An Awkward Dialogue by Viniyata Pany

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AN AWKWARD DIALOGUE Sensitising Young Adults Towards The Significance Of Sexuality Education

Viniyata Pany Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology New Delhi

All rights reserved No part of this document or related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the Department/ Student author.

I, Viniyata Pany hereby declare that the Project entitled “An Awkward Approach” is my original work and no part has been copied from any Project. However, any material taken from any other published source has been suitably referred and acknowledged in the Document.

Viniyata Pany

This is to certify that Viniyata Pany has successfully completed her Graduation Project with Design Route, New Delhi in the area of Product Development and Communication Strategy in the Fashion Communication Department (2009-2013) of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. This is towards partial fulfilment of the requirement for granting Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication). 21st May 2013

Jury Members

Project Mentor

Centre Coordinator, Fashion Communication Chairperson, Fashion Communication

Abstract What would you say to a 6 year old who asks you what ‘rape’ means? And what would you tell 15 year olds if they ask the same question? The project began with an objective to sensitise a section of the society to acknowledge the importance of sexuality education from a very young age. Owing to the intricacies of the subject, the end deliverable seeks to enable one-on-one conversations on sexuality related issues between an adolescent and an older person he/she may trust. Having found that many people, though aware of the importance, don’t initiate dialogue about sexuality because they are uncomfortable dealing with such a situation; the product aims to help one get past this discomfort and start talking. This was done by finding solutions to every aspect that may be awkward about having such a conversation with an adolescent - Answering questions, telling them exactly how to explain certain concepts, reacting positively, etc. Extensive research was done to collate all the information, after which information design was applied to organise and structure this research to make the information intake easy and optimum for the needs of the user. Post this, an experience was designed to tackle the intangibles of the subject. Most of the apparent roadblocks were people’s perception about the issue which was dealt through intensive explorations on message formats and treatment, and user testing. The aim of the project was more than just creating an engaging web platform. It was to design an experience that changes a society’s prevalent thinking patterns. A system was built to manage all the content, express it in an engaging format, assist the user in swiftly consuming the information as per his discretion and lastly, to create a tangible platform for the same. Based on the various interviews conducted and analysis of information, key decisions were made about all aspects of the end product, required for the final execution stage. The project demanded selection of suitable content, inferences to be drawn from the available information and references and finally, representation of the content in the finest possible way to create an informative experience.

Acknowledgement This project would not have been possible without the constant guidance given to me by Satvinder Channey, Principal Designer & Proprietor, Design Route; who not only served as my mentor but also as a teacher, encouraging and challenging me through every step of it, never accepting less than my best efforts. I am grateful to him for entrusting me with such a sensitive & wonderful project. Saumyaa Naidu, for her expertise in content development, copywrtiting and positive thinking. Anantjeet, Anisha, JP Verma, Prachi and Saurabh for their regular critiques and motivation. I am indebted to Anupreet Duggal, my Internal Mentor, for her inputs and support throughout this project. Kartikey, for surviving my urgent panic rants and Shantanu, for being my worst critic. Mama, Baba and Varun, for their love and patience. To everyone who made this project possible, Thank You.

Contents

1. Introduction 14 2. Process Stages 16 3. Project Proposal & Brief Design 18 4. Information Design & Architecture 32 5. Experience Design 44 6. Visual Design & Mnemonics 72 7. Conclusion 80 8. References 82

A brief Introduction to the prevalent attitudes and approach towards sexuality education in India

“There are gaps at multiple levels that need intervention. For a wider more evident change, structural intervention is required at many levels. Policies cannot possibly work in isolation.” Ernest Noronah, UNDP

Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical and religious and spiritual factors. (WHO draft working definition of sexuality, 2002) Creating normalcy around such an issue, as mentioned before, needs conditioning and conditioning from a very early age. This, because curiosity itself, starts from a tender age. This curiosity of the sexual nature, experienced by a young individual is not only psychological, but physical too; often leading one to experiment. Peoples’ need to quench their inquisitions, regardless of age, drives them to assimilate information from sources they believe are reliable. For example, adolescents learn most about sex from their peers and often-times the information is passed on like a Chinese whisper. Neither the sender nor the receiver knows what the actual message was - it is reduced to a bunch of words.

Sexuality education is the bridge between people’s curiosities and the answers they may discover about their sexuality. It sensitizes individuals to recognize a wide range of emotions & experiences that they may encounter throughout their lifetime.

Talking about sexuality, in the Indian

context, is seldom received well. So much so that even the key decision makers of the country refuse to discuss sex, let alone express their views or take a stance around a topic of sexual nature. Similarly, the recent rape law amendments, while mostly welcome, saw limited discussion on potential abuse of laws, the difficulty in proving charges in many of the cases or what else could we do outside of setting up new laws to prevent sexual crimes against women.1

It is evident from such instances that there is a pronounced need for social conditioning on issues pertaining to sex. In one of the interviews I conducted, Ernest Noronah, of the UNDP said: “ There are gaps at multiple levels that need intervention. For a wider more evident change, structural intervention is required at many levels. It cannot possibly work in isolation. One would have to sensitise, a child, his parents and teachers, all at the same time for our programs to have a lasting impact.”

