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Use of Effective Information Design Principles to Encourage Social Media Activism: Designing a Website for Global Social Issues to Enlist Change and Avoid Slacktivism
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2018-05
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Abstract
The scope of this paper examines the inherent issues that exist within the current
constructs of social media activism, with the intent to better understand how to encourage
proactive activism in participants and discourage ‘Slacktivism.’ The research herein explores the
answer to whether or not effective principles of design theory can incite change and influence
people to proactively participate in activism both online and in the real world environment, doing
so at times, synonymously.
The focus of this paper provides an overview of the research conducted, the challenges
and obstacles that exist in social media activism, possible resolution, as well as examines the
production of the website design element. The design process employed and described herein, is
meant to effectively illustrate the ‘Universal Principles of Design,’ by creating a website that
aims to promote social media activism (proactive participation). The objective of the website
design process is meant to circumvent one of the dilemmas frequently faced in social media
today, slacktivism (‘armchair/passive activism’), which has been explored and supported with
the accompanying literature paper related to social media affordances and effective design that
encourages active participation.
Using a combined culmination of experience and education garnered to date in the M.S.
IDT program, I have created a website prototype, adding infographics and visuals to ensure that
the aforementioned project details would come to fruition by ensuring that elements of
storytelling, color theory, grid layout and all theories learned to date are applied to the end goal.
The project challenges, questions, limitations and future direction of the website design will be
addressed within the content of this paper.
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A Master's Project submitted to the College of Arts and Sciences at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica NY in partial fulfillment of the Master's of Science Degree.