Team Names: Harshita Nedunuri, Gallatin School of Individualized Study; Katja Luostarinen, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Project description:
Crescent Rainbow is focused on the intersections of identities, and creating safe spaces that empower, encourage expression and create a sense of community. Our problem statement is How might we facilitate the expression of identities at intersections to empower the respective communities and educate the public? We are currently in the process of creating low-fidelity prototype(s) and gathering feedback on them. Our partner organization throughout the project has been I Am Your Protector, whose mission also provided the inspiration for Crescent Rainbow. Our research and ideation has revealed the issue of anonymity and privacy that is present when identities interact: our research on LGBTQ Muslims showed that users can be wary of situations and spaces that compromise their anonymity. Another key insight is the very intersectionality of the users: some users are located on one end of the “spectrum” of identities, whereas some are the other end, which is a key challenge to address when designing.