It is essential that we address sexuality so as to decrease the inherent fear, myths and misconceptions that people might have regarding the same. It strengthens their lifestyle by helping them lead safer and pleasurable sexual lives. Knowledge about one’s own sexuality makes them more comfortable and open to the idea of talking about it and voicing any concerns they may have. This is important because many-a-time, peoples’ hesitations stop them from even acknowledging any prevalent problems - pertaining to health or otherwise. One’s hesitation may persist for various reasons, the most prominent one being, the values of our societies. Talking about sex or sexuality is a taboo and being open about it, synonymous to promiscuity. This hesitation leads one to resort to different, secretive and possibly unreliable sources of information. This hesitation causes one to shun questions about sexuality and this hesitation causes them to never resolve their doubts. Further, in this document, I have elaborated on my process of work from constructing a brief based on needs and assumptions, to validating these assumptions at various levels through secondary research, interviews and surveys. All these deliberations, questions, facts and decisions helped me deduce the final communication which is a web portal that intends to tackle the awkwardness one faces while having conversations about sex and sexuality. This report is an elaboration of the key decisions I have taken towards the effective development of the final product.

Adapted: Excerpt from article by Chetan Bhagat titled ‘Let’s Talk Sex’, as appeared on The Times of India dated 23.04.2013

ne m M & De sig n Vi su al

The Process Map encompasses the four key stages of product development 16

Having largely followed the above mentioned process in a sequential manner, it is important that I state that there was a lot of back and forth across all these stages, several times.

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Designing the Brief/ 1

Preparing the project proposal & Designing the Brief based on evaluation of possible needs 18

There is a dire need for us as a society to demystify the false ideologies about sex & sexuality; through constant efforts to know and impart the correct information.

3.1 Identifying the Need

This project stems from a dire need for us as a society to know and impart the right information. Sexuality education is more than just learning about the reproductive system. It is about discovering oneself, nurturing a belief system, respecting another person and being able to take informed decisions. Owing to the elaborate media coverage of the nation-wide upheaval against the 2012 Delhi Gang Rape case, young children began to pop up questions like - ‘what is rape?’ Such questions may be fairly simple to explain to a 15 year old, but what happens when a 4 year old asks the same question? Do we answer them? Is it right to ignore them? How much do we say? Are we prepared or qualified, or even legally eligible to give such answers? Our society has often rejected notions that promote sexuality education and uninhibited debates about issues of the sexual nature. In 2005 the National Aids Control Organisation of India launched the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP), a nation-wide policy to impart ‘Life Skills’ to adolescents as part of the course curriculum in schools. Done in collaboration with the Department of Education, it is a key intervention in preventing new HIV infections and reducing social vulnerability to the infection. The programme, however, was subsequently banned by several state governments who felt comprehensive sexuality education is against Indian culture and is not required for the youth. How can we be more open or in the least, accept sexuality education as a crucial step in one’s process of growing up.

3.2 Research During the course of this project, keeping in mind the core need, I made several assumptions based on observation, knowledge and discovery of information. These assumptions were followed by a validation process that included Secondary research, Interviews (if required) and Analysis. Often-times, the analysis of one hypothesis, led me to a new one and in some cases, compelled me to start from scratch. As in any project, the research was not a linear process. I have had to go back and forth several times to validate every decision I have made. Throughout this document, you will find pages like such, that indicate my learning and new revelations at each stage. Every new piece of information required a different resolution and sometimes, a new approach.

Assumption

Validation = Secondary Research + Primary Research + Data Analysis

Resolution

Assumption 1 Adolescents from the age of 13 indulge in sexual activities without being completely aware of what they are getting into â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which sometimes, if not often leads them to becoming victims of misinformed decisions.

Validation In a survey conducted by The India Today Group in 2012, it was found that 14 - 19 years is approximately when people first get to know about sex. For men it happens earlier than women. For the promotion of their film Udaan, UTV Motion Pictures conducted a large scale online among youngsters in the age group of 12-19 years. The idea behind this survey was to get an insight into the minds of a teenager and understand their behavioural patterns. One in five teens watches porn before age 13; every second teen necks and kisses, 15 per cent in the school loo; one out of five claims to have had sex; 90 per cent believe in premarital sex, with 45 per cent of girls opting for clandestine abortions.

Reference articles 1. Secret Life of Indian Teens By Damayanti Datta, Deputy Editor - India Today 2. The Udaan Online Survey By UTV Motion Pictures 3. India Today Sex Survey 2012 By India Today Group

Tentative Resolution

The proposed brief was to make the adolescents aware of the vital information available surrounding safe sexual practices and its consequences.

Assumption 2 The information that adolescents are commonly exposed to, is not reliable mostly because it comes through their peer group. Another reason for this is the rampant and often easy access to pornography on the web.

Validation Adolescents often seek to assuage their curiosity by seeking information from the internet, television or friends. The India Today Sex Survey, 2012 states that most young people first learnt about sex from their friends. However, when it comes to the first time they heard about it - 28.7 percent, from friends, 15.7 percent heard about it from TV, 7.7 percent from pornography, 5.2 percent from the internet, 3.2 percent from parents and 37.5 percent from all the different sources. I administered a few casual interviews to find out exactly what is ‘WRONG’ with these so called sources. The two predominant sources of information or the major ‘reference-points’ was found to be: a. Their peers Though their peers are the most impactful sources of information for adolescents, they are mostly inaccurate. b. Pornography Pornography is often taken as a reference point about what sex would be like, for adolescents. They are often oblivious to the fact that pornography is exaggerated. What is exhibited should be treated as a means of pleasure, as opposed to a source of information. LEARNING Peer Education is the most impactful means of educating an adolescent.

