Mapping digital safety: an

interactive gigamap for smart

home awareness and protection.

2023.

Alex Taylor &

Natalia de Luna

How can we make users more aware of digital connections in a smart home? 

How can we make users more aware of digital connections in a smart home? 

As part of the ‘MAPD5210 - Visualizing Complexity’ module at OsloMet, the authors collaborated with RELINK to develop an interactive gigamap designed to highlight the systemic mapping and proposed interventions of smart home device awareness & protection. An interactive gigamap was produced using experimental game design principles, to allow users to explore and learn the map in an innovative and independent fashion.

Findings

Through the creation of the gigamap, the team pinpointed areas in which users may feel disconnected or apathetic to their own smart device security. The group also found that incorporating playful environments and encouraging an open format of exploration can lead to a more personalised experience of exploring a systemic issue.

Recommendations

The map proposed three core interventions:

Mandating placing security measures recommended to users directly on wi-fi router packaging, explaining the risks of not protecting your router and ways to safeguard yourself.
Reformatting password creation pages to explain why they are necessary in simple terms.
The use of the interactive gigamap itself, which incorporates interactive areas, and the exploration of a gigamap in an open, playful way.

The map proposed three core interventions:

Mandating placing security measures recommended to users directly on wi-fi router packaging, explaining the risks of not protecting your router and ways to safeguard yourself.
Reformatting password creation pages to explain why they are necessary in simple terms.
The use of the interactive gigamap itself, which incorporates interactive areas, and the exploration of a gigamap in an open, playful way.

Take a look at the full project here!