In this project, I created an imaginary alien organism called D.O.T.. This thesis project offers an immersive and performative experience to the participants where they are told that they are secret spy agents from outer space, and asked to participate in the mission to spy on humans. The project uses a card, mobile website, and Instagram for the whole experience.

D.O.T. organisms are identical across their entire species and they are all capable of self-reproduction. this setting is made so that it forces the participants to look at human identity from an outsider's point of view. I used face tracking to enable the participants to be this organism on screen using the phone camera.

The participants will go through a certain process to be initiated as a spy agent and do a mission that offers them an objective view on humans and identity.

The process starts with a participant finding a card in random places that say “WELCOME BACK” with the QR code.

The QR code leads to a mobile initiation website where it asks few questions such as “Do you sometimes feel out of place?” or “Are you looking for a sign?” If answered in the affirmative, the users will pass into the next part of their experience. 

The black screen fades away, revealing the participants “true identity”, a giant D.O.T. This D.O.T. mirrors the participant’s movements using their phone’s camera. Then, the participant will receive a “phone call” over the website. If they tap the icon to answer the call, another D.O.T. shows up on the screen and starts talking to the participant, explaining the spy practice they have been conducting. After the explanation, the participants are told to scroll down on the screen. There, they find a series of seven flashing orders.

All of the orders ask the participants to spy on the human race in one way or another. The spy orders are designed to encourage participants to question their own traditional group-based identities and how they identify with them.
After the participants complete the order, they are instructed to send the research result from the spy order to a certain number. In return, they will  receive a URL for a platform where they can see the results of their own reports, as well as other participant’s reports.