HIV TRANSMISSION THROUGH BREASTFEEDING
This thesis project uses 3D and 2D animation to communicate the risk of HIV transmission via breastfeeding to mothers living with HIV in Canada.
Knowledge of mother-to-child transmission is poor, and the cultural pressure to breastfeed has complex implications. It was essential that the science of transmission risk be conveyed in a clear and culturally sensitive manner, to allow women to make appropriate, informed decisions about whether or not to breastfeed. To accomplish this, a user-testing approach was adopted: all text and visual materials were presented for feedback to members of the target audience, healthcare providers, and representatives from Canadian HIV organizations in an iterative design process. Ongoing collaboration with the target audience helped us develop an animation with a wide diversity of characters, culturally sensitive metaphors, and nuanced descriptions of risk.
This video was awarded first place in the 2019 CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health Talks Video Competition.
In order to ensure that all information within the video is carefully contextualized, and provided alongside additional resources for patients, this video can be found below through a link to it’s home on the The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) site. The video has also been translated into French and Spanish, which can also be found via the OHTN webpage.
Clients:
Dr. Lena Serghides: PhD. Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI) Department of Immunology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Dr. Shelley Wall: AOCAD, MScBMC, PhD, FAMI. Biomedical Communications, Institute of Medical Science Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Marc Dryer: Hons BA, MSc, MScBMC. Biomedical Communications, Institute of Medical Science Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
TOOLS:
Autodesk Maya, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro
2019
Please click on the image above or follow this link to watch HIV Transmission Through Breastfeeding (2019).
WITH SPECIAL THANKS and MUCH GRATITUDE TO:
Women’s Health in Women’s Hands (WHIWH)
The Teresa Group
Women and HIV/AIDS Initiative (WHAI)
AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO)
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Canadian Paediatric & Perinatal HIV/AIDS Research Group (CPARG)
AIDS Committee of Ottawa (ACO)
Fundacion Huesped
and many others who so generously provided assistance and feedback
ADDITIONAL TRANSLATION AND NARRATION BY:
Santiago Sued
Omar Mussmano
Silvia Claisse
Johanne Colas
PROCESS WORK
literature review
I conducted research on the structure, mechanism of action, transmission of and treatment for HIV. I also mapped a basic trajectory of HIV transmission studies and treatment programs, specifically regarding breastfeeding, and the crucial changes in communication and policy in different countries over the years. I looked at qualitative research on the experiences of women living with HIV, and their knowledge about HIV, transmission, treatment and risk. This included interviews regarding experiences of stigma and the challenges around breastfeeding and the role and identity of motherhood. I also looked at visuals created by people living with HIV, as well as the visuals and messaging created for HIV awareness campaigns. This became the basis for determining the communication challenges of the animation, and a background for appropriately guiding focus groups.
SCRIPT
Throughout development, the script (as well as any other rough materials as they were created, including storyboards, animatic (rough animation), and character designs) were presented for feedback to members of the target audience, healthcare providers, and representatives from Canadian HIV organizations in an iterative design process. These check-ins took the form of focus groups, presentations with discussion, and circulation of materials via e-mail. At each round of feedback the script, animatic, and visual assets were revised, and sent for further comment.
STORYBOARDS
Storyboards were created to plot the visual flow of the animation. The characters, visual motifs, camera movements and environments were edited over several months based on many sources of feedback (members of the target audience, healthcare providers, and representatives from Canadian HIV organizations).
Two versions of the storyboards.
ANIMATIC
A rough animation - called an animatic - was then created to further plan the narration, scenes, animated elements and overall visual flow of the animation. This animatic was edited several times to incorporate feedback.
