Health Communication Design Studio

Can we design innovative digital products that are more equitable and ethical? That’s the central question behind the new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology at WashU’s Sam Fox School.  In this new, two-year, STEM-designated program in the Graduate School of Art, MDes students and faculty will collaborate with researchers from across campus in WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering, the College of Arts & Sciences, WashU Medicine, and the DI2 Accelerator to develop the next generation of socially innovative products.  “Artists and designers are really good at interrogating the products we make and the world in which we embed them,” said Jonathan Hanahan, associate professor and MDes chair. “How will they be experienced? Why and where are they beneficial? When might they be harmful? As we investigate complex problems and emerging technologies, these questions grow increasingly important.” Applications for the MDes program open this fall. Washington University McKelvey School of Engineering WashU Arts & Sciences Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis WashU Digital Intelligence & Innovation Accelerator https://lnkd.in/gJwak-j2

🌟 Exciting news from the Health Communication Design Studio! 🌟 We're thrilled to share that our team (Penina Laker (Acayo), Matt Grossman & Christine Watridge) had an incredible experience attending and presenting at the University & College Designers Association (UCDA) Design Education Summit this week, held at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, Arizona. We presented three studio projects: Undergraduate Matt Grossman’s poster: "iHeard St. Louis: A Case Study in Data-Driven Health Communication Design Decisions." UI/UX Designer Alex Koehl’s poster: "Expansive Design: Leveraging 508 Compliance and Accessibility Standards in Public Health Communications." Studio Manager Christine Watridge’s presentation: "Long COVID Information Service: Leveraging Public Health & Design Collaboration for Responsive Health Communication Materials." The summit was an amazing opportunity to share our work, engage with fellow design educators and researchers, and explore the latest advancements in design. We left inspired and full of new ideas to bring back to our studio! #UCDA2024 #DesignEducation #HealthCommunicationDesign #DesignSummit #ASU #StudentSuccess #Collaboration

We couldn't have done without our awesome iHeard St. Louis Project team of designers Penina Acayo (Laker), Michaela Kroner, Matt Grossman, Alex Koehl, and Christine Watridge, along with our research partners at the Health Communication Research Lab!

Learn about our most wide-reaching project, the iHeard St. Louis Project! iHeard aims to build health knowledge in communities and trust in science by sharing timely, accurate health information in a coordinated way through community partners. HCDS, along with the Health Communication Research Lab (HCRL) and local partner organizations, forms the Missouri Community Engagement Alliance (MO CEAL), whose operations are based in St. Louis. CEAL, an NIH initiative, engages with communities impacted by COVID-19 and other social determinants of health through multiple community-based projects. iHeard St. Louis is the first of its kind, and its model is currently being developed for other locations nationally, including Baltimore, iHeard Omaha Project, Texas, and Colorado. #iHeard #iHeardSTL #HealthInformation

Learn about our most wide-reaching project, the iHeard St. Louis Project! iHeard aims to build health knowledge in communities and trust in science by sharing timely, accurate health information in a coordinated way through community partners. HCDS, along with the Health Communication Research Lab (HCRL) and local partner organizations, forms the Missouri Community Engagement Alliance (MO CEAL), whose operations are based in St. Louis. CEAL, an NIH initiative, engages with communities impacted by COVID-19 and other social determinants of health through multiple community-based projects. iHeard St. Louis is the first of its kind, and its model is currently being developed for other locations nationally, including Baltimore, iHeard Omaha Project, Texas, and Colorado. #iHeard #iHeardSTL #HealthInformation

In addition to working on collaborative research and design projects, the Health Communication Design Studio hosts a variety of events. In the Spring of 2023, we held a panel on bridging academic interests with social engagement; last semester, we participated in the Gephardt Institute’s Civic Action Week, and hosted a free Figma workshop. And just last week, HCDS illustrator Talie Johnson led a self-care workshop for creatives with Sam Fox’s AIGA! If you want to keep up with what we’re doing, subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gu9gSYuW   

Our approach to health communication design is rooted in the intersection of evidence-based research and community-centered practices. HCDS utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, accomplished by recruiting studio members from diverse academic, professional, and personal backgrounds. When our studio members were asked to describe HCDS in Spring 2023, here is what they said: