Anonymous secret submission
Printed QR codes that were posted in various places throughout Nob Hill.
The most successful QR code outside of Coffee Movement.
QR code posted on a bench in Huntington Park that was taken down in less than 12 hours.
About This Project
SHHHHH is an anonymous secret-sharing platform that creates intimate connections between strangers in San Francisco. Users submit their secrets through the app, and in return, receive a secret from someone else in the city. This digital social experiment explores themes of vulnerability, anonymity, and human connection in urban environments. The project combines technology with performance art, creating a unique space for authentic expression without judgment. Project has been retired because I'm using my free MongoDB cluster for another project. 😋 Reach out if you have any questions regarding the details of this project!
Key Features
Anonymous secret submission with content moderation
Dashboard to view and moderate submissions on the go
QR codes posted throughout the city leading to this website
Mobile-first design for street-level interaction
Analytics tracking participation patterns (locations with highest activity)
Challenges
The biggest challenge was not getting the QR code posters taken down. Secondly, ensuring authentic local participation while preventing abuse or spam required creative technical solutions while still keeping it simple and free to host. To deal with spam, I enforced an 20 character requirement for the submissions. If the user did not meet this requirement, an error message appears asking the user to submit a real secret, giving the appearance that there is a more comprehensive check when submissions are processed. I also created a dashboard where I could view submitted secrets so I could monitor it on my phone and delete any spammy or inappropriate comments.
What I Learned
I learned that they are guaranteed to get taken down in parks and on telephone poles. The most successful QR code was outside of Coffee Movement on Washington street - I taped it to a bike rack outside of the shop. A surprising amount of submissions related to embarassing poo and pee confessions... This project taught me about the intersection of technology and social art, and how digital platforms can facilitate real human connection. I gained experience with content moderation, anonymous user systems, and the ethical considerations of annonymous submissions. The guerrilla marketing aspect also taught me about organic community building and how to create buzz around experimental digital art projects.