As part of a planned three-year research cycle, the blackbox Lab has formally concluded its activities at Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute (D^3) as of July 1, 2025. During this time, the Lab generated large novel datasets, developed in-depth case studies and an industry report, fostered corporate research partnerships, convened a national community of interdisciplinary scholars, and produced working papers and journal submissions based on original research. While the lab itself is no longer active, its rich archive of past research, reflections, and knowledge assets will remain accessible.
Visit the link below to explore this archive and stay abreast of any developments and publications resulting from the lab’s work.
The blackbox Lab consisted of an intellectual community of interdisciplinary scholars engaged in grounded theory building while providing thought-partnership with organizations in cultural production, platform design, and AI approaches to value creation.
The blackbox Lab focused on digital transformations that take aim at leapfrogging historic inequities. Its mission was to research the role of digital, data, and design with respect to race, culture, technology, and business in digital spaces, products, services, and market platforms.
The lab centered its research around the following questions:
- What drives the value construction processes in digital market platforms?
- Is there a relationship between identity, culture, data, design, and digital-technological innovation?
- How can digital design labs appeal to creators, producers, and companies within black communities?
- What are the key challenges and opportunities facing black communities, businesses, professionals, and entrepreneurs pursuing the design, development, and deployment of market platforms?
Faculty
The blackbox Lab was led by:
- James W. Riley
James W. Riley
, Assistant Professor of Business Administration. He is an economic sociologist with a MSc from the London School of Economics and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.