Role: UX Design, Illustration, Storytelling

Year: 2020

The futuring exercise used for this assignment was the Tarot Cards of Tech (Artefactgroup, n.d.). This method uses cards that either ask a critical question or a possible provocation about the (un)intended consequences to explore future scenarios. It also looks at the impact a product or design could have and focuses on the concept's humanity-centered design aspect. The 12 cards presented in the deck address three categories: Scale and Disrupt, Usage, and Equity and Access.

During this process, I considered different future scenarios by thinking in extremes. This was convenient as it allowed the design to be implemented in extreme situations such as a controlling, altruistic, or possibly a combination of such scenarios. This ensured the answers given in the futuring exercise would yield insight into the spectrum's different outcomes. During this exercise, I stumbled upon the fact that I tended to think about the negative and malicious side more than the positive side. During such instances, I attempted to add a positive view to balance the negativity out. 

One unforeseen consequence of the design manipulation was that this design might not make people comfortable, especially in the beginning. With new interactions and norms, users of the bionic eye might have to cover the eye or unplug the eye in the worst case so that their company feels at ease. Another aspect that came to light was that users of the bionic eye might require additional psychological help to adapt to their new vision and way of viewing the world.

The insights were used in designing the pamphlet for the bionic eye by explaining and tackling issues that arose, such as the post-installation service and after-care, and addressing the fact that there was an assistant assigned to them to help them with any questions. Finally, the company's psychologist would offer three free sessions to help them cope with their new eye.

Another aspect that was taken into account was based on customizing a computer, in which an eye could be charged in the eye socket itself or through unplugging it and placing it on a wireless charger. Users are also able to customize their eyes by adding functionalities such as night vision and flashlight.

This prototype was designed with the target group of blind and visually impaired users in
mind. The hypothetical prototype is a bionic eye installed in the eye socket, allowing users to see for (possibly) the first time in their lives. 

Users of the NOVA VISION (the bionic eye company) would see the world around them through wires that would send visual feedback to the brain. The visuals are read through a LIDAR that measures the distance and depth of the view and an integrated camera that provides the user with a visual. The bionic eyes have veins drawn on them by default, as this will reduce the uncanny valley effect of it looking scary or unnatural. To further reduce this sensation, the eyes are also made to feel as squishy as a regular eye while protecting the hardware.

Because such hardware requires firmware updates to understand what is being seen visually, a WiFi chip is integrated into the bionic eye. This way, users can update the firmware and keep the bionic eye updated. Through the wireless function, the statistics and the hardware of the eye can be monitored. However, this also means that the eyes can be hacked, and the users can be blackmailed.

Users connecting to the internet and downloading the firmware can also end up downloading a virus into the bionic eye, ensuring that their visual output is manipulated and the user is traumatized. Furthermore, hackers can log into the bionic eye, through a backdoor, at any given time to view what the user is doing and possibly record it and use it as blackmail. Users can be coerced into paying the hacker a sum of money to stop the visual torment that could be going on in the user's brain.

This does not fully come to fruition in Stella's audio log, as she directly calls NOVA VISION to ask about it. The fact that she has detachable bionic eyes makes it easier for her to stop these manipulated visions. These visions appear after a firmware update prompt she received in an e-mail from possibly NOVA VISION itself. This, however, was not from the company, but from someone else, most likely a scammer, wanting to coerce money from Stella. The audio log also showcases two other problems. Stella encounters psychological distress due to seeing again and psychological distress due to not seeing when the eyes are not recharged. The audio log (design fiction) can be found below.