sex + edu process

Dana Van Etten

gr600

fall 2016

Cover Type: Hardcover, Imagewrap Book Size: Standard Portrait 8x10 Page Count: 122 Paper Type: ProLine Uncoated (100# Text, Eggshell Texture)

sex + edu

Dana Van Etten

sex + edu

danavanetten@gmail.com

gr600 visual communications lab fall 2016

process

Table of contents

1 2

intro

3 4 5 6

sex + edu

7 8 9

Intro

reflection investigation topic

Photostudy words pictures meaning

Posters opinions visuals

Questions socratic questioning booklet

Connections mind map cards

Audience identification cards competition

Event

goals event materials final report

Video

proposal deck & script opportunities

Research sources

02

03

Lab 01

Introduction Reflection Investigation Topic

Free Write Journaling

01

04

05

lab 01

I I I I I I I

am am am am am am am

a a a a a a a

person. woman. mother. partner. student. feminist. sexual being.

sex + edu

I am a graphic designer.

06

07

This is my process.

My name is Dana and I’m an MFA student in Academy of Ar t Universit y’s graphic design program. I’m here to propose further exploration of a topic that is near to my heart.

Exploration

sex + edu

lab 01

To figure out what I am most passionate about I did some personal exploration.

I started with some self-reflection and automatic writing. I explored how I relate to the world, especially when it comes to which news and social media outlets that I read or follow the most. I began to list my passions and some of the problems that I am most concerned about. Once I completed the exercises, I boiled them down to five topics for investigation.

08

09

Topical

.

lab 01

Through the exploration phase, I was able to discover five topics for investigation, which I then narrowed down to one.

Gender neutral fashion

Color for all

Cannabidiol feminine products

Fashion for diverse bodies and androgynous taste is hard to find. Most gender neutral fashion is niche and unavailable to the mass market.

People struggle with color theory, even designers. Research reveals we make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds and that between 62%-90% of that assessment is based on color alone (colorcom.com).

Periods suck but are a part of many people’s lives. Though CBD is less taboo than it was, many are unaware of the physical and medical benefits.

I want to explore ways to raise awareness and the availabilit y of gender fluid clothing with design.

sex + edu

I want to explore ways in which color theor y can be made more applicable and less scar y for anyone through graphic design.

I want to explore ways in which the awareness and use of CBD can be promoted through design.

Art therapy

Sex positive education

Art therapy can be used to aid the treatment of mental illnesses as well as aid in ever yday stress.

Therapy isn’t ver y accessible, with most having to jump through many hoops to be referred to a professional.

Sex education is all over the place in America. Only 24 states require public schools to teach sex education and only 20 states require that if provided, sex education must be medically, factually or technically accurate.â ˇ

Self care is really impor tant to me and I want to explore ways to make art therapy more visible and accessible through design.

I want to investigate ways to raise the level of sex positive knowledge using graphic design.

010

011

Lab 02

Photostudy

50 cards 4 x 9 inches

02

012

013

Photostudy

sex + edu

lab 02

I t ypeset five abstract words that per tained to my topic of sex positive education onto cards.

For the sake of exploration and discovery, I carried them with me onto the streets of San Fransisco and Berkeley, photographing interesting relationships.

I modified an index card box that matched the color tones that I used for this lab to hold my finished cards.

0 14

015

sex + edu

intro

explore Sexuality is usually discovered through exploration. I made connections with technology and childhood.

natural Sexuality is a natural part of being a person. I found connections between nature and the juxtaposition of the unnatural.

016

017

safe

sex + edu

intro

Feeling safe is an important part of sex education and sexuality.

embody

018

embody How we express and represent our sexuality is impacted by our sex education.

019

intro sex + edu

whole Sex is fulfilling and can make us feel whole. I found interesting connections with mental health & body issues.

020

021

The words were further separated by different colors on the back of the cards.

Lab 03

Posters

3 Posters 11 x 17 inches

03

022

023

Opinionated

For this lab I developed visual representations of my opinions as they relate to the topic of sex positive education. I designed posters based on these opinions.

Sex positive + comprehensive sexual knowledge helps keep people safe and whole.

I explored ink and paper as well as digital illustration for this lab.

sex + edu

lab 03

For my visuals I began to explore dif ferent illustration styles and I started making color choices. I also began to develop and refine a topic statement, boiling my topic down to an easy to understand sentence:

024

025

I believe that all bodies are good bodies.

In my self-reflection exercises I noticed that I’m a big follower of the body positive movement. There are so many things that are normal and natural about bodies that we hide or hate because we don’t see it represented.

lab 03 sex + edu

Anything goes with consent.

There is so much judgment and hate when it comes to personal decisions. I think as long as someone is being safe and healthy, they should be free to do whatever they please with their bodies. Consent is an extremely impor tant par t of my topic.

026

027

Everyone is entitled to explore.

Our sexuality is something that we learn through exploration. I believe that if we aren’t allowed to explore, it can have negative effects on our mental health and sexual well being.

