How can interactive aesthetics facilitate the collaborative design of a multimodal health campaign locally and remotely with global communities?

Source(s) of funding: National Science Foundation, Society for Technical Communication

During the summer of 2010, we worked with a small group of students from KNUST in Kumasi, Ghana to explore their understanding of AIDS prevention as well as successful local campaigns. Their participatory design session resulted in the poster on the left titled “Show AIDS the red card” which reflects the World Cup soccer competition that was taking place at the same time as the workshop.

HIV/AIDS Poster with Detachable Red Card

Show AIDS The Red Card poster campaign

Summer 2011, we designed preliminary prototypes of the red card that includes a novel text messaging service developed by Rensselaer science and technology studies graduate student and NSF Triple Helix Fellow David Banks who is studying cellphone usage in Ghana. Read more about the technical development of the cellphone service for HIV/AIDS prevention in Ghana via John Licato’s blog. John Licato is a computer science student hired to do the technical research and programming of the cellphone service. The red card helps Ghanaians find out where to get condoms in Kumasi and where to get HIV tested in Kumasi. Tell us about a condom provider or HIV testing facility in Kumasi or the Ashanti Region.

The Red Card

We also contributed instructional graphics for Fellow David Banks’ research on the use of a condom machine in Ghana to deter the further spread of HIV and AIDS.

Using the Condom Vending Machine

Related Research by graduate researchers:

Resources on HIV/AIDS in Ghana

Directed by Audrey G. Bennett

  • BAO is a game played in Africa. Here it is used metaphorically to describe collaborative designing remotely. While other researchers have used the virtual design studio concept to represent computer-supported, cooperative work, these human-computer interactions are typically for professional projects (e.g., architects talking to architects). With Baohouse (pronounced Bauhaus), I aim to engage lay communities locally and remotely. It is an immaterial and motile space where I conduct theoretical and applied investigations on how “interactive aesthetics” can engage lay people with socially and environmentally transformative images that can yield cognitive and behavioral changes toward attaining equity and justice.

  • Marguerite Botha, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Children’s Health in SA)

    Fatima Cassim, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Children’s Health in SA)

    Chris Corneal (I Profess)

    Mukkai Krishnamoorthy Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer (Diversifying STEM)

    Alison Eardley, University of Westminster (W-iCAD)

    Ron Eglash, School of Information + Stamps, University of Michigan (Diversifying STEM; Artisanal Robots; HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention; Humanoid Robots; and Life)

    Michael Lachney, Michigan State University (Diversifying STEM)

    Lionel Roberts, School of Information, University of Michigan (Artisanal Robots)

    Jennifer A. Vokoun, Walsh University (Food Security)

  • William Babbitt, Research Associate, Rensselaer (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

  • Adream Blair (GLIDE’10-’12)
    Gloria Gomez (GLIDE’10-’12)
    Muthoni Kimani (GLIDE’12)
    Michele Washington (GLIDE’08-’12)

  • University of Michigan Doctoral Students:

    Kwame Robinson, SI (Artisanal Robots)

    Caitlin Dyche, C&M, LSA (The Just Museum Experience)

    University of Michigan Masters Students:

    Megan Freund, Stamps (Diversifying STEM)

    Kayla Guillory, Stamps (WSDOM)

    Shelbi Lisecki, Stamps (Interactive Aesthetics)

    Stephanie Szemetylo, Stamps (WSDOM)

    Nicholas Lamarca, Stamps (The Just Museum Experience)

    Rensselaer Doctoral Students:

    David Banks (Red Card)

    Brian Callahan (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Michael Lachney (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    John Licato (Red Card)

    Ray Lutzky (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Marie Rarieya (Act Now)

    Dylan Rees (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Rensselaer Masters Students:

    Sarah Diodato (Act Now)

    Angelo Gaetano (Act Now)

    Mark Oppenneer (GLIDE)

  • University of Michigan

    Rohan Agrawal (WSDOM)

    Katie Bailey (WSDOM)

    Tawsif Habib (WSDOM)

    Chloe Hooker (Diversifying STEM)

    Gautham Jayaraj (WSDOM)

    Zahra Makim (WSDOM)

    Michael McCallig(WSDOM)

    Amirul Miah (Diversifying STEM)

    Lara Niemchick (Heritage Algorithms)

    Angela Ponce Solano (WSDOM)

    Aaron VonBargen (WSDOM)

    Daniel Williams (DESIS Lab)

    Rensselaer Laura Antoniello (Social Media Marketing)

    Zac Autio (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Melissa Batalin (GLIDE)Joe Brust (Act Now)

    Jesse Cline (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Mackenzie Clippard (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Joyce Edwards (Act Now)

    Kim Gomboz (GLIDE)

    Andy Lao (Social Media Marketing)

    Ashlee Lindo (GLIDE)

    Rajas Nagpurkar (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Natalie Semczuk (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Laura Sherman (Act Now)

    Kelly Singco (GLIDE)

    Donna Tytko (Act Now)

    Carla Voorhees (Act Now)

  • Marcel Bennett (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Moriah Harling (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Jamie Park (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Jonathan Ward (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Kimi Wenzel (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

Previous

Food Security Research funded by the University of Michigan
Next

Artisanal Futures Research funded by the National Science Foundation