Case Study
MBTI Catfish
MBTI Catfish
An interactive experience that questions how personality tests like MBTI shape the way we see ourselves.
Overview
Roles
Researcher, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Wireframing, Prototyping
Timeline
8 months
Tools
Figma, Illustrator
Health reminders about regarding your health and how to stay on top of it.
We’ve come to rely on tools like the MBTI to define who we are, to find clarity in chaos. But what happens when those four letters become a mask, flattening your complexity, reinforcing social expectations, and selling identity as a product?
My thesis project questions the subjectivity of the MBTI because of its widespread use and uncritical acceptance in both everyday life and institutional settings. The MBTI offers a sense of certainty and belonging in a time where people are searching for quick ways to define themselves.
But beneath its neat categories lies a subjective framework shaped by cultural bias, commercial interests, and oversimplified psychology. In today’s algorithm-driven world, where identity is increasingly packaged, branded, and performed, it’s crucial to question how these systems influence how we see ourselves and others. By surfacing these hidden dynamics, I hope to prompt deeper reflection on how identity is formed and encourage people to reclaim the complexity that often gets flattened by typologies like MBTI.
Overview
Roles
Researcher, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Wireframing, Prototyping
Timeline
8 months
Tools
Figma, Illustrator
Health reminders about regarding your health and how to stay on top of it.
We’ve come to rely on tools like the MBTI to define who we are, to find clarity in chaos. But what happens when those four letters become a mask, flattening your complexity, reinforcing social expectations, and selling identity as a product?
My thesis project questions the subjectivity of the MBTI because of its widespread use and uncritical acceptance in both everyday life and institutional settings. The MBTI offers a sense of certainty and belonging in a time where people are searching for quick ways to define themselves.
But beneath its neat categories lies a subjective framework shaped by cultural bias, commercial interests, and oversimplified psychology. In today’s algorithm-driven world, where identity is increasingly packaged, branded, and performed, it’s crucial to question how these systems influence how we see ourselves and others. By surfacing these hidden dynamics, I hope to prompt deeper reflection on how identity is formed and encourage people to reclaim the complexity that often gets flattened by typologies like MBTI.
Why does this matter? Who will it impact?
This case study explores the ubiquitous role of the MBTI in the lives of young adults, examining how a tool designed for self-reflection is often repurposed to drive organizational efficiency during critical periods of identity formation. While these classification systems provide a comforting framework for navigating uncertainty, they often impose limiting narratives that encourage individuals to conform to rigid labels such as "introvert" or "thinker" rather than exploring their full potential. By addressing the gap between the tool's original intent and its systemic application in workplaces and schools, this research challenges the passive acceptance of personality frameworks. It ultimately highlights the paradoxical human desire to seek identity and belonging within the very systems that risk reinforcing social hierarchies and internalizing bias.
Guilt-Inducing Streaks
Track everything consistently. When users can’t keep up, the product response is often reminders, warnings, or silence, all of which quietly signal failure.
Inaccurate Predictions or Manual Input
Systems fail to account for daytime sleep or fluctuating energy cycles.
The "Failure" Signal
When a user cannot meet a benchmark, the app responds with warnings or silence, signaling failure
Why does this matter? Who will it impact?
This case study explores the ubiquitous role of the MBTI in the lives of young adults, examining how a tool designed for self-reflection is often repurposed to drive organizational efficiency during critical periods of identity formation. While these classification systems provide a comforting framework for navigating uncertainty, they often impose limiting narratives that encourage individuals to conform to rigid labels such as "introvert" or "thinker" rather than exploring their full potential. By addressing the gap between the tool's original intent and its systemic application in workplaces and schools, this research challenges the passive acceptance of personality frameworks. It ultimately highlights the paradoxical human desire to seek identity and belonging within the very systems that risk reinforcing social hierarchies and internalizing bias.
Guilt-Inducing Streaks
Track everything consistently. When users can’t keep up, the product response is often reminders, warnings, or silence, all of which quietly signal failure.
Inaccurate Predictions or Manual Input
Systems fail to account for daytime sleep or fluctuating energy cycles.
The "Failure" Signal
When a user cannot meet a benchmark, the app responds with warnings or silence, signaling failure
Problem Statement
How do classification systems like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) perpetuate exploitation and marginalization through underlying structures and systemic biases, and what are the broader implications of their institutionalization in professional and educational settings?
Section
Section
Process
User Research
MBTI Catfish
We’ve come to rely on tools like the MBTI to define who we are, to find clarity in chaos. But what happens when those four letters become a mask, flattening your complexity, reinforcing social expectations, and selling identity as a product?