Reference articles & Interviews 1. Secret Life of Indian Teens By Damayanti Datta, Deputy Editor - India Today 2. Teens and Porn: 10 Stats You Need to Know By Luke Gilkerson 3. The Nature and Dynamics of Internet Pornography Exposure for Youth By Chiara Sabina, Ph.D., Janis Wolak, J.D. and David Finkelhor, Ph.D 4. India Today Sex Survey 2012 By India Today Group Interviewees choose to remain anonymous.

Tentative Resolution

To acquaint adolescents with reliable sources and give them access to an information bank that would gradually introduce concepts of sex & sexuality to them.

Assumption 3 The reliable information that is available, does not reach the adolescent. It is screened by their parents or teachers as per their judgement of what the adolescent must or must not know.

Validation Possibly accurate information given to adolescents, is usually screened by their parents or teachers. ”A lot of parents think they had a conversation, and the kids don’t remember it at all,” says Dr. Karen Soren, director of adolescent medicine at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. “Parents sometimes say things more vaguely because they are uncomfortable and they think they’ve addressed something, but the kids don’t hear the topic at all.” India Today’s Sex Survey 2012 asked people : Do you talk about sex openly with your children and family ? While 77% Men said they didn’t, 11% said that they did openly talk about sex. 63.4% Women didn’t while 17.8% did. The rest did not specify. When asked if they had spoken to their children about the importance of safe sex, 32 percent of the respondents said they do not intend to speak to their children about any sex related topic; 35 percent said they haven’t yet, but intend to speak later when their children grow up; 21 percent did not specify and only 12 percent agreed to have had spoken to their children. In 2005 the National Aids Control Organisation of India launched the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP), which was subsequently banned by several state governments who felt comprehensive sexuality education is against Indian culture and is not required for the youth.

Reference articles & Interviews 1. Sexuality Minus The Sex By Rashmee Sehgal 2.

Petition praying for national debate and evolving consensus on the implementation of the policy for introduction of sex education in the schools and holding back its introduction until then. By Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions, 2009

Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late By Alice Park

4. India Today Sex Survey 2012 By India Today Group

Tentative Resolution

To impart age appropriate, unadulterated information in order for an adolescent to easily access it.

3.3 The Brief On the basis of the previously mentioned assumptions and resolutions, I re-articulated the final brief.

To help facilitate the initiation of conversations between an adolescent and an older person, whom he trusts (who maybe a sibling, or a parent, or an older friend) and to equip that older person with enough information to answer the adolescents curiosity regarding sexuality issues. Further on, I have broken down the brief into 3 parts. I have elaborated on each section explaining its purpose.

3.4 Explaining the Brief The core intent is to help a young adult or a new parent (someone above the age of 18) get past his/her awkwardness, in order to inform younger people (siblings/peers), about what they are/will be experiencing in terms of sexuality, for them to have a healthy growing up experience. This, can further be divided into 3 parts for clarity: 1. To help a young adult or a new parent (someone above the age of 18) get past his/her awkwardness, 2. To inform younger people (his/her siblings/peers) 3. About what they are, or will be experiencing in terms of sexuality – in order for them to have a healthy growing up experience.

Part 1: To help a young adult or a new parent (someone above the age of 18) get past his/her awkwardness The idea is to empower the user to get past his/her own awkwardness. Awkwardness, happens to be one of the primary reasons for refraining from open discussions about sexuality. This awkwardness, often sprouts from a cultural context, social conditioning and collective family values. A lot of times, even in orthodox societies, there are people open to conversations about sexuality; mostly because, the family environment facilitated that level of comfort. Individuals, also, as they evolve, define their own values and beliefs. Awkwardness is a state of mind. And like every other state of mind, this too can be shaped, changed or moulded for the better. Part 1 aims at doing just that: a. By providing enough/ optimum amount of information. When the user is equipped with a lot of information, it is more likely that he/she won’t fumble or hesitate while talking about it. b. By making the user aware of other users like him. It gives the user comfort to know that he is not the only one seeking information on sexuality. Considering the taboos around the topic, the user needs to be made comfortable to begin to engage with the product c. By showing them the difference between good and bad content Introducing and directing them to reliable information sources. d.

By emphasizing the importance of sexuality education.

Part 2: To inform younger people (siblings/peers) Part two, is about designing the ‘training system’. As mentioned in the main objective, this product is a facilitation of sorts, for 18+ yr olds to inform their siblings about issues related to sexuality. So an ‘informing system’ will be designed for the user to learn how to inform his/ her sibling. To be even more clear, this bit, deals with informing the informer(user) about the ideal information & methods of informing so that he/she can successfully inform his/her siblings about sexuality. This will be done in the following manner:

a. Give them the right information. Information is empowerment. b. The information must be factual, visual and crisp. Since the user is generally, very restless and possibly has a low attention span, the information has to be designed to attract, create interest and engage the user completely. c. Tell them how to talk to their siblings or younger peers. Exactly what must be said to the siblings if they suddenly pose a question. What to say, when to say it and how to say it. Even if they don’t pose a question, there is some information that is essential for a certain age-group of people to be informed about.

Part 3: About what they are, or will be experiencing in terms of sexuality – in order for them to have a healthy growing up experience. The content must carefully be crafted to bring out the desired results. Dealing with growing teenagers with raging hormones and incessant mood swings, one has to be more careful than usual. This part is the desired result of the entire project – For adolescents to know about what they are experiencing in terms of sexuality to grow up in a healthy manner. And, the previous 2 parts, pose as the work that has to be put in – Designing the communication that helps remove the user’s awkwardness & facilitating him to inform his sibling.

