meaning for them during this pandemic. We hope these short stories will serve as a time capsule, a glimpse into a microcosm that will tell a larger truth about what life was like at this time.

The year 2020 exposed many inequities

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Never take it for granted Rob Broder

Letter to The Graduating Class of 2120; The 100-year Anniversary of the Covid-19 Pandemic The 2020 New Year’s celebration was typical of years past, but with some added optimism related to the “2020” association with “vision” (20-20) and an upcoming presidential election. In late January and reaching a crescendo in March, the focus of our nation and the world shifted to this new virus called “Covid-19”.

Pandemic Panic Buying 62

One of the things the pandemic has taught us is that practically nothing can be taken for granted. This realization ranged from merely waking up tomorrow alive; to access to everyday household items. As the pandemic geared up, there was understandably a run on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items such as hand sanitizer, latex gloves, Lysol wipes, alcohol spray, and of course, masks. And in fact, these items were in very short supply; due to increased need, demand, and sales, and accelerated by the associated panic buying. Many lined up at Costco for hours in the hopes of getting their hands on the limited supply of these potentially life-saving items. Many were also hoarding other items for which supply was not limited and had no pandemic-related function. People were seen leaving the supermarket with carts filled with frozen foods, antioxidant pills, and more. Even bottled water was in short supply. While supermarkets began new services, offering curbside pick-up and even home delivery for the first time, these items were rarely available. While there was initially no real shortage of most things the scarcity became a self-fulfilling prophecy due to the panic buying and hoarding.

Enter this Lowly “Essential” Item

Americans stocked up on the essentials of survival, primarily food, water, and PPE. Ultimately the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers were able to keep the store shelves stocked with the essential items. However, the lowly roll of toilet paper was an object of obsession for American

consumers; and it could not be delivered fast enough to meet demand. Like some essential food items and cleaning supplies, there was a run on toilet paper, which created an artificially created “shortage.” It was not a shortage at all, as many garages and pantries were loaded. Manufacturers were still making toilet paper at the same rate and delivering it at the same rate. Still, their manufacturing and distribution logistics didn’t allow them to increase production volume or speed delivery easily. They ultimately found ways to increase production and speed delivery, but the panic was beyond control by this time. As such, the toilet paper shortage became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Hunt

Manufacturing and distribution accelerated, but it still could not keep up with demands. Consumers would visit supermarkets, pharmacies, and bigbox stores, with toilet paper as their only “needed” item. “Needed” is in quotes because most consumers had an adequate supply or alternatives but were hoarding to avoid the unimaginable “catastrophe” of potentially running out. So, the hunt began! Consumers would visit the paper products aisle of their local supermarket, pharmacy, or big-box store in hopes of finding even a single roll of toilet paper on the shelf. Typically, the shelves were empty. Sometimes there were alternatives such as Kleenex (facial tissues), but even that was rare. If there were any available, it would be quickly grabbed up, even with the strict rules on the quantity you could purchase, and to make matters worse, what was available was not the “good stuff.” It was instead rough and thin and a brand label no one recognized. Toilet paper was a topic that practically wasn’t discussed at all, pre-Pandemic, became the hot topic on Zoom (video-conferencing) “Happy Hour” calls. When to find it, when to arrive at the store, how to find online, what’s the “good stuff,” best alternatives to the good stuff… Toilet paper aficionados debated softness, roll size, thickness, price, etc.. We all know what the good stuff is and how important that user experience is.

The Good Stuff

Often Americans are concerned with acquiring high-quality items; the best. That item can be a Scotch Whiskey, a pair of shoes, a luxury automobile, the latest cellphone, etc. It’s partly about wanting the best and partly about showing off your taste and resources. It’s not often about the actual user experience. Rarely before, had cocktail party conversations revolved around the best toilet paper. But that has all changed, and it revealed a common thread among Americans; from anecdotal evidence, the author believes Charmin Ultrasoft is the best toilet paper. Why? Because it’s ultra-soft.

Success!