My thesis project questions the subjectivity of the MBTI because of its widespread use and uncritical acceptance in both everyday life and institutional settings. The MBTI offers a sense of certainty and belonging in a time where people are searching for quick ways to define themselves.
But beneath its neat categories lies a subjective framework shaped by cultural bias, commercial interests, and oversimplified psychology. In today’s algorithm-driven world, where identity is increasingly packaged, branded, and performed, it’s crucial to question how these systems influence how we see ourselves and others. By surfacing these hidden dynamics, I hope to prompt deeper reflection on how identity is formed and encourage people to reclaim the complexity that often gets flattened by typologies like MBTI.
MBTI Catfish
We’ve come to rely on tools like the MBTI to define who we are, to find clarity in chaos. But what happens when those four letters become a mask, flattening your complexity, reinforcing social expectations, and selling identity as a product?
My thesis project questions the subjectivity of the MBTI because of its widespread use and uncritical acceptance in both everyday life and institutional settings. The MBTI offers a sense of certainty and belonging in a time where people are searching for quick ways to define themselves.
But beneath its neat categories lies a subjective framework shaped by cultural bias, commercial interests, and oversimplified psychology. In today’s algorithm-driven world, where identity is increasingly packaged, branded, and performed, it’s crucial to question how these systems influence how we see ourselves and others. By surfacing these hidden dynamics, I hope to prompt deeper reflection on how identity is formed and encourage people to reclaim the complexity that often gets flattened by typologies like MBTI.
Competitive Analaysis
Competitive Analaysis
Section
Design Goals
& Principles
The system uses predictive AI to adapt to real-life variability, anticipating fatigue through a supportive and non-judgmental lens. This flexible framework ensures inclusivity by reframing setbacks as natural adaptations rather than failures.
Human over system — The app should speak like a supportive companion, not a dashboard or protocol.
Adaptation over discipline — Plans should flex based on context, not punish inconsistency.
Interpretation over raw data — Users don’t need more numbers; they need meaning.
Permission to pause — Rest, switching, or disengaging should be normalized.
These principles became especially important later when system complexity increased.
Design Goals
& Principles
The system uses predictive AI to adapt to real-life variability, anticipating fatigue through a supportive and non-judgmental lens. This flexible framework ensures inclusivity by reframing setbacks as natural adaptations rather than failures.
Human over system — The app should speak like a supportive companion, not a dashboard or protocol.
Adaptation over discipline — Plans should flex based on context, not punish inconsistency.
Interpretation over raw data — Users don’t need more numbers; they need meaning.
Permission to pause — Rest, switching, or disengaging should be normalized.
These principles became especially important later when system complexity increased.
Section
Section
Section
Challenges
At the outset of my research, I struggled with defining the direction and critical stance of my inquiry into MBTI and similar classification systems. My initial research questions were grounded in an interest in how tools like the MBTI shape identity and social interaction, but I hadn’t yet fully unpacked or challenged the foundational assumptions of these tools.
Specifically, I hadn’t clearly articulated whether I believed MBTI influences behaviour and identity or whether our behaviours and social interactions shape the results we receive. This tension revealed a deeper challenge: I needed to critically examine the validity and subjectivity of MBTI as a framework, rather than treating it as a neutral or universally accepted system. My early approach risked taking pop-psychology at face value, without first interrogating its empirical credibility, cultural origins, or the power dynamics embedded in its widespread use.
This feedback prompted a pivotal shift. I began to frame MBTI not just as a personality tool, but as a constructed system that reflects and reinforces cultural norms, commercial interests, and societal expectations. From there, I could better define what I truly wanted to explore: not whether MBTI is right or wrong, but how its form, function, and perceived authority influence how we see ourselves and how we are seen.
Challenges
At the outset of my research, I struggled with defining the direction and critical stance of my inquiry into MBTI and similar classification systems. My initial research questions were grounded in an interest in how tools like the MBTI shape identity and social interaction, but I hadn’t yet fully unpacked or challenged the foundational assumptions of these tools.
Specifically, I hadn’t clearly articulated whether I believed MBTI influences behaviour and identity or whether our behaviours and social interactions shape the results we receive. This tension revealed a deeper challenge: I needed to critically examine the validity and subjectivity of MBTI as a framework, rather than treating it as a neutral or universally accepted system. My early approach risked taking pop-psychology at face value, without first interrogating its empirical credibility, cultural origins, or the power dynamics embedded in its widespread use.
This feedback prompted a pivotal shift. I began to frame MBTI not just as a personality tool, but as a constructed system that reflects and reinforces cultural norms, commercial interests, and societal expectations. From there, I could better define what I truly wanted to explore: not whether MBTI is right or wrong, but how its form, function, and perceived authority influence how we see ourselves and how we are seen.