Information design & Architecture is the detailed planning of specific information that is to be provided to a particular audience to meet specific objectives

Data was collected by Secondary research: study of existing literature, newspaper articles & editorials. Primary research: Interviews, surveys, observation

Spanning over 2 months, the process of collecting, refining, organising and designing the information to meet the requirements of the project brief, was the most challenging.

4.1 Information Architecture Structuring how the information would be given to the user was a challenge. As you read this document further, you will find that the user and the consumer of this product are not the same. I had to hence, shape the information in a fashion that would be appealing to both and yet maintain a focus on the user, while simultaneously facilitating possible shift of focus on to the consumer when needed. I started by gauging a basic flow of how someone would like to get this information. Such information, requires a very natural progression. One cannot bombard them with information they are not ready for. So, with some references in mind, I decided to structure the information with respect to what the consumer would be experiencing first. For example, it would start by explaining puberty and then gradually moving on to intercourse and safe sex practices. The information has been organised to progress as an adolescent’s body and mind progresses - physically and emotionally, demanding answers for certain phenomenon. The following is an illustration of the process of how I came about to designing the final information structure. I began my process with the four stage structure comprising 1.puberty,2. anatomy, 3.sex and 4.safe sex and STDs Subsequently, I added two more stages, one after the other. The idea was to remove ‘negotiation and coping’ from under the Safe Sex & STDs head and give it adequate importance by allowing for a new category altogether. Post this I added Child Sexual Abuse to this list. Finally, all the information is to be contained within all these 6 heads: Child Sexual Abuse, Puberty, Anatomy, Sex & Relationships, Safe Sex & STDs, Negotiation & Coping It was concluded that all information must be availed by all age groups, only the manner of expressing it or the intricacy would vary. The explanation of the concepts would escalate in complexity as the reader matures. The information was to be moulded according to the consumer’s age and cognition.

Information Structure All the information is to be contained within all these 6 heads: Child Sexual Abuse, Puberty, Anatomy, Sex & Relationships, Safe Sex & STDs, Negotiation & Coping

Complexity of Information

18+

In the image on the right, the concentric arcs of a circle represent increase in the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age. The presented sector of the circle represents a particular concept. As we graduate from the innermost age ring to the outermost, the complexity of explaining the same concept increases - possibly more detailed.

15 yr

12 yr

10 yr

Complex

Simple

4.2 Defining Consumer Group During an interview with Prabha Nagaraja, she explained that the difference between age groups starts decreasing as one grows up. For example, the difference between the maturity of a 9 and a 10 year old is way more than that between a 21 and a 22 year old. Based on this learning, and considering the topics in question, I came down to categorising my age groups as the following: 10-11 yrs, 12-14 yrs, 15-18 yrs

These age groups are roughly based on what the adolescent may physically and emotionally, be experiencing at that particular age. The initial plan was to structure it in such a manner that each age group would correspond to the 6 different stages/categories of information concepts. This, however did not work out well because I found a lot of overlaps in explaining the concepts. I re-worked the age groups to cater to this problem. Meanwhile, as mentioned in the previous section, it was concluded that all information must be availed by all age groups - only the manner of expressing it or the complexity would vary. Since the information was to be moulded according to the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age, I now shifted my focus onto the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cognitive development. This brings me to my research on the various cognitive development theories.

Final Consumer group

0-5

6-9

10-12

13-15

16+

Age Groups (in Years)

I studied Jean Piaget’s 4 stage theory of Cognitive Development and

Erik Erikson’s, 5 stage theory of psychosocial development. While Piaget spoke of one’s individual cognitive functions, Erikson emphasized on a person’s cognitive growth with regard to his/her surroundings/society. After some deliberation, I decided it was most relevant to the ‘issue’ that I go through with Erikson’s theory which takes into account the society. Now, the new age categorisation is based on Erik Erikson's theory of cognitive development. Erikson divides the age groups as Birth -1 yr, 2-3 yrs, 4-5yrs, 6-12 yrs and 13-18 yrs. This however, had to be adapted to the project's requirements.So the final age groups are as follows: 0-5 yrs, 6-9 yrs, 10-12 yrs, 13-15 yrs, 16+ yrs

4.3 Defining Target Audience The designed information is specifically structured for 5 age groups, previously mentioned. The information, however, is meant to reach these 5 age groups (consumers) via our primary target audience who is a young person above the age of 18. This person can be a sibling, or a parent, or an older friend.

Primary User

Secondary User

(Older) Siblings

Young Parents

Friends

Teachers Relatives

18-27 yrs

27 + yrs

Besides the obvious legal issues ( as per which it is illegal for an individual below the age of 18 to practice sexual intercourse) 18 years has been identified to be the minimum age for a citizen to be called an adult - deeming him a responsible individual. Keeping in mind the key aspect of this project, Peer Education, an 18 year old individual would most likely be looked upto by his/her younger siblings or peers. At 18, one is still going through or would have just experienced the described concepts. If such a person, imparts the information, a. Will be taken seriously by his younger peers / siblings b. They will be able to relate to and empathise with the consumer, the most. An activity map was sketched out about where does the target audience spend all their time? And what do they do? These were based on certain research articles and personal interviews that were conducted by me . This helped me define the content tone and medium.

