Bear & Co
An award-winning interactive simulation exploring design ethics in the IoT era.
Client
CIID / VIRT-EU
Year
2019
Role
Lead Experience Designer
The Brief: Making Ethics Tangible
In the rapid world of IoT, ethical reflection is often sidelined. Partnering with the VIRT-EU research project, I led the design of an immersive experience that forced designers and developers to confront ethical dilemmas in real-time. Bear & Co was staged at Ars Electronica and ACM CHI, simulating a fictional startup environment where user choices had tangible consequences .
The Bear & Co operator’s station installation: a scaffold-style frame with illuminated workspace and two terminals for participant engagement.
Interaction Design: The Values-in-Action Workflow
I designed a unique two-part interaction loop to measure intent vs. action. First, participants defined their personal ethics using a physical punch card—their "moral compass" for the session . As they moved through the installation, they encountered high-pressure scenarios on LCD terminals , forcing them to choose between profit and privacy via tactile, industrial switches .
Participant hands holding both the punched value card and the printed receipt side by side, illustrating the values-in-action workflow.
UX Strategy: Reducing Cognitive Friction
Abstract ethics are exhausting. To maintain engagement in a loud exhibition environment, I simplified complex legal and social frameworks into "A/B" dilemmas. By removing jargon and focusing on immediate impact, we lowered the barrier to entry, allowing over 500 participants to engage deeply with the content without feeling overwhelmed.
Feedback Loops: The Moral Receipt
The "aha!" moment of the UX happens at the end. I designed a physical receipt system that prints a summary of your choices . This receipt algorithmically flags "value misalignments"—showing participants exactly where their stated morals and their actual design decisions clashed. This tangible artifact served as a bridge for debriefing and deep reflection .
Printed receipt emerging from the station, summarizing the participant’s choices and flagging any value–decision misalignments.
Prototyping & Iteration
Early user testing revealed that the punch-card mechanism was initially confusing. I iterated on the onboarding UX by adding clear visual cues and a facilitator guide to streamline the journey. We also cut session lengths by 30% after observing "decision fatigue" in pilot testers, ensuring every scenario kept the participant on the edge of their seat.
Recognition & Impact
Bear & Co proved that ethics can be gamified without losing depth. The project received an Honorary Mention in the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards, recognized alongside giants like Nike and Microsoft. It stands as a benchmark for how experiential tools can drive critical dialogue in the technology industry.
