Works | The Minds of Conspiracy

Conspiracy Theories and Flat Earthers

Conspiracy theories have been widely studied across disciplines, but the research often remains fragmented. This thesis uses visual storytelling and information design to build a more empathetic, critical understanding of why people adopt these beliefs. Flat Earth theory serves as the case study because it is easily debunked, allowing the focus to remain on the people, their motivations, and how these ideas spread.

Website homepage titled 'The Minds of Conspiracy' with quotes, overview of conspiracy theories, navigations, featuring images of people, Earth, and related topics.

Continuation of webpage showcasing contrasting mainstream media and conspiracy theories, showing a vintage TV under the text 'I need answers but the mainstream media has none' and a laptop under 'Conspiracy theories have the "answers,"' with explanatory text on how people seek control and clarity during difficult times.

Continuation of webpage showcasing an animated graph of conspiratorial predisposition.

Continuation of webpage with text describing conspiratorial predisposition as a tendency to be cynical and prone to believe in conspiracy theories by supposed enemies like government and elites, contrasting with naïve individuals who find it harder to believe in conspiracies.

Goals

Synthesize and communicate the complex, evolving issue of anti‑science conspiracy theories through concise, visual storytelling
Use systems thinking to reveal the human dynamics behind conspiracy ecosystems and map relationships between stakeholders
Envision an ideal future developed through backcasting and exploring short- and long-term actions

Strong believers in conspiracy theories are not part of this project’s target audience

Webpage titled 'The Conspiracy Theorists' showing people wearing tinfoil hats, protest signs, and conspiracy symbols with text explaining fear of uncertainty leads to belief in conspiracy theories.

Research Process

Literature review of scholarly articles, books, news articles, online forums, documentaries synthesize into:

Personas
Journey maps
System maps

Two personas describing their conspiratorial disposition, needs, and frustrations, two journey maps describing the journey from the introduction of conspiracy beliefs to impact, and two system maps highlighting information dissemination related to Flat Earth in the past and present.

Webpage titled 'The Minds of Conspiracy' focusing on 'The Flat Earthers' with images of a Flat Earth Clues billboard, a questioning booklet about Earth's photo, and a flat Earth illustration with descriptive text.

Continuation of webpage with animated flat Earth model floating in space with water flowing off its edges into space and text elaborating the ideologies of flat earth beliefs.

Continuation of webpage with text discussing flat earth theory's anti-elitist mindset, religious beliefs about the Bible, and how flat earthers protect their beliefs despite scientific evidence.

Layout and Structure

A website is programmed and designed using Dreamweaver and HTML/CSS to disseminate the research findings.

Structure of site mirrors the flow of the journey map
Modular sections that break down concepts into digestible pieces
Clear hierarchy and pacing to balance information density with visual breathing room

Two screenshots of the website with elaboration on how the information are organized and laid out to balance text and imagery.

Webpage titled 'Disseminating the Theory' exploring how flat earth theory spreads with images of people holding flat earth maps, a vintage globe illustration, and a screenshot of a video with a title about outer space discoveries.

Continuation of webpage with an animated triangular gradient pyramid labeled with white text dividing flat earth believers into three groups: potential flat earthers at bottom, flat earth members in middle, prolific flat earthers at top.

Continuation of webpage with text describing prolific flat earthers as the top tier of the flat earth community pyramid, who create content and stimulate conversations, sometimes motivated by beliefs or by enjoying attention and monetary gains.

Continuation of webpage with animated illustration of two Earths in space, one flat above connected with arrows to a round Earth below, labeled with social media, video sharing sites, and news icons.

Continuation of webpage with text sections titled 'Overwhelmed by online content' and 'News outlets and celebrities' discussing flat earth theories, with highlighted text on fear and insecurity, alongside images of a Flat Earth video thumbnail and protest signs.

Visual Language and Animation

The visual system draws from the aesthetics of conspiracy and flat earth media, grainy textures, diagrammatic lines, and cosmic imagery.

Motion sequences to illustrate how ideas mutate and spread
Use of real-life images rather than hand drawn illustrations to convey the realism of the situation
Typography and color choices balance intrigue with clarity, avoiding sensationalism

Moodboard of various astronomy-themed posters and illustrations including solar system diagrams, star maps, eclipses, space exploration, and cosmic phenomena.

Webpage titled 'Reactions and Impact' featuring images of people in discussion, a cat playing pushing a cup over a flat earth, and text about how flat earthers are mocked and their impact on society.

Continuation of webpage with an animated graphic showcasing the connections and interactions between 'Prolific flat earthers' in a triangle above and 'Potential flat earthers' in a trapezoid below.

Continuation of webpage with text titled 'Reactions from the 19th century' describing public outrage and debates over flat earth theory, the anger expressed in newspapers, and the calm stance of flat earthers as their theory gained credibility.

Continuation of webpage with animated journey maps 'Flat earthers' and 'Family and friends', showcasing the reaction and interaction.

Continuation of webpage text sections titled 'Broken relationships' and 'A stronger flat earth community' discussing the emotional impact and community dynamics of flat earth believers, accompanied by two small images of people holding signs and attending a gathering.

Webpage titled 'Interventions and Effectiveness' featuring a person holding a smartphone, a protest sign reading 'Denied facts are still facts', and text discussing conspiracy theories and tackling their complexity.

Continuation of webpage of an animated chart about the 'Types of intervention'

Continuation of webpage explaining four approaches to handle conspiracy theories: pre-emptive strike limiting audience size, striking back by fact-checking, immunization building resistance before exposure, and healing by minimizing damage with empathetic debunking.

Continuation of webpage with animation showcasing the different aspects of a wicked problem.

Continuation of webpage with text titled 'A wicked problem' describes the complexity of addressing conspiracy theories and misinformation, emphasizing the need for more research to develop effective interventions.

Designing the Future

Through the use of backcasting and system thinking, I explored short- and long-term actions to be taken by each stakeholders to reach an ideal future.

Webpage titled 'The Ideal Future' with images of a crowd, people using smartphones, and printed materials stating 'When information is a weapon, everyone is at war.'

Continuation of webpage with animation showcasing the steps in backcasting.

Continuation of webpage with text explaining backcasting as a method starting with a desirable future to work backward to present actions for combating conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Continuation of webpage with animation showing the layers of the system

Continuation of webpage with text describing an ideal future on validating suspicious information, emphasizing media literacy and roles of individuals, community, experts, and government, with long-term and short-term action steps.

Continuation of webpage with text describing an ideal future explaining the role of family and friends in intervening with conspiracy believers, showing layered categories from individuals to government, and suggesting long-term and short-term actions for support.

Continuation of webpage with text describing an ideal future explaining the need for clear communication between experts and the public, highlighting collaborative content creation and feedback channels across layers including government, experts, media, professionals, community, family, and individuals, and potential short- and long-term actions.

Continuation of webpage with text describing an ideal future on 'Government is knowledgeable and up to date on media and tech' showing layered collaboration between government, experts, media companies, and individuals, with text outlining the importance of collaboration, long-term and short-term actions for managing conspiracy theories.