Time spent by an adolescent in different places throughout the day

Time spent by an adolescent on different activities throughout the day

4.4 Content Design and Development Having managed the information structure, I began work on the content characteristics and key message tone. Based on the target group - their activities and interests, following is a list of ideal qualities that the information must fulfil:

Humorous, Light - information in doses, Less time consuming, Easy to understand, Light hearted, Novel/ New/Surprising, Engaging The qualities listed, have been derived from what would appeal to the target audience, that they would refer to as 'cool'. So how should the message be, to be cool?

Overall Message Tone

I worked with two options: a. The propagation of the message could be UNDERGROUND. Something that spreads through word of mouth, that becomes a rage amongst the target group. Criticism: Since the core problem is that this issue is always kept under wraps, taking an underground route would simply advocate the secrecy, when in-fact it is exactly the opposite of what this product aims to do. b. It could be UNAPOLOGETIC, out there, in your face, blatant. I chose to go with the unapologetic approach because it stresses on the need for the society to be open about issues of sexual nature.

Content Outline A quick reference list of what information must be imparted to adolescents. 1. Child Sexual Abuse

a. The types of Abuse - Good Touch & Bad Touch b. No touch zones on their bodies c. Where to go for help ( identifying safe adults)

2. Puberty a. What is Puberty? b. How it happens - Physiological Process c. What exactly happens 1. Physical Changes 2. Emotional Changes 3. Social Changes f. Body Image g. Masturbation 3. Anatomy a. Female Anatomy 1. External - Parts & Functions 2. Internal - Parts & Functions b. Male Anatomy 1. External - Parts & Functions 2. Internal - Parts & Functions 4. Sex & Relationships

a. What it sex? b. How it happens - physically & physiologically c. Conception & Pregnancy d. Types of sex - Oral, Anal, etc. e. Reasons - why & when people do it. f. Kinds of relationships - Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual

5. Safe Sex & STD

a. Why should one be safe - STDs, Unwanted Pregnancies, Infections b. How to be safe - Birth Control & Contraception c. Explain the STDs d. Getting tested

6. Negotiation & Coping

a. Dealing with the pressure to have sex b. Emotional issues & consequences of being sexually active c. Abortion d. Rape e. Sexual Abuse f. Assertion

4.5 Communication Strategy & Design Solutions A strategy was devised for the propagation of the product. Owing to the complex nature of this subject, the key message could not have possibly been contained into one medium. In one of the interviews conducted by me, I found that an effort to sensitise a certain section towards the importance of sexuality education cannot be done in isolation. There is a need for a structural intervention at different levels. Based on the AIDA Model by E. St. Elmo Lewis model, I postulated the characteristics of the ideal content flow that I envision for my user.

STEP 1: To make the target group realize the importance of Peer Learning in Sexuality Education. This stage would require for us to grab their attention, which would draw them towards the next step. STEP 2: Once we manage to get their attention, the users should instinctively seek the actual information, which would get them interested in the cause. STEP 3: Having found the information source, the user should ideally spend some time there, exploring the content at his disposal. Hence, this information must be dynamic and must allow the user to interact and engage organically with it. STEP 4: The final step calls for action. Having browsed through, the entire sequence of information given, the ideal outcome would be for the user to step up and talk to his/ her siblings or peers about the importance of sexuality education. I devised a 4 level information system. It was decided for the content to be imparted on 4 different stages to create the ideal impact. The system targets the user at various involvement (with the cause) levels- Stage 1, being the lowest and Stage 4, the highest. The idea is for the user to graduate to Stage 4, no matter what level he may have started at.

Train to teach

Further Knowledge

To have access to the information at all times.

Information Source*

Dynamic Portal*

Mobile Phone Application

A handy information source for whenever someone may need it.

An interactive platform for the reader to engage in more information, latest news, question and answers, statistics etc. for a more wholesome knowledge experience.

An information source that allows the reader to learn about various topics, which consequently acts as an AID for them to teach people younger than them and / or enables them to ask for help from responsible peers.

The campaign will be an active voice empowering the youth by illustrating their ideal roles and responsibilities towards their own peers or younger people (possibly family members) around them.

DESCRIPTION

* The Informational Website and the Dynamic Portal, are later combined to be one entity.

Emphasize the Importance of Peer to Peer Learning in Sexuality Education.

INTENT

Campaign

FUNCTION

TYPE /

Phone / Tablet Application

Web

Web + Print

FORMAT

The process & product of Designing the Experience was made to resemble the ideal course of events, should such a service be available in reality

This phase of the project, was an effort to convert the intangible outcomes of the information architecture stage into tangible solutions. It includes conceptualisation, studying usage patterns, presentation of information in a manner acceptable by the target, gamification and interface design. For this development phase, I followed the agile methodology - which is more iterative and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more reviewing of work in progress by clients and end-users simply because development cycles are shorter.

5.1 Case Scenarios Case Scenarios were useful in helping me understand and ennumerate the needs of the user. This in turn helped construct hooks for them, and eventually, develop an ideal user experience. I classified my case scenarios on the basis of: a. Number of Visits – Is it the user’s First or Second visit, etc. b.

Discovery – How did the user land on the page, was it by accident or someone recommended it, etc.

c. Level of Involvement – How much does the user already know about the importance of sexuality education. Criticism: The ‘Discovery’ aspect wouldn’t really matter once the user is on the page. So I devised a permutation – combination between the user’s involvement level and the number of visits. I concluded that the First Visit of the person with the Least Involvement, is the priority. If I could plan out an ideal experience for him, it would become fairly simple for me to develop the rest.

