Tell a Lie Convincingly - Purpose and Ethics

The Point of this Experiment

• One thing we wanted to draw attention to was that people are likely to believe anything from an authority figure, disregarding their logic and reason. Perhaps this experience will make people reconsider what they trust, encouraging them to think independently. 
• Water is something we very much take for granted and the idea of paying for it unthinkable! But it many countries this is the expectation. Perhaps this will make people reconsider the value of a water fountain, making them less inclined to buy bottled water.
• Another point we wanted to make was that an outrageous statement, such as 'we will make you pay for water' is something entirely impossible, having tap water available a legal requirement. But because it is sensationalised people are likely to pick it up, discuss it, pass it on - this encourages agencies of information to 'up the ante' and exaggerate basic information, just to gain significant interest (i.e. Buzzfeed.) In reality we should value the factual information most, to have the most accurate perspective on life we can. Instead we choose to give into 'hot gossip' because it is unexpected and takes us away from 'day to day' life.

Ethics

We had to consider how this will play out ethically, given that many people were likely to get angry about this if it was believed as fact. Using the LAU branding to convey a policy is definitely unethical. For the purpose of the brief we chose to overstep this, but problems did arise because of it.

• Assuming the identity of an institution can be problematic for its reputation. The 'Water Tax' was so outrageous we hoped that if anyone outside of the university became aware of it they would assume it wasn't real, but if they had believed it, the university would have been obliged to respond. In real life, if a controversial policy was being brought through, an intricate setup would have come before it to 'cushion' the introduction. 
• Using their brand was also an infringement of copyright, and if this was applied in an outside setting, there could have been serious consequences. 
• Another ethical consideration was how the students would respond to the news. Telling them something is truth and then revealing it as fake, can seem unfair. In somewhere like their university they don't expect to be weary of the legitimacy of what they're reading. Ethically it is wrong. Fortunately the topic was something that didn't involve anything personal, water is something of a necessity but I wouldn't say people are 'emotionally attached' to it. This meant their response was only that of annoyance and easily rectified once the experiment was over.

Tell a Lie Convincingly - The Responce

The People

By handing out the flyers within the university canteen and around the studios, it created an almost immediate buzz. This was unexpected as we assumed many would just see the water tax as an unfounded rumour. Once the official university posters came out, this created a more notably passionate response in people. They were talking about it in hallways and exchanging messages about it. This could possibly have been because our flyers touched on issues such as the new build and papercut credit, linking them both to the water crisis. In some ways this project may have channeled pre-existing problems.

The University

The university's response was fast acting and reasonable, significantly it didn't take long for them to find out about the issue. The administration first discovered it through social media, which is an interesting finding about the significance of an online presence. This was spreading news about the event and was for some reason giving it some legitimacy. It's interesting how an online presence can seem trustworthy, as to an extent it is easier to be held accountable.
Once it was discovered we immediately had to dismantle the project, the escalation went further than we imagined. Since the actual policy was so ridiculous it was shocking that so many people believed it. It shows that people have little faith in what is established as law, believing immediately the institution could force this through.

Tell a Lie Convincingly - The 'Water Tax'

For this brief we were asked to create a fake campaign or advertisement that would deceive people into believing it was real. Primarily the results of this will hopefully prove the powerful effect that a piece of design can have, although it should be quite good practice designing in the group setting too.

Our group decided to present the idea that the university is introducing a 'water tax', with posters advertising the policy and separate student flyers to suggest a movement against this. This involved two very separate campaigns and modes of design.

Planning

Initial Ideas

Student Response

The student flyers were designed to look quick and spontaneous, with simple backgrounds and rough cutting. This gives them a sense of urgency and importance, and a general authenticity. Something so basic allowed the information to be prevalent and bold. I wonder if the designs had been professional and clean cut, would they have had such a staggering response?

The Social Media

A Facebook group was also created in order to present a visual outcome of how many people were interested in the concept. This did build several followers, which evidences how seriously people took the campaign. It shows that if you are the first to respond to 'news' or polices, then you have a natural advantage.

Uni Notice

Whilst these look rough and simple, the LAU design appears professional and to the point. It is designed to fit in within the LAU branding effortlessly. We based the top header to be a variation of the pre-exhisting headers that they have on emails, but with a blue and grey theme to make its link to water clear. Some of the other groups also conducted experiments using LAU branding, but these appeared more considered with a focus on aesthetic, to appear 'appealing'. Ours was very simple, to portray a serious nature. However, its authenticity perhaps worked too well.