Created with researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of East Anglia, the project transforms workshops and creative sessions with young people into a zine. The result is bold, analogue, and a little bit punk; a raw snapshot of how young people see, question, and imagine AI shaping their futures.
University of Edinburgh · University of East Anglia · Research collaborators and youth participants
Jen Ross · Judy Robertson · Cara Wilson · Tommy Lawson · Goodison Group in Scotland · Elspeth Maxwell
Editorial design · Layout · Scrollytelling site design
2024
The Challenge
AI is advancing faster than most policymakers can keep up with, yet young people are already living with its impact. The challenge was how to frame complex ideas and ethical questions about AI in a way that policymakers, educators, and young people themselves could connect with.
Design was essential to make their voices impossible to ignore: the zine would put their collages, slogans, and AI self-portraits directly into decision-makers’ hands, while the scrollytelling version would make those same messages shareable and accessible to everyone.
Our Approach
We treated the young people’s work as both source material and inspiration for the zine. Using a tactile and analogue aesthetic, we combined their handwritten notes, drawings, slogans, and AI self-portraits into layered spreads that feel handmade and immediate.
The colour palette and typography echo underground zine culture (rough edges, photocopier textures, stretched type) as a deliberate contrast to uncanny AI slop.
For the online version, we built a smooth, immersive scrollytelling site, where animation and pacing enhance each idea without overwhelming it.
The Outcome
https://ai-and-education.shorthandstories.com/zine/index.html