Week 1 – Defining Democratic Technologies

​IN CLASS

• Syllabus, course arc, expectations.
• Discussion: “What is democratic technology in 2025?”​
• Portfolio setup (Weebly, Notion, etc.).
• Galaxy AI overview; students confirm subscription plan and basic access.

For next class (Week 2):

• Portfolio Website (Work in Progress)
• You may:
  • Add a new page to an existing portfolio site, or
  • Create a new site specifically for this course.
• You may use any platform you’re comfortable with, such as:
  • Google Sites
  • Canva
  • Adobe Express
  • Weebly
  • Wix
  • Or any other tool you already know
• Important: This site is a work in progress. There is no pressure for it to be polished or complete right now.
• The priority is simply:
  • You have a site.
  • It has at least one page for this project.
  • On the project page, include (at minimum):
  • A title for your project
  • A short paragraph (4–8 sentences) explaining:
    • Your working definition of “democratic technologies”
    • How your artifact connects to that idea
  • Visuals related to your artifact:
    • Photos, screenshots, embedded images, or video links
    • Your bibliography with at least two sources from the Pinterest board

Over the semester, we’ll revisit the site and expand it for future projects.

• Confirm you have active access to Galaxy AI (subscription set up, can log in).​
• Assignment 1 - Defining Democratic Technologies

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Check out my definition of Democratic Technologies from the intro page - click here
Pinterest Board with Articles Related to Democratic Technologies
​Springboard for Artistic Ideas on Defining Democratic Technologies
What is Creativity and How Do I Do It?

​Assignment 1: Visualizing Democratic Technologies
Overview
For this opening assignment, you will translate our class discussions about democratic technologies into a piece of media. Your goal is to create a visual representation of your working definition of democratic technologies—not as a perfect, final definition, but as an exploratory, creative response.
You will:

1. Create a media artifact (static or dynamic; digital or analog) that expresses your understanding of democratic technologies.
2. Consult a shared Pinterest board of readings/resources and cite at least two of these in a short bibliography.
3. Set up a portfolio website for this course and add a page for this project.
4. Present your work next week in the podcast suite.

  
Part 1: Media Artifact – “What Is a Democratic Technology?”
Task:
Create one piece of media that visually expresses your understanding of democratic technologies.

• It may be:
  • Static (e.g., poster, collage, zine page, illustration, diagram, infographic, storyboard, photo series)
  • Dynamic (e.g., short animated sequence, screen recording, interactive prototype, simple web page, stop-motion, slideshow with transitions)
• It may use:
  • Digital tools (graphics tools, layout tools, web tools, simple interactive tools)
  • Analog tools (hand-drawn, cut-and-paste collage, physical models, objects photographed or documented)
• It does not have to be literally representational or “realistic.” It can:
  • Reflect an ideology or ethos
  • Be symbolic or iconographic
  • Be more literal/representational if you prefer

Guiding questions (you don’t have to answer all of these):

• Who gets to design, control, or change this technology?
• How does it distribute power, access, and agency?
• What makes a technology more or less democratic?
• Whose voices or experiences are centered or excluded?
• What values or principles do you think a democratic technology should embody?

Bring or submit your artifact in a form you can show in the podcast suite:

• Digital artifacts: Have files accessible (laptop, USB, cloud link) or export as images/slides.
• Analog artifacts: Bring the physical object(s) and/or clear photos of them.

Part 2: Reading & Bibliography
You will receive a Pinterest board containing articles and other resources related to democratic technologies.
Your task:

1. Browse the board and choose at least two sources that meaningfully connect to your project.
2. Create a brief bibliography for your project:
   • List at least 2 sources from the Pinterest board.
   • Use a consistent citation style (MLA/APA/Chicago—your choice, just be consistent).
3. Be prepared to briefly say in your presentation how each cited source influenced:
   • Your understanding of democratic technologies, and/or
   • The choices you made in your media artifact.

You and I will use this to build a shared bibliography around the project over time.

Part 3: 

In-Class Presentation (Podcast Suite – Next Week)Next week, you will present your project in the podcast suite.
Plan to share:

• Your media artifact (or documentation of it)
• A brief explanation (about 3–4 minutes) addressing:
  • How you’re currently defining democratic technologies
  • The choices you made in your media artifact (format, style, symbols, etc.)
  • How at least one of your readings informed your thinking

This is exploratory, not a “final answer.” The goal is to make your thinking visible.

Evaluation Criteria (Low-Stakes, Concept-Focused)This assignment is graded primarily on engagement and thinking, not perfection or technical polish. I’ll be looking for:

• Conceptual engagement
  • You make a real attempt to define or explore “democratic technologies.”
• Connection to course ideas
  • You meaningfully engage with at least two readings from the Pinterest board.
• Creative translation into media
  • You’ve made thoughtful choices about how to express your ideas visually (even if the result is rough or experimental).
• Documentation
  • You have a functioning portfolio site with a project page that includes:
    • Project description
    • Visuals
    • Bibliography
• Presentation
  • You show your work in the podcast suite and can discuss your choices.

This is a starting point for the rest of the course, not a final judgment of your skills or definitions.

