{"id":25427,"date":"2026-01-27T14:13:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T19:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/?p=25427"},"modified":"2026-01-29T11:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:15:13","slug":"mgxd-students-partner-with-intelligence-analysts-to-reimagine-how-we-track-data-across-the-globe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/2026\/01\/27\/mgxd-students-partner-with-intelligence-analysts-to-reimagine-how-we-track-data-across-the-globe\/","title":{"rendered":"MGXD Students Partner with Intelligence Analysts to Reimagine How We Track Data Across the Globe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Our Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) students recently found out when they partnered with the NC State Laboratory of Analytic Sciences (LAS)<\/a> to design AI-powered tools for intelligence professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Target Digital Network Analysts (TDNAs) face a daunting task: they need to understand how data moves through the entire global internet\u2014a system so vast and constantly evolving that it’s like asking a doctor to master all of medicine while diagnosing patients in real-time. These analysts must not only grasp complex technical systems but also apply that knowledge using numerous specialized tools to support critical intelligence work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Design Brief<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In our Spring MGXD Design Studio, students dove into this real-world problem: how do you visualize something as massive and abstract as global data movement in a way that actually helps analysts do their jobs better? The project pushed students to think beyond traditional interface design\u2014they had to harness AI to bridge the gap between the enormous scope of internet communications and the precise, practical tasks analysts perform every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Students Explored<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working from this central question\u2014How might we design an interface that uses artificial intelligence to help analysts efficiently track and understand data as it flows through the global network?<\/em>\u2014students tackled three interconnected design challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Making the Invisible Visible<\/strong>: How do you create a visualization that makes sense of a subset of the global communications network? Students designed systems that help analysts quickly see and analyze data movement patterns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Learning While Working<\/strong>: How can the interface itself teach analysts about the complex web of protocols and regulations that govern data as it crosses borders and networks? Students created designs that educate while analysts work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • AI as a Search Partner<\/strong>: How might A.I. transform the way analysts search, discover, and query both the data itself and the paths it takes? Students explored cutting-edge AI applications that make complex analysis more intuitive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Student Outcomes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n