Plaza was my thesis project for my BFA in Graphic Design at the University of Nevada, Reno. Public places like parks and plazas were once the epicenters of social interaction for most people. With the introduction of social media and smartphones, that epicenter has shifted, and now the bulk of our social interaction takes place online.

Many social media platforms use invasive and manipulative algorithms to meet engagement metrics, leading to large portions of the population developing addictive and harmful habits with social media usage. These social media habits can be extremely harmful to people’s mental health. Still, because social media encapsulates such a large chunk of how we interact with one another, it feels like you need it even if you don't want it.

My goal with this project was to conceptualize and visually represent what modern-day social media could look like without invasive practices. Plaza is a social media platform that actually intends to bring people together, rather than algorithmically manipulate people, prioritizing genuine interaction over engagement. I named this project “Plaza” because the plaza, or town square, was where this problem was solved in a time and place where a solution was not yet needed.