SEEN / UNSEEN Design, Surveillance, and Public Trust

By Able Parris, Nicole Beira, and Sara Yuan (Thought Matter)

"Project Overview
-Seen / Unseen is an ongoing research series exploring how communication design shapes experiences of surveillance, safety, and trust in everyday life. Through a growing archive of case studies and speculative interventions, Seen / Unseen examines how design can increase transparency and civic participation in systems that monitor and guide human behavior.

Project Summary
-Across phones, cities, workplaces, healthcare, and neighborhoods, systems now track, guide, and influence daily life. Often introduced in the name of safety, convenience, or connection, their impacts are uneven and frequently invisible. Some individuals experience protection and a sense of belonging; others experience monitoring, risk, or exclusion.

Seen / Unseen is a practice-based research initiative investigating the role of communication design within these systems."