I decided to refine the case scenarios. Although I had managed to list down all possible user needs, It had yet to be narrowed down to a set of primary and secondary users who would become my focus for the project.

Consequently, I came down to defining my primary user as an older sibling/friend who ‘wants to teach’. Now this person, maybe (a) concerned or (b) confused. In the former case, he understands the value of such an initiative and wants to know what he must say to his/ her sibling. In the latter, he was asked a question by his younger sibling and didn’t know how to answer the question or whether or not he must address that particular issue.

5.2 User Flow & Wireframes Ideal user flow options and experiences were explored through several drafts of wireframing. Wireframing helped put out all the ideas in a rather structured format, on paper; which subsequently aided in making quick changes and improvements. Each draft produced, was treated as a final draft, which was then put through a critique session. Pros & cons and in-house user testing approaches helped point out the shortcomings, that were fixed in the subsequent drafts. This was a complex process in terms of what it sought to do. Through the wireframing process, I was simultaneously taking key decisions about the user flow, experience, content presentation and concept ideas.

Sitemap/ Site Structure The sitemap was a product of the entire wireframing process. The final sitemap came to being after the latest format was decided upon. It is exhibited in this document before the wireframing for clarity of understanding.

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Draft 1 The user will have 4 options to choose from on the home page â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Learn, Teach, Share and Laws & rights. Thereon, he can choose to Learn, which would take him to the 6 broad categories. If he chooses, Teach, he gets an option to fill in the age and gender of the person he wants to teach. This would lead him to a page where all the topics relevant to the concerned age, will be displayed.

Draft 2 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Awkwardnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the key.

I planned out an ideal map of how the user would interact with the information and what would be the experience. As per this, the user must get over his own awkwardness about the issue, only then would he be comfortable sharing the information with someone else. Had this been a real life situation, and I, the website, I would be asking my user a lot of questions about his awareness and experiences. I would then go on to tell him about the issue, motivate him to share what he knows with his siblings/peers and later, take him through the actual content. I looked at why one is awkward in such situations and how I could tackle the problem. The first interaction should be an ice-breaker. Keeping the navigation flow in mind, I explored many ways to reach a solution or, to bring to life this route of experiencing the product. This brings me to the next set of wireframes. I worked on several drafts trying to figure out the right one. I looked at different media, different approaches and also, visual treatments.

Draft 3 I started with the Home Page and began to explore ideas for an engaging first time interaction with the product. How would I want to hook a first time user? I felt that a motion graphic (explaining the core issue) that would transform into the home screen, would be an interaction engaging enough. The home page needed to communicate the intent of the website and act as a hook for them to want to explore it further.

Though the screens were not up to the standards I had set for the product – neither were they anywhere close to the visual language ideal to attract an 18 year old; but they helped me realize what exactly was it that I did not want. The draft seemed more like a publication than an interactive web service. Learnings: I did not use the web’s qualities to my advantage. The visuals seemed more like a child’s story book. They would not have appealed to 18 year olds, who happen to be my target users. The screens had no emotional connect with the user. There was no comfort in the navigation and it was just mostly jarring how the marked labels seemed to be too loud. The design was anything but intuitive and that was a huge negative. One positive that came out of it though, was that I started to create little experiences, within each screen. These experiences were based on the user’s interaction with the information. I added more elements to the wireframe and removed some of the redundant ones.

Draft 4 There are four basic anchor points apart the Home Page. a. The Know Page This is where one would learn about the different topics. b. The Tell Page Here they would learn how and what to tell/explain the topics if someone younger asks them. c. The Theory of Awkwardness Page This page enumerates the reasons and the situations in which one is, or can be awkward. It has a very light and often comical tone. d. The Miscellaneous Page Resources, Downloads, Questions, etc. In this draft, though the Know & Tell Pages could be accessed separately, they looked fairly similar. This was done so that the user feels like he can quickly toggle between the two sections.

Draft 5 In this draft, I did away with the so called Home Page. The Theory of Awkwardness would now be treated as the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first interaction with the product. The interface is treated in a manner where one can navigate freely, from one page to the other without having to go back to an anchor page. There is no home page anymore.

Draft 6 Here, I included an ASK Page – For all the questions one may have with regard to ‘the talk’ or just to responsibly answer a younger person’s doubts. A recent dialogue with a prospective user led me to this decision.

Draft 7 Introduction of the Quiz Format. In this draft, I shaped the ‘Learn’ bit into a quiz format because the regular information pattern used in the earlier drafts, was not engaging for the user. I looked at all the information together and brainstormed on how could this quiz be of a dynamic nature. I looked at different types of quizzes and formats the information could be imparted in. I decided to call it ‘That Awkward Quiz’.Various formats like fill in the blanks, replace a word, match the following, spot the difference, multichoice questions, etc were explored. The new wireframes were designed to accommodate all the different types of questions.

Criticism on the Quiz Format 1. The act of acquiring information for the user could seem gimmick-like at some point. 2. The fact that all the questions are mostly, seemingly testing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge about a particular topic, could be intimidating for a first time or less aware user. 3.

Quizzing could become competitive and one may just focus on answering correctly and lose interest in the information itself.

