Q TRAIN
Harvard University, 2020
Q Train is an information design project tareting the QAnon conspiracy theory. It aims to prevent the growth of conspiracy theories by building empathy toward conspirationists. It is a dynamic analytics of real-world online activity. The goal of the project is to help users understand how and why conspirationists fall for the theory. We hope that this knowledge drives better outreach strategies preventing the growth of the QAnon movement. The Q Train was designed and prototyped by students of the Master in Design Engineering program at Harvard University.
This project is built to utilize live data scraped from Parler, a right-wing Twitter-like platform, as well as qualitative user-research data. The project classifies and analyzed this information using automated methods such as Deep Learning topic modelling and R-based quantitative analyses and representations. Q train findings are then presented in an interactive dashboard allowing users to access multiple levels of granularity regarding QAnon followers and the QAnon organization.
The Q TRAIN map leverages deep learning analyses and user research to portray a simplified view of a complex network of ideas.
The metro as a tool of representation.
The Q train uses a front-end representation inspired by a metro map. This design decision was inspired by the will to create a neutral representation of a complex system through which a user can easily get lost. Just like everyone can miss their stop on the metro, anyone can fall prey to conspiracy theories. Moreover, the metro-based representation allowed to highlight different interlocking streams within this complex ideology. By portraying how different "lines" connect ideas, the project draws links between concepts. The position of each station was chosen through a quantitative analysis of real-world links made by QAnon followers. For instance, we analyzed the recurring presence of hashtags in Parler content.
The Q Train metro map allows users to follow the path of specific personas. Through this first-person view, users can access insight into the journey of archetypal conspirationists. This way, users can see how conspirationists often make their way from less radical ideas toward more radical beliefs. For each station, the Q Train offers a description of the QAnon concept, as well as a detailed explanation of the idea's falsehood.