6:00 AM PST. The Assistant Manager opens the front door at your local CVS! You exchange very quick pleasantries and quickly take your planned and rehearsed route to aisle 5. Moving as fast as you can without alerting others to your mission; and letting the guy who arrived before you; take place in front of you. There is; a full side of an aisle filled with toilet paper, facial tissue, and paper napkins. Cheap toilet paper is in the big multipacks, and the good stuff in much smaller packs. A handwritten sign reads “maximum two per customer.” You make your selection and head to the checkout line that is already abnormally long, but it’s worth it; mission accomplished. Not unlike a soldier returning from the battlefield, or a hunter returning home with a kill, you return home with this necessity to take care of your family. And yes, it’s the good stuff. No more Kleenex in my bathroom!

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Influenza Masks

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A short history of a surprisingly controversial Cloth Aynne Valencia

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If one were to get in a time machine and travel to downtown San Francisco in January 1919, they would see a sight that has now become familiar; people on the streets were wearing bits of gauze cloth masks across their faces. This sight was because the world was still amid the H1N1 Avian flu pandemic. This flu was popularly known as the “Spanish Flu” (after being incorrectly attributed to having started in Spain) that first appeared the year before and infected one-third of the human population worldwide. (CDC, 2018) And, in 1919 as today in 2021, unfortunately, you might also see several people who refused to wear a mask. Mask mandates, created to combat influenza, started in San Francisco on October 22, 1918. (University of Michigan, 1918) The Board of Health proclaimed the mask was 99% effective against transmitting the virus (The Effect of Public Health Measures on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in U.S. Cities, 2007). The “Spanish Flu” epidemic happened while World War 1 raged on primarily in Europe and in the USA adherence to the mask mandate was at first associated with the war effort. But not all people were open to complying with the directives. Mask avoidant “slackers” coalesced as the Anti-Mask League in January 1918. The group maintained a vague and incorrect argument that masks wearing was unconstitutional and infringed their civil liberties. History tells us that masks and vaccines work. The National Academy of Sciences’ mathematical simulation models proved that transmission control practices significantly reduced mortality in the 1918 Pandemic. San Francisco, St Louis, and Kansas City maintained

prolonged and high adherence to influenza control practices such as mask mandates and avoidance of crowded spaces. These cities reduced their pandemic mortality compared to Baltimore and Philadelphia which, delayed preventative measures and did not require control practices. (The Effect of Public Health Measures, 2007, #7591). And we know vaccines are safe and work. The first vaccine ever developed to fight Variola, the virus that caused smallpox, was so successful Variola no longer exists in nature. (Amanna & Slifka, 2020) Yet, even with scientific evidence that proves masks and vaccines work to curb the spread of disease, some individuals will still refuse to follow public health guidance and thwart public health efforts. A recent study determined: “Noncompliance behaviors partly reflect people’s concerns for the inherent costs of social distancing while discounting its public health benefits. We propose that this oversight may be associated with the limitation in one’s mental capacity to simultaneously retain multiple pieces of information in working memory (WM) for rational decision making that leads to social-distancing compliance.” (Xie & Campbell, 2020) The last global pandemic to affect all members of the world’s population was 100 years ago, but the next global pandemic could happen at any time. The lesson of the pandemic of 2019–2020 is that despite advances in science and education, there will be a percentage of people who will not act in the best interest of others and will not set aside their individual personal preferences and comfort for the greater good of the whole of society. Knowing this, we would all benefit from having more targeted, consistent, and easy-to-understand public health messaging that reinforces why compliance with health directives will help their immediate family members and themselves personally. We know from the past that we cannot change human behavior, but we can learn from it and design for it.

References

Amanna, I.J., & Slifka, M.K. (2020). Successful Vaccines. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, 428, 1-30. Amanna, I. J., & Slifka, M. K. (2020). Successful Vaccines. Current topics in microbiology and immunology, 428, 1–30. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). History of 1918 Flu Pandemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Effect of Public Health Measures on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in U.S. Cities. (2007,. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(18), 75887593. JSTR. University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine and Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan. Influenza Archive.

