Wicked Probelms Studio Solution
Art Direction, Copywriting & Design
The brief of the Wicked Problems Studio asked us to find a way in which parents could have open and honest conversation with their children about sex and sexuality. The goal was to come up with a solution that gave children confidence in these subject areas from an early age, therefore preparing them for some of the more confronting situations that can arise in young adulthood.
Solution:
The research we engaged in gave rise to ideas around how we could encourage parents to explore conversations about sex and sexuality in a non-confrontational and fun way.
We wanted to be able to provide a platform which allows parents and their children to have the conversations in the comfort of their own home.
Our solution provides a format where parents can have open and regular conversations with their children from an early age, right up to adolescence.
The game is structured so that the young person or persons playing will pick up cards from their age group category and read the question on the card to prompt a response from their parents.
There are three age categories of questions to the game, the Icebreakers, Seekers and Matches, each with questions that cater for the age group. We have broken the age groups down into the brackets of 4 - 7, 8 to 11 and 12+ years of age with the idea of starting early as being an important factor. If a child is progressing and it feels appropriate, then a parent can choose to continue moving through the next age group categories as they see fit.
The Game:
The game begins by picking an Icebreaker card which asks questions that will build a comfortable and trustful environment for parents and children to talk in.
After the ice has been broken and everyone feels comfortable a Seeker card can be picked which consists of questions that ask the players to find a pair of Match cards.
The match cards are designed to be more relevant to sex and sexuality so that adults can begin the process of informing and open up discussion.
From this point there are no rules as to how often or how many cards can be pulled out, it is simply about having a place to begin.
If the adult is unsure, a QR code found on a seperate card can be scanned which takes you to a page that provides the answer and more useful information and resources that both the adult and the young person can explore.
The tone of the game and cards is fun, and light-hearted, creating the sense that conversations around sex and sexuality don’t need to be scary or awkward. Some examples of questions as the players delve further into the game could include, Where do you think babies come from? What is consent? And what is the best age to start your first relationship?
Through our research we found that children learn through play and this format allows for an easy and accessible way to introduce children to conversations around sex and sexuality while in a playful setting.