In 2013, the World Economic Forum (WEF) called the spread of “massive digital misinformation” a major global risk. WEF’s warning mainly highlighted the effects of media-induced “digital wildfires” — misinformation that spreads quickly through digital means, usually unintentionally and through social media, or intentionally within an echo chamber of like-minded people. But, misinformation isn’t new, and the digital context has brought awareness to it while exacerbating it. The long-term implications are starting to become very clear. In this talk, I’ll cover what contributes to misinformation, why it’s important to tackle it, examples of long-term implications of misinformation in the context of global access to digital reproductive health care information and services, and strategic design solutions that can be applied to reveal the truth.

1. Interaction17
Feb. 8, 2017
Designing to Combat
Misinformation

2. Chelsey Delaney
Director of Digital User Experience,
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 2

3. 3
Digital Product Lab

4. DISCLAIMER
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 4

5. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Misinformation
The action of misinforming or condition of being misinformed;
false or incorrect information with neutral intent
Disinformation
The action of disseminating deliberately false information;
intentionally false or misleading information
Propaganda
Biased information used to promote a political cause or point
of view; information can be false or true
5

6. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Misinformation
The action of misinforming or condition of being misinformed;
false or incorrect information with neutral intent
Disinformation
The action of disseminating deliberately false information;
intentionally false or misleading information
Propaganda
Biased information used to promote a political cause or point
of view; information can be false or true
6

7. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Misinformation
The action of misinforming or condition of being misinformed;
false or incorrect information with neutral intent
Disinformation
The action of disseminating deliberately false information;
intentionally false or misleading information
Propaganda
Biased information used to promote a political cause or point
of view; information can be false or true
7

8. 1920 x 1020
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 8
Misinformation is
nothing new.

9. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
The state of
digital data and
information.
9

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Typical users.
• Weak search and research skills.
• Lack of focus.
• Lack of patience.
• Only refine search strategy 1% of the time.
• Insufficient judgment around relevant vs.
irrelevant results and information.

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Ironically, the better search gets, the more
dangerous it gets as people increasingly assume
that whatever the search engine coughs up must be
the answer … It’s sad to think of the vast number of
patients who get misleading medical guidance from
the Internet because the main search engines
currently prioritize popular sites instead of useful
ones … We must design for the way the world is,
not the way we wish it were.
- Jakob Nielsen
11

12. GOOB
Getting out of the building is
now getting out of the bubble.
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 12

13. 1 2 3
Components of
Misinformation
How Misinformation
Happens
General Tips for Debunking
Myths by Design

14. 1 2 3
Components of
Misinformation
How Misinformation
Happens
General Tips for Debunking
Myths by Design

15. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 15
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Components of
misinformation
Homogenous
cluster

16. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 16
Components of
misinformation
Homogenous
cluster
Echo chamber
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation

17. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 17
Components of
misinformation
Homogenous
cluster
Echo chamber
Polarization
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
of Digital
mation or
ormation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation
Piece of Digital
Information or
Misinformation

18. 1 2 3
Components of
Misinformation
How Misinformation
Happens
General Tips for Debunking
Myths by Design

19. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
1. Exposure 2. Oversimplification 3. Worldview
19
How Misinformation Happens

20. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Mere-exposure effect
Effect by which people develop a preference for things
because they become familiar with them.
Familiarity backfire effect
Effect by which familiarity increases the chances of people
accepting information as true.
20
Exposure
HOW MISINFORMATION HAPPENS

21. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Occam’s razor
Philosophic principle that asserts the simplest argument or
hypothesis is what is preferred.
Overkill backfire effect
Effect by which less information and information that is easier
to process is more likely to be accepted as true.
21
HOW MISINFORMATION HAPPENS
Oversimplification

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Confirmation bias
Tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information
in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.
Worldview backfire effect
Effect by which facts and counter-arguments to a person’s
strongly held beliefs only serve to reinforce those beliefs.
22
HOW MISINFORMATION HAPPENS
Worldview

23. Case Study:
Spot On.

24. Spot On is a birth control and
period tracking mobile app for
Android and iOS that
empowers users to understand
and manage their birth control
method, period and cycle.

25. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 25

26. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
41%of unintended pregnancies are
a result of inconsistent or
incorrect birth control use
5%of unintended pregnancies occur
for those who use birth control
consistently
26

27. Design principles and vision
Medically accurate
Educational and informative
Gender neutral and inclusive
Genuine and fun
Supportive and non-judgmental

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Period / Start of cycle Could be fertile Fertile window All clear
Ovulation
Period / Start of cycle
CM data not available during menstruation. BBT
will drop slowly / remain relatively stable during
menstruation. Majority of the time, women’s
temperatures will be 97.0-97.7 in the follicular
phase.
For BBT-only
users, these
days
(pre-ovulatory)
would also be
considered
fertile.
BBT signals the start of ovulation with a temperature rise
of at least .4 degrees.
Sometimes, this temperature rise can be predicted by a
temperature fall of at least .2 degrees the day prior
(shown here).
Fertile period ends three days after the start of ovulation.
METHOD)
oday?
98.3
98.2
98.1
98.0
97.9
97.8
97.7
97.6
97.5
97.4
97.3
97.2
97.1
97.0
(Period)
yesterday? NO
`
97.8
97.7 97.7
97.6
97.5
97.4
97.5
97.7
97.6 97.6
97.5
97.4
97.5
97.2
97.8 97.8 97.8 97.8
97.9 97.9 97.9
98.0 98.0 98.0 98.0 98.0
98.1 98.1
(Period) (Period) (Period) (Period) (Period)
NO NO NOYES
YESNONO
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NONO
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
(Period)
FERTILE WINDOW
Temperatures are typically higher in the luteal phase:
97.8 - 98.3