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Trance Perla Pelayo

Charles Tart, the American psychologist, has defined trance as an altered state of consciousness in which the world is experienced differently from ordinary awareness. You’re able to achieve a state of trance at any time. But how? Some people are able to do this on a daily basis by hyper-focusing while doing activities like driving, playing video games or watching tv. Has this happened to you? You are driving on the freeway with a destination in mind only to find yourself at the said location with no recollection of how exactly you got there? This mind memory gap is a form of trance, one of the many spiritual travel forms one can learn to do. 66

Trance is not a mere meditation technique – it’s a practice that requires kinesthetic cues and conditioning to help you control your state of consciousness while remodeling your mind. Our minds will often manifest through our physical bodies, and therefore the outside world can provide us with stimuli and images into the worlds within. You can learn to touch parts of yourself that need healing, love, and reassurance. The trance world is very much a symbolic reality. I received training from Priestess Sabrina Moon from a pagan community named Sisterhood of the Moon. I have been practicing trance for about two years now and I

got to a point where I could trance as quickly as I breathed. I was at the point where I no longer need all the kinesthetic tools and my conditioning was optimal. When the pandemic hit, my uncertainty grew as it continued to get worse without an end in sight. As time passed, I started to become disembodied, scared, and unsure about the future. I found it difficult to connect back with my inner self as It was increasingly difficult to find my center and ground myself during this turbulent time. I realized I needed to connect with my entire being again. I decided to touch my senses to stop my mind’s hamster wheel of anxiety. Now I begin my trance

practice by lighting candles for sight, soft melodic music for hearing, sage for smell, a libation for taste, and a stone for touch. I go back to the basics that Priestess Sabrina Moon taught me; Connect to breathe and ground down into earth and into sky, to cast my circle of protection, to go within to heal, reassure, and love. I realized what is within is also without, and in the end, we are just humans navigating this world of stardust.

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My Macbook and I Life of a Student During the Pandemic

Alyssa Cortez

Do you remember where you were at the stroke of midnight, that marked the end of 2019? Or what you wished for in the new year? I personally hoped for a better year; 2019 was a tough one for several reasons but mostly because I had lost another grandparent in early February. This loss was exceptionally difficult for me since I had lost another graparent in 2018. I was ready to overcome the feeling of loss and step into the new year with a sense of hope. For me, 2020 was going to be a milestone year; I was graduating from college in the summer and turning twentyfive in the early fall. As I toasted the end to another disappointing year, I never could’ve imagined 2020 would be a year of a different kind of loss. In 2014 I made my first big purchase, a fifteen-inch Macbook Pro laptop. This laptop would help me get through college by writing essays, completing assignments, or creating design projects. I was so excited to own a Mac, I felt like a real designer and was excited to dive into the Adobe software. Flash forward to 2020, it became so much more than just a laptop. In early March, classes at SFSU moved fully online, due to the growing concern of a once every one-hundred years pandemic. It

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was then that my Macbook became my new classroom and professor.

I become self-conscious of what I had in the background behind me, but also of the way I

The laptop acted like a bridge connecting me with other students and professors. This device became my only form of connection to the outside world. While this window offered a glimpse into other people’s world, it also resulted in a loss of privacy. I remember being on camera thinking, “Oh gosh, is there anything too personal in the background? What if a family member walks in while I’m on Zoom?” Not only did

looked while constantly being on camera. My laptop began to blur the line between school and home, the outside world, and my room.A few times out of the year it became a doctor’s office, since it no longer felt safe to go in person unless it was for something serious. On June 18th, 2020, it became a graduation stage, more or less, but mostly a streaming device so my family and I could watch my ceremony on our television. While

we were still able to make the day as memorable as possible, this was another important moment lost to the pandemic. In February of 2021, it became a fancy restaurant where my boyfriend and I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a FaceTime dinner date. Throughout 2020 my laptop became my professor, my fellow students, my doctors, my family, my friends, and my boyfriend. While technology can never replace a real human being, it was the next best thing during the stay-at-home orders. We all lost something

this year whether it be a family member, a special event, human connection or simply just time. While it may be a very millennial way of looking at things, I’m grateful to technology for creating a way for us to stay connected during such uncertain times. Not only did it help us connect virtually, but it also allowed us to connect to connect emotionally. We had people on the other side of our screens to vent to and sympathize with. 2020 will always be an unforgettable year for all of us, but I’m thankful I had my Macbook to get me through it all.

