In the research project “Privacy Icons“, the interdisciplinary research team „Digital Self-Determination“ develops interdisciplinary concepts and methods for the design of effective privacy icons. According to the legislator of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy icons are intended to supplement or even replace lengthy and difficult to understand information texts (keyword: uselessness of the cookie banner). The particular challenge of privacy icons is to illustrate the complexity of data processing and the risks associated with it by means of intuitively understandable icons in such a way that users actually (i.e. verifiably) understand them.

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the icons, the research group involves users directly in the research process. To this end, the researchers conduct several explorative design workshops with interested users at the Berlin Open Lab of the University of the Arts and in exchange with other research institutes in Europe. The users themselves can actively participate, hence, in the research and help shape the results.

Team

Prof. Dr. Max von Grafenstein LL.M. (head of research, lawyer)
Timo Jakobi (research assistant, Human-Computer-Interaction expert)
Kevin Klug (student assistant, political science and law student)