In the dystopian world of Vastland, impending environmental collapse has forced most people into underground shelters (here, known as Sanctuaries). The Phaethon Corporation created The Loop (a technology for instant travel to Mars) and markets it as humanity's salvation and a luxury escape for the ultra-elite.

This project explores the creation of a deceptive Mars travel site that serves as corporate propaganda, designed to recruit affluent Earth citizens for what appears to be an exclusive vacation opportunity, but in actuality is a one-way journey to a failed Martian colony. The site had to appear transparent while manipulating users, appealing to people's desire for escape, purpose, and status while hiding the truth about Mars.

The core challenge was creating a digital experience that felt trustworthy and transparent, while serving wholly deceptive purposes. Through user research and interviews, I noticed three main problems to solve for this site.

To further understand how I could create a site such as this and persuade users to choose to travel to Mars, two primary research methods were incorporated:

In my competitive analysis, I chose three luxury travel companies that center themselves around providing extraordinary experiences for the wealthy and elite. I felt that the techniques they curate could be of use in my site structure and overall messaging.

Through user interviews (using an AI model I created), I “spoke” with participants who would be interested in escaping Earth and traveling to a Martian colony. Each persona was crafted with the manuscript written by Bryant Callahan and represents individuals who would be susceptible to corporate propaganda. The interviews were then broken down into an affinity analysis to determine what specific features, needs, and site architecture would be most beneficial for this project.

Using my research findings, the design centered around an approach that created the illusion of transparency while serving propagandistic goals.

By using polished graphics, color psychology, and human elements such as storytelling, I was able to craft a site that drew users in and made them want to know more about the project, unaware of their journey into peril.

Low to High-Fidelity Evolution

Between the low-fidelity wireframes and final screens, I made key changes based on user interviews and the psychological manipulation needed for this propaganda site. The biggest change was shifting from a normal travel booking interface to a manipulation platform using fake transparency and false trust signals.

I used deceptive design patterns that make the site seem informative while hiding critical details about the failed Mars colony. The interface shows fake "environmental data" and "safety protocols" that look scientific but are edited to downplay risks. Scarcity “trackers” and exclusivity messaging target users' desire for status and belonging.

User-Centered Manipulation Design

Environmental data exploits people’s anxiety about life on Earth and counters it with the “scientific hope” of life on Mars, while showing edited information that hides real risk. The responsive design works across devices, making the manipulation consistent :). The content management also maintains the fake impression of a “thriving” Mars colony.

This approach turned a standard travel booking site into a propaganda machine that exploits each user's motivations and fears. It creates personalized paths to the same outcome: tricking people into one-way travel to a failed Mars colony by making it look like an elite opportunity.

Testing this project took a little extra work because the manuscript for the book has only been accessible to a few individuals; I selected a small group with which to test the designs. I asked the participants to pretend they were characters in the world of Vastland and operate under the assumption that the Earth is uninhabitable and they want to escape at almost any cost.

Using Figma, I made prototypes of my designs and created a user test through Lyssna. Testing and surveys were done remotely.

Testing revealed that while this website is fictional, it maintained the goal of persuading users into believing the colony was reputable and real. Participants were only skeptical about the luxury dome elements, which is understandable because all of the images were generated with MidJourney and I was limited in my ability to create believable images. The data collected through my testing revealed that the site achieves the objectives: satisfying users’ demand for information while systematically leading them toward a decision they don’t fully understand.