The UX of Disguise (Week 1)
Brief: Design a way to manipulate and deceive perceptual recognition
Research Methods: Artefact analysis and Data physicalisation.
Team: Munira Kazi, Devin Wang, Slavi Kaloferov
We each picked an item from our homes to analyse that we felt aided disguise; I chose a foundation bottle.
Initial analysis of foundation bottle. Image by author.
Coming together as a group, we discussed all of our individual findings, and decided to collectively move forwards with reviewing a surgical facemask, as we could all experience wearing one and put forward our experiences into the research.
Group analysis of a facemask, plus synthesis of linked ideas. Image by author.
The multiple layers and meanings of wearing a mask was an interesting outcome; I had not considered the political or social aspects before.
We decided to focus on the emotional scenarios that came with wearing a mask, as we could relate to this more easily.
People cannot see what I look like or when I am smiling
The mask helps me conceal when I am unhappy
Looking at the idea that masks conceal identity, we looked at studies that compare people with and without a mask. The study by Bassiri-Tehrani et al (2022) showed a significant shift in attractiveness ratings, with highly rated people being scored lower with a mask on, and lower rated people improving with the mask. The significance in scores was surprising, so we decided to use this for our data physicalisation, modelling the shift between these points (separated by gender).
Working on data physicalisation, and the final result. Photos by Slavi Kaloferov and Munira Kazi
However, we agreed that the topic of attractiveness could be very sensitive, so we shifted our focus to the concealment of emotions that takes place when wearing a mask.
We decided to create a game where masks would be worn which had an image of a mouth displaying a particular emotion, while asking the wearer to display a different one, as this could demonstrate the effects whilst retaining a safe environment.
Process of producing and testing the masks. Photos by author and Munira Kazi
We talked about the staging and set-up, initially thinking to involve the whole cohort, and then eventually settling on 5no. Volunteers to be able to better manage the situation and experience better.
Interim presentation with volunteers ready to participate. Photo by Munira Kazi
Whilst enjoyable as a game, the feedback we received was that this was not working as intended, as the participants' bodies were giving away the concealed emotion. We were advised to research about how we express and read emotions, to give us a theoretical grounding. With hindsight, having witnessed the game experience, I agreed that we had overlooked the role of the body in reading emotions; our testing had been between ourselves which pre-determined the outcome.
We started down the route of face masks as we began with items of disguise within the home which led us down this path, and whilst it did have potential, we became so concerned with how to produce a data physicalisation we ended up spending too much time discussing how to achieve this rather than making, which resulted in our attempt at data physicalisation being less sophisticated and not developed enough.
Bassiri-Tehrani, B. et al. (2022) “The effect of wearing a mask on facial attractiveness,” Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojac070.
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