Participatory Design for Public Health Education Messages in Uganda

Leslie Robinson, MDes Candidate (Visual Communication Design), University of Alberta (Canada)

This presentation explores the potential role of design as a vehicle for social change by focusing on participatory design, a methodology that places the end-user at the core of the design process, privileging local points of view. Benefits of this approach include an increased sense of cultural ownership among the community, increased awareness among the participants of the social issue being addressed and the transfer of design knowledge to the participants. This methodology will be showcased through a case study from Uganda, Robinson's ongoing thesis project through which she is collaborating with the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, and the Institute of Public Health, Makerere University (Uganda) as well as local partners in Uganda.

Robinson is developing an approach to the design and production of public health education messages for the community, by the community, with input from public health specialists. Critical to this project is the participation of community members, through design workshops and focus groups, as well as the involvement of local artists. In the second phase of the project Robinson will be facilitating the creation of large-scale painted designs with adolescent participants. Malaria, sanitation and hygiene and HIV/AIDS will be addressed.

The aim of this presentation is to showcase design as a potential agent for social change, one that through dialogue rather than discourse, places people’s needs at the core of design, empowering them by enhancing their own capacities.