Jeffrey Chung

Global Innovation Design (MA/MSc)

Whose Streets is a community platform that empowers activist communities and provides a sense of coalition building through shared experiences. Its design features GPS and temporary encrypted group chats created by designated admins through NFC connection to facilitate face-to-face interaction.

The app automatically blurs out faces to protect identities, and all submitted media requires initial moderation and approval from the admin. The featured emotions capture a realistic range of feelings during protest while emphasising positive affect, and content tags allow users to contextualise the experience and allow for sorting in the future.

Anonymity ensures that individual protesters are not back-traceable through the app. Over time, memories accumulate into a sortable emotional heat map of the individual action. These pockets indicate areas of shared affect and establish a collective emotional and historical memory.

A further stage of development would encompass the digital archive, in which individual demonstrations are collated and connected within issues and across social movements. The content is integrated into blockchain to prove that it hasn’t been modified.

About

I am a dedicated designer, artist, and social innovator, committed to using research-led design as a tool for social change and uplifting underrepresented voices. My dynamic approach is informed by diverse experiences and a deep understanding of cultural context gained through my upbringing in New York City and my GID terms in Tokyo, Singapore, and London. Throughout my academic journey, I have honed my skills in collaborative research and design processes, prioritising the perspectives and needs of my target audiences. My projects span themes such as social justice, community empowerment, and emotional awareness. Prior to GID, I gained extensive professional experience in the art world, working in museums, auction houses, and galleries, and I was also an award-winning fine art photographer with my own practice. Outside of my academic career, I am deeply involved in community initiatives and advocacy, passionately creating inclusive initiatives and solutions that drive positive social impact.

My final Master’s Project, Whose Streets, is a groundbreaking digital platform designed to support activists in bridging the virtual and physical realms of activism. In response to increasing threats to peaceful assembly globally, Whose Streets provides tools for activists to document and share their experiences safely and effectively. The mobile app features an emotional heat map of protests, identity-protecting media capture, and secure communication channels to ensure the safety and cohesion of demonstration efforts. The project’s online digital archive preserves these moments, transforming real-time activism into lasting cultural resources. Throughout this project, I consulted and collaborated with organisers, demonstrators, and academic experts to develop a user-centred and contextually relevant solution. By connecting social movements across time and space, Whose Streets aims to inspire future generations and sustain the momentum of collective action.

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