Lab 04

Questions

Booklet 08 x 10 inches

04

028

029

Questions

For this lab I asked questions about my topic. Using the Socratic Inquiry method I asked questions:

I further explored an organic illustration style, using rough line work.

sex + edu

lab 04

for clarification that probe assumptions that probe reasons and evidence about viewpoints and perspectives that probe implications and consequences questions about my questions.

Sex positive education

030

031

Comprehensive and shameless sexual knowledge helps keep people safe and whole.

Burning questions.

sex + edu

Our sexuality is such a deep part of who we are. Critical thinking, decision making, and exploration aren’t always encouraged when we hit puberty. I want to know how this affects us, especially those who grew up in a sex negative environment. Using the Socratic method, I asked some of the questions that came to mind while exploring this topic.

Clarification What is sex outside of reproduction?

What is sex?

What does sex positive mean?

What does sex positive mean for children?

In regards to sex education, how does one separate sexualization and sexuality?

What does sex positive mean for adults? Seniors?

What does sex positive mean for the general public as a whole?

How does sexual well being affect mental health?

How does sex positivity effect how one functions in the world?

How does sex positivity relate to feminism?

How is sex positivity lived out?

Who cares about sex positivity?

Who needs my topic?

Why do they care? In what ways do they care?

Do they act on that care?

What is sex negative?

032

033

Assumptions Does being sex positive relate to feminism?

What makes them uncomfortable?

How do religious beliefs affect sex positivity? Am I assuming that it does?

In which way could I discuss my topic with those who are uncomfortable?

Or should making them uncomfortable be a part of my process/topic?

I am approaching sex positivity from a more liberal perspective, can it be approached conservatively? Would that work?

Am I assuming people are comfortable with my topic?

Should this topic be approached from the home or institutional level? Or both?

Am I assuming that body positive & sex positive are closely related?

Am I assuming sex positivity would help with body image issues?

Evidence Is the availability of sex positive education related to socioeconomic status?

Or gender? Or geography?

sex + edu

Does sex negativity contribute to rape culture?

Is there evidence for that?

Do you need to be a psychologist or specialist to approach my topic?

Is suicide linked to growing up in a sex negative environment?

How many people are getting sex positive education?

How many schools are teaching sex positive education?

Does being educated in sex positive ways reduce teen pregnancy, STDs, etc? Is there evidence for that?

Perspectives How does the media portray sex positivity?

I’m approaching this topic from a cis feminine white perspective, how can I make it more inclusive?

How does sex positivity apply to men?

Do men feel the need for sex positivity?

How do parents of adolescent children view sex positivity?

How does self expression fit into sex positivity?

Are there good role models that exemplify sex positivity?

Implications How would increasing sex positive education improve family relations?

What does sex positive education cost?

Would sex positive education reduce unwanted pregnancies?

Does body awareness & acceptance allow for more creativity?

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035

sex + edu

How does sexual wellbeing affect mental health?

reach out.

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037

I’m approaching this topic from a cis white perspective.

How can I make it more inclusive?

sex + edu

How is sex positivity lived out?

Sex positivity is the idea of informed consent and agency within one’s sexuality.

Sex positivity aims to remove stigma and shame from all sexual choices.

1:5 women are sexually assaulted.

Shame

is the most common feeling shared by assault victims.

Do men feel the need for sex positivity?

038

039

In which way could I discuss my topic with those who are uncomfortable?

sex + edu

Or should making them uncomfortable be a part of my process/topic?

Does body awareness, acceptance , and ownership allow for more creativity?

Sex and creativity can both be driven by passion.

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041

sex + edu

intro

042

043

Lab 05

Connections

Mind Map 18 cards 5 x 8 inches

05

044

045

sex + edu

lab 05

Connections Finding new insights and interesting connections within the topic of sex positivity was important to expanding my compartmentalized view. I started with a large mind map and I put sex positive education at the center. I then broke my topic down into six categories:

environmental impact economic impact political impact cultural impact personal impact and psychological impact.

046

The mind map is a large scale accordion book approximately 72 inches by 24 inches tall.

047

control

Control In the patriarchal system, women are confronted with pink washing and luxury taxes. Women have to pay more for necessary items that affect their health & sexual well-being.

purity

+

+

+ +

Purity The United States is a nation founded

by Puritans. Their notion of sex as anti-church, secular, and shameful still affect our culture today. Virginity is a social construct.

+

lab 05

+

+

tech

sex + edu

pleasure

Pleasure Female bodies and pleasure have been taboo for quite sometime. Because of the media, many women are unaware of their own anatomy and the existence of pleasure outside of penetration.

+

Pleasure Sex and technology is a new frontier.

For example, the website OMGYES teaches female sexuality, where the user can touch and interact with the instructional videos.

ecofeminism

vulnerability

+

Ecofeminism includes seeing the female body as natural. It is being lived out through the increased development of reusable feminine products such as THINX.

+

+

Vulnerability The social media landscape for feminism and sex positivity is huge.

Artists and women are using their vulnerability to empower others to be more accepting of themselves.

+

+ +

longevity

complementarianism

Longevity Sex education is often seen as a one time event.

However, sex education should be seen as a lifelong process.

Age does not define one’s sexuality.

