Phantom’s Bazaar is a card game designed to emphasize how individuals’ “purposeful choices” are actually the product of chasing after meaningless values. It’s designed for young adults who are susceptible to aimless scrolling, and technology-minded adults. The project is comprised of a card game and a website. The website is an introduction to the project both providing additional context as well as a “What celebrity are you?” quiz which users will find their choices to be unrelated to the result. Phantom’s Bazaar is visually obnoxious to communicate to users the unrealistic perception presented online.
Your choices matter. The consequence of choices—from accepting a job offer, deciding whether or not to support Jeff Bezos, or eating a spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A®, goes beyond a split-second decision. Sometimes the weight of these choices is too difficult to bear so we silence them by escaping to our devices; a place that appears to be better than our reality. Unknowingly, we give time—and occasionally money—away to algorithms and influencers who are carefully built to appeal to a wide audience. The project was created to encourage players to take an honest accounting on how they chose to spend their time. It’s difficult to be alert about these issues even when they’re front and center. However, the consequence is seeking everything online; and becoming isolated from real-life experiences.