Kingori and Durado with the Davey Awards Plaque.
Two Ohio University faculty members received awards in recognition for their work aimed at preventing and reducing stigma around HIV from Graphic Design USA and the 2022 Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, also known as the Davey Awards.
Caroline Kingori, associate professor of community and public health, and Adonis Durado, assistant professor in the School of Visual Communication, as well as core members of the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab, were awarded the Designing for Good category from Graphic Design USA and the silver award in the General Health and Fitness category from the Davey Awards for their choose-your-own-adventure film intervention “DatingForward,” which aims to reduce HIV stigma and increase engagement in HIV prevention among immigrant and refugee youth ages 18-25 in Columbus. The project was funded by the Columbus Foundation.
“I am especially glad about the two awards because, as a visual communicator and person of color, the recognition from industry organizations solidifies that this work is not just about the craft, but the importance of social change,” Durado said.
The Davey Awards honors the achievements of what they refer to as “Creative Davids” who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than stratospheric budgets. The category in which they won from Graphic Design USA is awarded to works that feature graphic communications aimed to advance positive social and environmental action and social justice impact.
“Development of a contextually appropriate gaming technology intervention to increase HIV prevention and treatment knowledge is vital in engaging youth, given that adolescent and young adult populations ages 15-25 represent over 30 percent of new HIV infections globally. Furthermore, little is known about barriers to accessing sufficient HIV knowledge and services among immigrants,” said Kingori, who also serves as interim associate dean for Research and Faculty Affairs.
Choose-your-own-adventure interactive films are videos where the player decides what the main character will do next using choices that pop up at the bottom of the screen. The simulation game incorporates evidence-based concepts from various behavior change theories, including environmental influences around a behavior, perceived severity, self-efficacy, behavioral capability, social norms, expectations and perceived behavioral control.
“Interactive technology attempts to engage the audience using active decision-making which can be utilized to change behavior through reflection and judgment assessment,” Kingori said. “Interactive stories are presented in the form of video games, virtual reality and immersive film/video and have shown to be effective in changing behavior.”
This project was a collaborative effort with OHIO’s GRID Lab and Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), a well-renown organization in Columbus serving new Americans and providing support to immigrant and refugee youth.
“The collaboration between Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services and the College of Health Sciences and Professions supports the college’s vision and mission of partnering and serving communities …….