4. I explored various forms of questions and answers, put them all together in a format to see how well they work as a unit. The questions seemed flat and there was no particular engaging factor in the format. 5. The format lacked the natural quality to bind all forms of questions together. The format, hence, never fell in place

More iterations on the Quiz Format

The Final Draft Designing a New Experience How can all the different message formats fit in one platform? Is quiz the right way to go? The new concept explicitly deals with one’s need to get an answer to ‘a particular question’.

Scenario I imagine the user to be conscious of the importance of a dialogue about sexuality education. They have accessed our website to get a particular answer or just to get an idea of what all could be the possible questions that they might have to face – basically our user is aware of the intent of the product, which is to tell him how to answer a question. Now, to do this, the content was structured in a manner different from the previous iteration. This time, it was divided into four forms of information: 1. Question/Answers (topics & their explanations) – That an adolescent must be aware of at his/her age. 2.

Question/Answers (topics & their explanations) – That an adolescent may just happen to ask because he saw something on the TV, etc.

Myths & Facts

Tips & Advice on how to carry forward a conversation that may turn awkward.

The information required parallel categorization. There was age, topic and gender, besides the four types of information categories. Keeping all this in mind, I started working on the new wireframes. Some more things that were added to the storyboard were a portal where one could ask his/her own question. This, I believe is a very important aspect of this product.

This new approach, is very hands on. The user controls his/her navigation, content categorization and at point, flow. The interface is seamless and one can jump from one piece of information to the other as per the category filters they choose. It equips the users with the answers they want, at the same time, providing an opportunity to explore through questions that they never thought of.

5.3 Designing the Message & Copywriting Throughout this project, content design and development was a very integral part. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject itself, one had to be extra careful about how and how much to communicate in the minimum amount of words. This section gives an overview of the complexity in message design. Based on the ideal tone and basic content guidelines I had created, I along with our official copywriter on this project, Saumyaa Naidu explored many different messages.

Working Project Title: That Awkward Moment Working Project Tagline: Initiating Sex Ed Conversations

Tagline Explorations How to talk to kids about sex so they think you are a super cool dragon slaying, jetpack flying, knowledgeable grown up. (And it also helps them become responsible adults and stuff.) How to talk to kids about sex? What to say? How much to tell? The right info at the right time. And also, how to be cool about it. How to get over the hang-ups and start talking! Breaking the ice. Braving the hang-ups. A quick guide to sex ed A Sex Ed Training Manual Initiating Sex Ed Conversations How to talk about sex? Talking Sex. Answering Questions. Talk to kids. Be responsible, No pressure. Be Open To Talking Break the Ice. Get Talking. For us who want to talk and help Getting over the conversation hitches A guide to glitch-free talking The right thing to say at the right time. How to break the ice and start talking? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about it Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about sex When you wonder how to start talking.

Content Examples Here are a few examples of the final copy, applied to the four different types of content & age categories. 1. Must Tell For 6-9 yrs

Where do babies come from? (Reproduction, Pregnancy and Conception)

The ice-breaker: “A baby grows in its mum’s tummy.” The follow up: “Mom and Dad make a baby. A tiny cell inside Dad called a sperm is joined together with a tiny cell inside Mom called an egg. When the baby is big enough, it comes out through a passage in the mummy’s body called the vagina.”

Avoiding the Words Birds & Bees (Explaining Sex) (What is sex?)

The secret is to give out facts. “Sex is one of the ways in which people express their feelings. There are different things that people do as part of sex. One of the ways a man and a woman have sex is when the penis fits into the vagina.” For 10-12 yrs

Explaining Sex (What is sex? Why do people have sex?)

And it’s time to go beyond the facts, “As you grow up you’ll start to feel attracted to certain people and want to express your feelings. Something happens in your body when you are with that person or are thinking about them. This feeling is different from the loving feelings you have about other people. People express these feelings by doing things like holding hands, kissing, and other things that give them pleasure. Hugging and kissing your friends or your family is not sex. But hugging and kissing someone you are attracted to in a sexual way is part of sex.” For 13-15 yrs

Explaining Sex (What is sex?)

Delicate age, desperate measures. We’ll have to tell them that we know that they know. “You are already familiar with intercourse between a man and a woman being when the man’s penis goes into the woman’s vagina. This is how the sperms in the semen released from the penis travel into the woman’s body. And as you know, when a sperm meets the egg inside the woman’s body, she gets pregnant. Sex can involve other things too. Having intercourse, touching each others’ bodies, holding hands or smooching can all be part of sex.” For 16-18 yrs

Explaining Sex (What is sex?)

“I know all about it.” They’ll claim. But, don’t let any amount of eye-rolling get in your way. “Sure, you are aware about sex. But, I was hoping to talk about it some more.” Having sex is often taken to mean having intercourse or ‘going all the way’ or doing ‘everything’. It does not always have to mean that. Sex is not one activity- it is a combination of many things. Often it involves genitals, but not always. Holding hands, fantasizing, kissing or smooching, intercourse, masturbation, etc are also sexual activities. And sex is not just a physical activity though it may be expressed in a physical manner. Sex involves feelings, thoughts and beliefs.”

2. Handling Specific Questions And Scenarios 1-5 YRS

What’s a penis? What’s a vagina? (A 3-year-old is fascinated by her baby brother’s diaper changes. “What’s that?” She asks, pointing to his penis.) Changing the subject can give kids the idea that talking about private parts is taboo. Be matter-of-fact and say, “That’s how you can tell the difference between a girl and a boy. It’s called a penis. You have a vagina.” 10-12 YRS

What is a virgin?

