Protest Symbols Documentation

Case Study Storytelling Computational Design Research

Role: Researcher, Designer

Year: 2024

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“Visualizing how protest symbols emerge, spread, and transform to communicate collective action and solidarity.”

Overview

This project examines how protest symbols evolve as social movements grow. It documents their origins, tracks how they spread, and analyzes how meanings shift across different contexts. By mapping these transformations, the project reveals how symbols visually communicate collective action and continue to inspire solidarity.

Process

Research — Collected a dataset of global protest symbols across movements in Thailand, Hong Kong, the US, and beyond. Documented origins, usage, and cultural adaptation.

Analysis — Compared shifts in symbolic meaning, examining how colors, gestures, and icons gain resonance in diverse political environments.

Impact — The project demonstrates how symbols are not static but living entities, continually adapted to energize and unify collective action.

Project Website