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STOP HERE

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Here are concrete ways people “flip the script” with technology—moving from passive consumers of media to active, democratic participants and producers.

1. Citizen journalism & micro-reportingWhat it looks like:

• Live-tweeting/Threads/Bluesky coverage of local meetings, protests, or school board decisions
• Short explainer videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts that unpack a local issue
• Neighborhood newsletters (Substack, email list, printed PDF) that summarize what mainstream outlets ignore

How it flips the script:

• You stop waiting for big media to decide what’s newsworthy.
• Ordinary people set the agenda and create archives of what actually happened.

2. DIY podcasts & community audioWhat it looks like:

• A small group using a podcast mic + free editing tools (Audacity, GarageBand) to:
  • Interview organizers, workers, students, elders
  • Break down policy issues in plain language
  • Document local histories that haven’t been recorded

How it flips the script:

• You become the interviewer, not the audience.
• Voices usually spoken about get to speak for themselves.

3. Zines, digital zines, and hybrid publishingWhat it looks like:

• PDF/Canva zines shared online and printed cheaply
• Instagram “carousel zines” that combine art, text, and political education
• Collaborative Google Docs that become living guides (“how to attend a city council meeting,” “tenant rights 101”)

How it flips the script:

• Publishing is no longer controlled by big presses or newsrooms.
• People can self-publish theory, tactics, and stories in accessible formats.

4. Memes, remix, and culture-jammingWhat it looks like:

• Remixing corporate ads into critical memes
• Dueting or stitching popular videos with counterpoints, fact-checks, or alternative framings
• Hashtag campaigns that reframe an issue (#BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, etc.)

How it flips the script:

• You hijack the attention infrastructure that usually sells products or pushes official narratives.
• Humor and remix become tools of critique, not just entertainment.

5. Open data & data storytellingWhat it looks like:

• Downloading public datasets (budget, policing, housing, environmental data) and turning them into:
  • Clear charts/infographics
  • Story maps (e.g., showing where resources are concentrated or absent)
  • Short “data explainer” posts or videos

How it flips the script:

• Institutions collect data about you; you can re-use that data to hold them accountable.
• Data becomes a public language, not just a managerial one.

6. Participatory mapping & counter-mapsWhat it looks like:

• Community-created maps of:
  • Polluted areas vs. wealthy neighborhoods
  • Accessible/inaccessible public spaces
  • Sites of historical importance that are not on official maps
• Using tools like Google My Maps, OpenStreetMap edits, or even hand-drawn maps photographed and shared

How it flips the script:

• Official maps show what the powerful care about; counter-maps show what residents care about.
• Location data is reclaimed as a tool for demands, not just surveillance and navigation.

7. Platform co-ops & alternative infrastructuresWhat it looks like:

• Worker-owned or community-owned platforms for:
  • Ride-sharing, delivery, childcare, or freelance work
  • Local marketplaces or mutual-aid coordination
• Using open-source tools or self-hosted services (instead of only relying on the big platforms)

How it flips the script:

• Users are also owners or decision-makers, not just “users” or “gig workers.”
• Value and governance circulate within the community.

8. Mutual-aid coordination & group chat organizingWhat it looks like:

• Group chats (Signal, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack) used not just for socializing but for:
  • Coordinating rides, food, childcare
  • Sharing legal resources and safety info
  • Rapidly distributing updates during crises

How it flips the script:

• You treat communication infrastructure as a commons, not just a place to scroll.
• Everyday logistics become sites of collective power.

9. Educational channels & explainer contentWhat it looks like:

• Short “explain this concept in 60 seconds” videos
• Slide decks or threads that decode:
  • How surveillance works
  • How an algorithm shapes your feed
  • How to file a FOIA request or contact a representative

How it flips the script:

• People learn to see the “black box” mechanisms behind their media.
• You generate public knowledge instead of consuming whatever comes down the feed.

10. Creative tech projects as political commentaryWhat it looks like:

• Simple interactive websites that simulate unfair systems (e.g., bias in loan approvals, policing, or search results)
• AR overlays, filters, or installations that reveal invisible infrastructures (cameras, sensors, borders)
• Glitch art and other aesthetic interventions that expose how fragile or biased systems really are

How it flips the script:

• The technology itself becomes a critical argument.
• Instead of just talking about democracy and tech, the artifact enacts a critique.

How to move from consumer to democratized participant:

1. Shift from “what can I watch?” to “what can I document or explain?”
   • Ask: “What is happening around me that isn’t being told?”
2. Use everyday tools as authoring tools.
   • Phone camera, notes app, Canva, basic audio recorders, simple site builders—these are all production tools, not just consumption devices.
3. Think in publics, not just followers.
   • Who needs this information or perspective? How can you reach them where they already are?
4. Collaborate, don’t individualize everything.
   • Co-create with classmates, neighbors, or online communities. Democracy is plural by design.
5. Make your process visible.
   • Share drafts, methods, sources, and failures. That transparency itself is democratic—others can learn, copy, and adapt.
6. Interrogate the platform while you use it.
   • Ask: Who owns this platform? Who gets amplified or silenced here? How can I use it while critiquing its structure?