“A virgin is anyone (male or female) who has not had intercourse.”

What is oral sex?

“Sometimes people like to kiss each other on different parts of the body. Oral sex is the name for any sexual activity done with the mouth and/or the tongue.”

Do boys have a stomach-ache when the semen comes out?

False ideas spread fast. Shoot them down as soon as you spot them. “Semen coming out of the body is not like girls having periods. Boys don’t have a stomach-ache when semen comes out. But sometimes there might be a feeling of tension in the penis or testes because of sexual excitement. This is not a pain, but because it is a new feeling, you may not know what to call it.” 3. Myths & Facts

How young is too young?

MYTH: Children are too young to learn about sex until they are 16. FACT: 16 is outrageously late! By 5 to 7 years of age, kids are capable of understanding topics like pregnancy, conception, birth, etc. Waiting until they are 16 is too late to help children understand the physical and emotional changes they have already begun to experience as they move through puberty. Systematic sexuality education is the way to go.

Does sex during periods prevent pregnancy?

MYTH: A girl can’t get pregnant if she has sex during her period. FACT: Very simply, period or no period, a girl can get pregnant at any time of the month if she has sex without contraception. Sperm can survive for several days after sex, so even if you do it during your period, sperm can stay in the body long enough to get you pregnant. 4. Tips

Monologues are dangerous territory (Talk some, listen some)

Kids are smart people. So, before we plunge into all the wisdomimparting, it’s best to find out how much they know already or what exactly they are trying to ask. Gently asking questions can help to find out what they know already and where they heard it from. This way, any misinformation can be corrected from the start. Dialogue slows conversation down, giving you time to think, and lets you have a better idea when to stop.

When you don’t know the answer? (Be honest)

Kids have something of a lie radar, they can pick up on made-up stuff quite conveniently. And then they store you with the ‘non-reliable source’ label in their memories. Do not worry when you do not know the answer yourself. Tell the child that the question was a good one, that you do not know the whole answer, and that you can both look up the answer together.

Lastly, the Visual Design was worked upon to complement the earlier processes

6.1 Identity The product has a very fresh personality. It is aimed for young people who are looking to make some sort of a change but do not want to be preached to. Keywords YOUNG DYNAMIC WELCOMING ENERGETIC The idea was for the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduction to the product to be comforting. It should in no way intimidate him/her. The identity must be strong willed and yet light on the first look. A typographic approach was chosen because the subject demands clarity in comprehension. One cannot have any icons that may not be easily understandable by everyone. It was a conscious effort to leave out any form of visual mnemonics, aside the type - clearly stating what the project is about.

The Logo

that awkward moment Initiating Sex Ed Conversations

The Colour Palette

6.2 Interface - Visual Styling Home Page

Search Results

Flash Card / Main Information

Ask Your Question Page

List View of the Home Page

Links & Resources

6.3 Visual Mnemonics and Iconography Toggle Views Explorations

Random Home Page View

Boy + Girl Icons

Explorations

List View

Search Icon

Ask a Question Icon

Books, Videos & Articles

Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Questions

Navigation Map Styling (in process)

Mouse over Pop ups

Important information

As I conclude this document,I have attempted to summarise my learning through this project

Conclusion I was always sensitive to the need for sexuality education in our society. This project, however, opened my eyes to the several layers of problems that persist beneath oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to make it happen. I began this project thinking I would simply be making a visual guide to sexuality education but the subjectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complexity pushed me to think far beyond visual design. I did extensive research, developed content, designed information hierarchy and formats. From designing the brief to executing every aspect of the product, this project has taught me a lot. Not only did it help me hone my skills and develop my craft, it also introduced me to numerous new skills, techniques and people who have been working for the cause.

1. Adolescence Education Programme Manuals By National Aids Control Organisation 2. Red Book, Blue Bool, Basics & Beyond By TARSHI 3. International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education By UNESCO 4. Kids Health kidshealth.org 5. Planned Parenthood plannedparenthood.com 6. Sexuality Minus The Sex By Rashmee Sehgal 7.

8. Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late By Alice Park 9. India Today Sex Survey 2012 By India Today Group

References

10. Secret Life of Indian teens By Damayanti Datta, Deputy Editor - India Today

11. Teens and Porn: 10 Stats You Need to Know By Luke Gilkerson 12. The Nature and Dynamics of Internet Pornography Exposure for Youth By Chiara Sabina, Ph.D., Janis Wolak, J.D. and David Finkelhor, Ph.D 13. The Udaan Online Survey By UTV Motion Pictures 14. Know Your Body Know Your Rights By YP Foundation 15. The Sex Ed Handbook By Dr. Laura Berman 16. Talking to children about sex By Kristin Zolten, M.A. & Nicholas Long, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

17. A study on distribution of permanent methods of contraception acceptors by select variables By Arshiya Masood, S Dwivedi, G Singh, S Gupta and P Mishra 18.

Comprehensive health care including sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and youths is of vital importance to the nation By Somnath Roy, Sushovan Roy and Kiran Rangari

19. Awareness of hiv/aids and std amongst rural adolescents in hathras district of uttar pradesh By J. Kishore, S. Sharma, R. Ranjan and G.K. Ingle 20. Evaluation of condom promotion programme - a study conducted in andhra pradesh By PV Sharada, Dolly Kovvali, Prakash Satyavageeswaran and J Saikumar

88 Viniyata Pany | 2013