Alastar Lon
Voices Not My Own
Voice's Not My Own is a speculative storytelling experience that explores the themes of reliance on AI and how it can shape creative voice, thought and identity. Set in the year 2035, the narrative follows two designers with an opposing relationship with AI. Dot who embraces it for efficiency, and Elliot who challenges this reliance, confronting how invisible systems begin to think and speak on our behalf. Their story unfolds as they arrive at the studio and receive a new design brief, each approaching it in their own way, quietly revealing the tension between automation and independent creation.
By blending speculative world-building with interaction design, Voices Not My Own explores how unseen systems quietly influence creative decision-making, inviting audiences to reflect and consider their own usage of AI today.
For my capstone project, Voices Not My Own, I explored the themes of reliance on AI (specifically generative AI) and the invisible influence of artificial intelligence on creative autonomy and authorship. I was interested in how AI, often hidden within everyday tools, subtly shapes how designers think, decide, and create. This interest emerged from observing how generative tools have become deeply embedded in design workflows, often assisting without question, which raised concerns about how its efficiency and convenience can foster reliance and reduce critical engagement in the creative process.
What drove my design was my interest and the question of where authorship sits when influenced by unseen algorithms. I used speculative world-building, storyboarding, interface design, and branching dialogue to try and make AI’s presence felt rather than shown. Small animated sequences and visual cues were used to create atmosphere and guide interaction.
Through this process, I aimed to create a narrative that would hopefully invite other designers to reflect and consider their growing dependence on AI and spark awareness of how these systems quietly shape their creative choices. The value of this project is in providing a unique approach to design for awareness encouraging audiences and other designer to recognise the invisible processes influencing creativity in today's increasingly automated society.p.
