The Unboxing Tech toolkit is a guide to deconstructing design practices used in smartphone apps. The smartphone was invented only 30 years ago, and today it impacts almost all parts of our life. It has transformed how we connect, work, make friends, entertain ourselves, and how we sleep and eat.
Designed with and for young people, this toolkit offers playful and interactive activities to understand how 'dark patterns' can tune our behavior, emotions, and attention. Most importantly, the toolkit offers simple ways for you to regain control.
The toolkit was designed and created by PRANAVA INSTITUTE in partnership with Tactical Tech. PRANAVA INSTITUTE is an India-based institute working at the intersection of emerging technology, policy, and society through emic approaches to shape sustainable technological futures. The Unboxing Tech Toolkit project seeks to develop open source educational toolkits for youth to help them navigate the relationship with their smartphones. The toolkits address themes such as persuasive design, concepts from STS, the materiality of the smartphone and designing for all to enable personal reflection.
About the creators: TITIKSHA VASHIST is a consultant and researcher on technology policy in India, SHYAM KRISHNAKUMAR is a technology policy consultant and researcher whose work engages with emerging technology in the Indian context. ATHIRA K DAS is a new media designer with a focus on user interface and experience design. The toolkit was conducted with 30 young participants from cities across India including Gurugram, Ahmedabad, Darjeeling, Sahibabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Delhi, Chennai, and Mangalore.
This project was made possible thanks to funding from SIDA.