The research examines the design of voting interfaces—who creates them, the principles guiding their development, and the broader political, social, and technological mandates that shape them. It explores how design choices can influence voter behaviors and trust in democratic processes.
This investigation considers not only the aesthetics and usability of voting systems but also the underlying power structures that inform their creation. How much power do designers (in relation to policy makers) have to tilt the political scales– How do different designs impact perceptions of legitimacy–
To probe these questions, Tara develops prototypes for democratic decision-making processes that have not yet been prototyped. She also goes behind the scenes to investigate how, and by whom, existing processes are designed. Her practiced based research critically asks what alternative models might look like in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
We’re witnessing a fundamental realignment, where politics is less about a political position and more about cultural belonging. The old coalitions are breaking apart, reshaped by demographic shifts, and the fracturing effects of social media. Our current political system is driven by polarization, and asymmetric media ecosystems. The challenge isn’t just that politics is changing, but that it’s changing in ways that erode trust. These aren’t abstract questions; they’re shaping the future of governance. The answer depends on whether we can design systems that encourage engagement over outrage, and problem-solving over performance.
Design for Collective Decision Making is part of the Professional Doctorate (PD) program
, a unique trajectory that bridges academia and professional practice. Within this program, candidates conduct research in seven domains that directly contribute to their professional field. For the PD Arts + Creative research domain, Tara explores the often-overlooked role of interface design in shaping democracy itself. Her research builds on her own experiences working as part of a collective and her previous research conducted with commons communities, including the Community Land Trust H-buurt.
‘My practice is situated in between different actors, in this shape-shifting middle many things can happen.’
Tara Karpinski is a designer, researcher and educator working in the realm of social practice. She holds a BA in photography and art history from the Savannah College of Art & Design (USA), and an MA from the Sandberg Instituut (NL). Her Master studies were funded by a Netherland-America Foundation grant.
The research group Situated Art, Design and Technology (SADT) focuses on the societal embedding and embodiment of knowledge production that art and design research enables. The conducted research contributes to a deeper understanding of technological developments and their impact on people, society, and the environment, and to the development of situated approaches in the creative sector and beyond. In doing so, it advances a wider acknowledgement of artistic and design research as a mode of knowledge production, one that is grounded in creativity and critical imagination as a way of generating insight into, and intervening in, societal transitions driven by technology.
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