TOPIA

Welcome to the

Future of Digital Trust

Topia is a platform designed to help users engage more critically with everyday content they see online. Born out of a desire to combat misinformation without disrupting familiar scrolling behaviors, this solution integrates AI-powered credibility tools directly into the content flow. Through a human-centered approach, Topia reimagines the future of digital trust.
Prototype
Slide Deck

  • Initial research and topic exploration

  • Problem framing and competitive analysis

  • User interviews and reflections

  • Persona development

  • Presentation building

  • Midpoint recap and presentation (Capstone Part 1 close)

The design process spanned 16 weeks and followed a human-centered, research-driven approach.

project TIMELINE

  • Journey mapping and storyboarding

  • User flows and early wireframes

  • High-fidelity prototyping (Prototype I) and usability testing

  • Synthesis, revisions, and visual updates

  • Iterative testing and polish

  • Final presentation and case study creation

the SOLUTION

Designing Credibility Into the Scroll

Rather than disrupting how people consume content, Topia integrates fact-checking tools into familiar interactions and gestures, helping users assess accuracy without ever leaving the feed.

Key Features

AI Credibility Scores: Before appearing in the feed, each video is scanned and assigned a credibility score based on accuracy, tone, and source reliability.

Tap-to-Expand Analysis: Users can tap to open a full overview explaining why content was rated a certain way.

Source Integration: Linked articles are color-coded and categorized by origin: either added by the content creator or sourced by AI.

Ask AI Anything: A built-in AI messaging tool empowers users to dive deeper and ask follow-up questions.

The Future of Digital Trust

✦

The Future of Digital Trust ✦

about the Creator

Taylor Zlab is a multidisciplinary designer and UX researcher with a background in social media strategy, graphic design, and user experience design. She has led creative projects across public art, education, and nonprofit sectors, bringing a research-driven approach and strong sense of storytelling to every challenge. Taylor specializes in building digital experiences that prioritize clarity, accessibility, and meaningful engagement — especially in fast-moving, high-content environments. She developed Topia as a capstone project to explore how credibility tools could be integrated into everyday scrolling, helping users stay informed without breaking their flow.

Taylor is passionate about using design as a tool for curiosity, trust, and real-world impact.

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