Particle
2020 & 2024
A digital tool to visualise how algorithms shape news consumption—inviting users to reflect on the systems behind what they see
Project Focus
– Content Architecture
– UX and interface design
– Narrative development
– Prototyping and interaction
– Research-led concept design
Concept
Particle is a digital tool that visualises the unseen forces shaping how we consume news—revealing the algorithmic logic behind filter bubbles, recommendation systems, and ideological skew. Developed as my Master’s thesis at UE Germany in Berlin, the project explores how interface design can foster agency within increasingly curated media environments.
The project encompasses research, concept development, editorial strategy, and interface prototyping—translating critical theory into an interactive framework for media literacy and self-reflection.
Context & Research
The project draws on media studies, behavioural research, and case-based journalism to investigate how belief systems are shaped by the platforms we rely on. From the radicalisation arc of Caleb Cain to findings from the Pew Research Center, these insights informed a tool that acts as both critique and intervention—helping users recognise patterns in their media exposure and challenge their own informational boundaries.
Design Approach
The interface is deliberately reductive—neutral in tone, stripped of branding, and designed to visualise, not editorialise. Users encounter a live portrait of their "Particle Identity"—a mapped landscape of bias, repetition, and ideological leanings.
Through iterative testing and user research, personas were developed to reflect varying levels of awareness and engagement. Wireframes and prototypes were refined to support clarity and conceptual resonance—offering a reflective pause in the otherwise reactive rhythm of digital consumption.
End Note
While speculative in form, Particle proposes a framework for algorithmic transparency—shifting the interface from persuasion to introspection. It creates space for critical distance, encouraging users to engage with information more mindfully, and to recognise the systems shaping their worldview.
