HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
HEALTHY & ECO-FRIENDLY MENSTRUATION
'MAKE A CHOICE'
Gayatri Chudekar
Information design. Design research. Educational design
NORMALISING MENSTRUATION
PERIOD.
A card game on Menstruation
Menstruation is a hushed-up topic with many taboos surrounding it. This is a cooperative card game that aims to bring about a change through the collective action of confidently reclaiming the spaces and places where women are not allowed to enter. Through the game, players recognize their power to express their opinion and exercise their choice. The objective of the game is to get rid of prejudice cards and collect all power cards of six different places to enable entry in these tabooed places.
Based on the auto-ethnographic approach extended with further primary and secondary research, making of the game involves collective efforts of me and my colleagues.
APPROACH
Research to understand context
Research Methodology
-Semistructured interviews
-Auto-Ethnography
Ideation &
Iteration
Devising
Game play
Prototype
&
Play testing
Card Game design
UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT (SECONDARY RESEARCH)
Secondary research was done to understand current scenarios regarding menstrual practices, education & awareness. Research findings are as follows.
RESEARCH
The research is for the most part auto-ethnographic. Pulling out from our personal experiences as women, using self-reflective exercises such as collectively creating diagrams related to our Dreams, Choices and Obstacles, helped us map out the game. There were semi-structured interviews carried out as well to gather qualitative data on the various obstacles adolescent girls/women face related to menstruation. The gameplay itself was an iterative process which was revised with every game test.
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Insights
1. Lack of conversations around menstruation in family & Peers and across genders.
2. Even though people are aware of the scientific menstrual process, they consider it impure.
3. Most menstruating people voluntarily or involuntarily have to abide by the taboos and prejudices set in place by institutions around them.
4. They feel shy or restricted to talk about menstruation and related taboos.
DESIGN INTERVENTION
Based on the research insights design intervention was derived to devise a game that can be played by teenagers, young adults and adults alike. Game is an effective, easy and fun way to approach the serious topic to start conversations and nudge behavioural chanage.
IDEATION & ITERATIONS
Taking forward the theme of Dreams, Obstacles and Choices in the context of menstruation, several game types were Ideated.
GAME PLAY
The gameplay is such that one enters the places that stereotype menstruating women or is inaccessible to them; such as a place of worship, sports field, workplace or school. Collective and cooperative actions can help break these prejudices and winning is possible, in the game as well as the real world.
Game Progression
When 6 powercards of a place is achieved as a group, the group enters that particular place
Types of cards
Place Cards
Power cards
Prejudice cards
Pioneer Cards
USER TESTING
The game was tested in four mixed groups with each group consisting 4-5 members. These groups consisted of faculty members, visitors at We the Women conference exhibit and our peers.
RELEVANCE TO SDGS
User testing in different groups
CONFERENCES & EXHIBITS
We The Women conference, Bangalore: 2018-
Exhibited ‘Period.’ a card game on menstruation at conference curated by Barkha Dutt, NDTV.
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LeNS International conference, Bangalore 2019
Co-authored and presented paper on ‘Period.’ game and its relevance to SDGs
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Unbound Journal: Conference on research in art design and culture, Bangalore 2018
Co-authored and presented paper on ‘Period.’ a card game on menstruation.
game designers- gayatri chudekar,Devik S, Nikita P., Sreya M.
