The Blow Breathe Cough campaign : a learning partnership to develop a message about healthy hearing

Abstract

This presentation will report on a student design project to promote ear health by 4th year design students in the professional studio at Western Sydney University, in a learning partnership with Samantha Harkus, Principal Audiologist, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services, Australian Hearing. Design students developed a campaign to promote the use of a Blow Breathe Cough animation to schools with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are at risk of middle ear disease. Blow Breathe Cough (2017) is a smart board animation by Oliver Abbott to illustrate an established teacher-led activity aimed to clear kids’ airways and get faces and hands clean at the start of the school day. It is not thought to reduce the length or severity of an individual child’s ear infection, but it is thought of being a good way of controlling the spread of the respiratory germs that cause ear disease. The students designed a logo, social media and email campaign, a flyer, stickers and other merchandise ideas, to address primary and secondary audiences; to promote uptake of the animation among principals and class room teachers, and secondly to increase community awareness among families about ear disease, and indirectly increase awareness of the audiology services of Australian Hearing. The presentation will explain the role that design can play in making visible what is invisible about hearing loss and encourage a culture of healthy hearing observation to reach those most at risk. It will explore the learning partnership between the student team in the Rabbit Hole design studio, the animator, and the client the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services at Australian Hearing, and opportunities to include community evaluation and consultation in developing this campaign message