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Blue Dutch Oven

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Rachael Noble

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I never asked for you to come into my life. You were gifted to me on my 25th birthday. A birthday I spent sipping wine and connecting with friends over Zoom. Spending a birthday on a videoconference wasn’t what I had in mind, but it was in fashion. After the Zoom calls had ended, my boyfriend handed me a heavy cardboard shipping box. Inside was a note from my friend, and a fivepound bag of Red Mill flour, sourdough starter, and you, my navy blue dutch oven. The note from my friend explained how the hobby of baking will bring me a lot of joy during the quarantine. When I found out Sourdough bread was a

decided I didn’t need this extra stress in my life; a global pandemic was quite enough! So I placed you, my navy blue dutch oven, on the kitchen counter, where you provided a pleasant aesthetic and nothing more. You sat there for almost four months, untouched. One day, I met up with my friend for our weekly social distanced walk. She handed me a quarter of a loaf of bread and exclaimed, “I made this!” I naturally ate the entire quarter loaf immediately - it was delicious. How did hers taste so good and not look like an alien loaf? She told me she’d give me the sourdough starter she has been and

multi-day process, I almost gave up. “Who has time for this?!” In my eyes, my friend had given me the equivalent of a toddler that I now needed to keep alive, fed, and had plenty of rest. Filled with frustration, I attempted my first sourdough loaf. It took about four days to make the starter and then two more days to make the dough. When the “loaf” came out of the oven, it could be mistaken for E.T’s cousin. “This is what I just spent almost an entire week making?”. With all that was going on in the world, I

walk me through the entire process on the phone. I was now more determined than a dateless cheerleader the night before prom to improve my bread and I began to make a second loaf. After several phone calls and a lot of patience, my bread was coming out of you, my dutch oven, billowy and flavorful. You help me bake fresh bread for my house, my friends, and my family. I know sourdough isn’t the cure for Covid-19, but it does add a little delight to a monotonous day.

Kathak Cultural Inheritance Jinal Shah

Photo by Mahitha Rao

I used to feel the need to hide my Indian roots, but now more than ever, they help create a healthy sense of identity. Putting on my bells, practicing, and dancing became a ritual during this trying time. When I dance, I experience beauty through movement and self-expression. Kathak has become a form of meditation, bringing a sense of peace and connection. I feel tremendous respect for my ancestors and gratitude for cultural inheritance. During the pandemic, I was able to enhance my mind-body connection through the practice of kathak. Kathak is a classical Indian form of dance that originated as a form of storytelling in Northern India. Kathak is often categorized as a meditative form of dance, having spiritual and physical benefits. Kathak has intricate movements that are performed by wearing “ghunghroo” (bells) on your ankles. The reason kathak dancers wear bells is to showcase the precision of movement. Performances are often accompanied by live music with complex rhythmic patterns. The dancers and musicians find harmony on stage, often finding inspiration through improvisation. Growing up as a South Asian immigrant, I spent all my time assimilating to American culture. When I arrived in America at the age of 10, I struggled to learn English. Part of my youth was spent learning English and the cultural intricacies of America. However, as time passed and I got older, I wanted to connect with my heritage. I chose to connect with Indian culture by training and performing the art of kathak.

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I have been learning kathak for six years, and it has provided me with a sense of balance, beauty, and cultural context. During the pandemic practicing with my ghungroos (bells) allowed me to manage stress. For me, music and dance transcend space and time, bringing a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. I’m trilingual, and classical Indian music has been instrumental in my ability to speak and understand Hindi.

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Photo by Mahitha Rao

Growing up, I felt the need to hide my Indian roots, but now more than ever, they help create a healthy sense of identity. Putting on my bells, practicing, and dancing became a ritual during this trying time. When I dance, I experience beauty through movement and self-expression. Kathak has become a form of meditation, bringing a sense of peace and connection. I feel tremendous respect for my ancestors and gratitude for cultural inheritance.

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