Canvas

The exploration of navigation through cognitive overload.

Over the past decade, accessibility has ramped up to an extraordinary rate. Leading to having more voices needing to be heard. Everyone is in the chase of being a content-publisher. Businesses, big and small are in the running for this attention such as Nike, Coca-Cola and your neighbourhood café. Because attention can often lead to revenue, companies produce articles, videos, and podcasts in hopes of engaging with consumers.

There’s simply too much content online. It is taking choice and ownership away from the user. This builds upon the user’s anxiety and decreases productivity. Infinite scrolls and hidden seams of interfaces push users into a limited routine. Forcing new processes with no allowance to use their own.

I aimed to bring back ownership to the users within the online realm. This sense of ownership gives comfort and relieves them of anxiety that is produced due to information overload. Giving them agency and designing the result to be appropriable will also open a fresh perspective when it comes to using different interfaces. They could potentially start using these interfaces more in the way that they want to, to their advantage and get the most out of these interfaces they interact with.

Canvas is a web-based tool that facilitates unintended use. By revealing seams it brings back ownership to the user. It will also give fresh perspectives on other existing interfaces. Pushing the usability and appropriation of certain interfaces – when possible – and taking advantage of what already exists.