MTA PSA: Sexual Harassment
Parsons School of Design
Research and Development Methods
Professor Anze Zadel
Team: Calista Huynh, Maryam Baghirli, Royee Weng
PROJECT
Our assignment was to identify a problem and utilise research methods covered in class as a means of arriving at a design intervention. Our team, citing the increasing rate of sexual assault cases for women despite the widespread #MeToo movement, the lack of consensual sex education, and difficulty accessing available mental health support or resources, chose sexual harassment as our area of research.
CHALLENGE
How might we design solutions for nonprofits to improve their role to further support sexual assault victims/survivors and spread education and awareness?
How might this ultimately lead to a shift in our culture, in which females are comfortable reporting incidents of harassment and violence, and feel confident that their reports will lead to consequences?
OUTCOME
Through findings from research methods including in-depth interviews, mapping, cultural probes, a literature review, participant surveys, and an NGO interview, we were compelled to redesign the MTA advertisements frequently posted within New York City subways and stations. Observing how the language of existent PSAs were worded around preventing oneself from becoming a victim of a crime or assault, seemingly placing blame on victims, we redesigned a series of PSAs worded and targeted towards stopping or preventing a perpetrator of assault instead.
Research and Development Methods
Professor Anze Zadel
Team: Calista Huynh, Maryam Baghirli, Royee Weng
PROJECT
Our assignment was to identify a problem and utilise research methods covered in class as a means of arriving at a design intervention. Our team, citing the increasing rate of sexual assault cases for women despite the widespread #MeToo movement, the lack of consensual sex education, and difficulty accessing available mental health support or resources, chose sexual harassment as our area of research.
CHALLENGE
How might we design solutions for nonprofits to improve their role to further support sexual assault victims/survivors and spread education and awareness?
How might this ultimately lead to a shift in our culture, in which females are comfortable reporting incidents of harassment and violence, and feel confident that their reports will lead to consequences?
OUTCOME
Through findings from research methods including in-depth interviews, mapping, cultural probes, a literature review, participant surveys, and an NGO interview, we were compelled to redesign the MTA advertisements frequently posted within New York City subways and stations. Observing how the language of existent PSAs were worded around preventing oneself from becoming a victim of a crime or assault, seemingly placing blame on victims, we redesigned a series of PSAs worded and targeted towards stopping or preventing a perpetrator of assault instead.
Research & Process Deck Below