29. Upon further investigation …
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 29

30. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 30

31. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
Cook, J., Lewandowsky, S. (2011), The Debunking Handbook.
https://www.skepticalscience.com/docs/Debunking_Handbook.pdf
31

32. /Users/friedjen/
Downloads/Archive
3/JPGs/
3_Birdie_Modal_10.jp
g
/Users/friedjen/
Downloads/Comps/
Spot On_9.png
/Users/friedjen/
Downloa/Users/
friedjen/Downloads/
Comps/Spot
On_10.png
ds/Comps/Spot
On_9.png

33. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
1. Exposure to medically inaccurate
information about fertility, ovulation and the
menstrual cycle.
2. Oversimplification of the menstrual cycle +
birth control.
33
Case Study: Spot On
Challenges

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Case Study: Spot On
Solutions
1. Commit to accuracy and clarity.
2. Learn the source of the misinformation.
3. Address the truth — not the myth.
4. Engage users in contextual education.

35. Case Study:
Global Mobile.

36. Global Mobile is an effort to
bring reliable, sexual and
reproductive health
information to young people
around the world via mobile
responsive sites, beginning
with a pilot called Da Subject
Matter in Nigeria.

37. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
62%of young Nigerian women lacked
knowledge of any sexually
transmitted infections (STIs)
18%of young Nigerian women
correctly identified how to
avoid getting HIV/AIDS
37
Sampson, Melodi. "Youth Reproductive and Sexual Health in Nigeria." Advocates for Youth:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/1450-youth-reproductive-
and-sexual-health-in-nigeria

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Toilet
infections
Lagos, Nigeria SERP NYC, U.S. SERP

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The information-seeking process
How users search
Example:
Berry-Picking
Behavior Model
39

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A lesson
from Blue
Waffle
Disease

41. Strategies
Isolated
intervention point
“The Truth About …”
Clear paths to
alternate, detailed
explanations

42. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17
1. Exposure to misinformation that’s culturally
reinforced outside the digital space.
2. Oversimplification of the nuances of infections and
diseases due to lack of sexual health information.
3. Worldview and confirmation bias reinforce “don’t
know what you don’t know.”
42
Case Study: Global Mobile
Challenges

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Case Study: Global Mobile
Solutions
1. Understand the full scope of the users’ “bubble.”
2. Offer interactions as interventions.
3. Introduce subtle misinformation “warning” words.
4. Guide users to a better path.

44. 1 2 3
Components of
Misinformation
How Misinformation
Happens
General Tips for Debunking
Myths by Design

45. Some final advice.
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 45

46. GOOB
Get out of the bubble.
Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 46

47. Thank you!
Designing to Combat Misinformation
Interaction17
Chelsey Delaney, Director of Digital User Experience
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

48. Designing to Combat Misinformation | Interaction17 48
References
Sampson, Melodi. "Youth Reproductive and Sexual Health in Nigeria." Advocates for Youth:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/1450-youth-reproductive-and-sexual-health-in-nigeria
"Guides: Evaluating Information: Propaganda vs. Misinformation." John Hopkins University, 28 Nov. 2016.
http://guides.library.jhu.edu/c.php?g=202581&p=1334961
Nielsen, Jakob. "Incompetent Research Skills Curb Users' Problem Solving." Nielsen Norman Group, 11 Apr. 2011.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/incompetent-search-skills/
Vicarioa, Michela Del, Alessandro Bessi, Fabiana Zollo, Fabio Petroni, Antonio Scala, Guido Caldarelli, and H. Eugene Stanley. "The
Spreading of Misinformation Online." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 19 Jan. 2016.
http://www.pnas.org/content/113/3/554.full.
Bessi, Alessandro, Mauro Coletto, George Alexandru Davidescu, Antonio Scala, Guido Caldarelli, and Walter Quattrociocchi. "Science
vs Conspiracy: Collective Narratives in the Age of Misinformation." PLOS, 23 Feb. 2015.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0118093.
Stafford, Tom. "Future - How to Debunk Falsehoods." BBC News. BBC, 18 Nov. 2014.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141113-the-best-way-to-debunk-myths.
Boskey, Elizabeth, PhD. "Is Blue Waffle Really an STD?" VeryWell. 7 Oct. 2016.
https://www.verywell.com/is-blue-waffle-really-an-std-3132644.
Cook, J., Lewandowsky, S. (2011), The Debunking Handbook. https://www.skepticalscience.com/docs/Debunking_Handbook.pdf