Overview
Darren Linvill, Ph.D., and the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University partnered with IK to design and develop “Spot the Troll 2.0.” Initially released in 2020, Spot the Troll is an online quiz designed to educate social media users about internet trolls using actual social media content. In our rapidly changing social media environment, it was time to release Spot the Troll 2.0 to reflect current troll behavior.
The Challenge
The original Spot the Troll release captured a zeitgeist of concern around Russian infiltration of social media during the presidential election. Coupled with good content design and flow, the quiz surged in popularity and was featured in national news segments. However, five years later, the quiz was in need of a refresh. With strong branding already in place, the client needed to connect users with their previous experience while showing them up-to-date content.
The IK Approach
After evaluating user trends and analytics, as well as consulting with the client’s content experts, we capitalized on what worked well in the previous design while providing refreshed interfaces and expanded offerings. The 2.0 design includes accounts from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but also expands to include Bluesky and TikTok. We used a tiered content strategy approach, which provides high-level content that can be expanded to reveal more in-depth analysis if the user wants to read more, or stay contracted if they just want to take away the main points.
The Results
IK supported the Clemson Media Forensics Team’s social media campaign for Spot the Troll 2.0. Users continue to feel concerned about nefarious actors on social media, and Spot the Troll 2.0 provides compelling content curated by experts in the field and delivered in a user-friendly format that engages learning and exploration.