MA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN / YOU'RE NOT ONLINE, YOU'RE ON SALE
The brief
For my Graphic Design, Psychology and Cognition assignment I had to create a typographic campaign built to change behaviour. Only type, colour and pattern could be used. I picked a topic that resonated with me, tackling the manipulative tactics social media companies use to keep us hooked on their platforms.
Insight
Social media platforms are built around variable reward schedules, the same logic as a slot machine, unpredictable rewards that produce the highest addiction rates of any reinforcement pattern. Repeated scrolling alters dopamine pathways in ways closer to substance dependency than habit. The algorithms prioritise engagement over truth. The habit loop runs below the level of deliberate choice, which is why telling people about the problem doesn't fix it. That gap isn't a character flaw in the user, it's the apps working exactly how they were designed to. I needed something that would tip a receptive audience over the line, not explain the problem to them all over again.
The Idea
I wanted to get the point across that the apps are free because the user is the product. So I had the idea of creating a receipt that shows the true cost of social media, what it actually takes from you. I wanted a way of connecting it to the platforms, so I used their branding against them. I matched their colours, used their fonts where I could, and brought in UI elements from their own apps.
Execution
I created four versions of the campaign, one for each platform. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, each designed to run in out-of-home environments where the audience already has their phone in their hand.
