Design Research ︎ Design Research ︎
Design Research ︎ Design Research ︎
Research Strategies for Queer Mart: Exploring Queer-Coded Navigation & Safety in AR Spaces
Research Goals and Approach
For my thesis project Queer Mart, I employed participatory research strategies to explore:
- Queer-Coded Languages & Symbolism – How do queer individuals develop coded languages to mark safe and unsafe spaces?
- Navigational Patterns – How do queer folks choose walking routes based on safety, familiarity, and emotional association?
- Machine Vision & AR – How do LiDAR scans of urban environments reveal biases in machine perception of space, and how might that influence AR-based social networks?
To investigate these questions, I used cognitive mapping, participatory clay modeling, and LiDAR scanning to document queer navigation behaviors and understand how AR might foster safer community spaces.
Type
UX Research
Contribution
Research & Concept Development – Explored queer-coded visual language and social technology to inform the design.
UX Research
Contribution
Research & Concept Development – Explored queer-coded visual language and social technology to inform the design.
(01)
Research Methods
Research Methods
Participatory Engagement & Cognitive Mapping
Process:
Participants drew maps of their neighborhoods and annotated them with areas they associated with:
Clay Symbolism: Participants created symbols from clay to physically represent these zones on their maps.
Key Questions Explored:
Process:
Participants drew maps of their neighborhoods and annotated them with areas they associated with:
- Safety (e.g., LGBTQ+-friendly businesses, well-lit streets)
- Danger (e.g., locations with past harassment, poorly lit areas)
- Pleasure & Joy (e.g., gathering spaces, queer nightlife, favorite walking routes)
Clay Symbolism: Participants created symbols from clay to physically represent these zones on their maps.
Key Questions Explored:
- How do queer individuals define and mark safe spaces?
- What symbols represent danger, safety, and pleasure in queer-coded language?
- How do walking patterns reflect safety concerns?
(02)
LiDAR Scanning & Machine Vision Studies
LiDAR Scanning & Machine Vision Studies
Process:
Key Questions Explored:
- Conducted LiDAR scans of neighborhoods in Los Angeles to explore how machine vision captures and categorizes space.
- Examined how Google Maps and AR-based apps (Niantic, Pokémon GO) highlight certain locations while making others less visible.
Key Questions Explored:
- How does machine perception of urban spaces differ from human/queer perception?
- Can AR be leveraged to increase visibility of safe queer spaces while also protecting privacy?
(03)
Key Insights
Key Insights
Digital & Physical Navigation is Heavily Coded
Social Media Suppresses Queer Community Organizing
Queer Mapping is Rooted in Safety & Joy
Walking routes are often chosen based on:
- Queer individuals intuitively develop coded messaging systems (visual symbols, slang, cultural cues) to identify safety and danger zones.
- AR could be a natural extension of this practice, allowing digital markers to covertly signal community spaces and resources.
Social Media Suppresses Queer Community Organizing
- Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook frequently suppress LGBTQ+ content through shadowbanning, moderation, and content restrictions.
- This fragments community building, making alternative location-based, peer-driven platforms necessary.
Queer Mapping is Rooted in Safety & Joy
Walking routes are often chosen based on:
- Safety (Avoiding harassment, well-lit paths, police presence concerns)
- Community (Proximity to LGBTQ+-friendly businesses and social hubs)
- Joy (Pleasurable paths, familiar places, personal nostalgia)
- By embedding queer-coded digital markers into physical spaces, Queer Mart could help queer individuals find safety, resources, and joy through a hidden, community-built AR layer.
Final Thoughts
This research lays the foundation for rethinking how queer individuals navigate both physical and digital spaces. By integrating queer-coded mapping, AR technology, and decentralized community knowledge, Queer Mart proposes a future where technology fosters belonging, rather than exclusion.
This research lays the foundation for rethinking how queer individuals navigate both physical and digital spaces. By integrating queer-coded mapping, AR technology, and decentralized community knowledge, Queer Mart proposes a future where technology fosters belonging, rather than exclusion.
Next Project