Complementarianism Longtime cultural norms tell us that we’re here to fill specific roles.

Traditionally, these roles aren’t inclusive of those who don’t fit within those norms. Rather than this black and white view, sex positivity favors a spectrum.

048

049

research

vessel

Research It wasn’t until 2009 that scientists discovered that there is an internal clitoris. Perhaps the scientific world is too patriarchal.

lab 05

Vessel In porn, where most first learn about sex, women are treated as vessels for man’s pleasure. This very violent display of female bodies promotes rape culture and mysogony.

self-aware

sex + edu

safe

+ + +

+ + +

Safe Historically, sex has been thought as catastrophic.

This was amplified by the AIDs epidemic in the 80s. Research has shown that fear mongering is a terrible form of prevention.³

Self-aware Self awareness is important to sex positivity as well as knowing your sexual values.

Being a sexual being doesn’t always mean sexually active.

identity

heteronormativity

Identity Longtime cultural norms tell us that we’re here to fill specific roles.

Traditionally, these roles aren’t inclusive of those who don’t fit in. Rather than this black and white view, sex positivity favors a spectrum.

Heteronormativity Heteronormative economic structures don’t allow for an inclusive workforce and labor market.

They do reinforce traditional values and complementarianism

+ + +

responsibility

normalize

+

+

Responsibility There is a debate about where the responsibility of sex education lies.

The government leads most of the discussion when it comes to sex.

Research shows that parents are by far better sex educators.⁶ Normalize Adolescents are naturally sexual beings, it is part of their biology.

Sexuality needs to be normalized so that their sexual values aren’t based on porn and fantasy.

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lab 5

counter

Counter It’s okay to be sex negative but you should know where those feelings come from. Often times it’s easier to talk about the mechanics of sex rather than our values that surround it.

communication

Communication “Everything great in life & business is born out of great communication.

Sex is no different”⁴

sex + edu

­– Cindy Gallop

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Lab 06

Audience Competitors

8 cards 3.370 x 2.125 inches

06

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Identity At this point in my process, I began to put names and faces to the audience that I will try to empathize with and design for.

Sexuality is an important part of our identity at all stages of our lives. I developed my audience with those who found their sex education lacking, non-existent, or negative.

sex + edu

lab 06

Channeling the vernacular of identification cards that people carry in their wallets, I designed eight cards. Each persona is developed as an archetype. Two of the personas live outside my topic and are shown to represent those who fall beyond the scope of my project.

the frat boy the available grandma the middle schooler the assault survivor the modest mom the student parent the sex educator the celibate

I sourced a wallet which would fit the identification cards that I had made. I also created an introductory card that goes in the front.

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sex + edu

lab 06

Identity 01

the frat boy parties hard grew up conservative finding himself

02

the available grandma recently widowed seeking fulfillment nonjudgmental

03

the middle schooler entering puberty self-discovering needs a safe space

04

the assault survivor new career afraid to commit rediscovering identity

05

the modest mom conservative married 30 yrs involved in her teenagers lives

06

the student parent learning open-minded empathetic

07

the sex educator knowledgeable self-actualized comfortable

08

the celibate religious decided unwavering

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Competition

sex + edu

lab 06

Who

What Bitch media runs print and digital media.

While it’s main intent is to respond to pop culture through feminism, it does touch heavily on sex positivity and body image issues.

Magazine (print) Podcast Activism + events

The FSPC believes the uses of sex extend beyond reproduction.

In a sex positive world, everyone has the freedom and resources to pursue a fulfilling and empowering sex life.

Education program Events Newsletter Art exhibition

Good Vibrations is a store that sells sex toys and other sexually related items. Their focus is education and body awareness. They run frequent events and provide a shame free environment.

Sex toys Safe environment Education Events Loyalty app

Sex Nerd Sandra is a podcast that explores the landscape of sexuality in a positive way. Sandra also speaks at college groups, appears in shows, on news panels, and teaches pleasure based workshops.

Podcast Educational events Workshops Blog

She Bop is a womenowned sex toy store in Portland. They specialize in body safe products education.

Their mission is to promote healthy and safe sexuality. They offer quality products and educational events in an inclusicve space.

Sex toys Education Events

Social media Web App

Grounded in principles of social justice and anti-oppression, Shameless aims to inspire, inform, and advocate for young women and trans youth. They focus on sex positivity and young adults.

Magazine (print) Blog

A frank, educational, and instructional website about female sexuality. Their focus is to demystify female sexuality and to have conversations around it. Everything is backed by research.

Media channel “Touchable� video

Seeking a deeper understanding of the world, Ted employs expert speakers on the topic of sexuality.

Speaking events Books

Thinx is all about breaking the taboo around periods and is a ver y sex positive company. They use trans models in their advertising.

Underwear + Feminine products Blog

Sex Positive is an application designed at Oregon State University. It is marketed as a shamefree sex education app that highlights consent and partner communication.

Mobile app

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Lab 07

Event

Invitation Event Materials Planning Guide Final Report

07

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The talk The purpose of the event The Talk, was to gather a group of people together to discuss their experiences with sex ed.

lab 07

I wanted to gain insights about their experience, both the negative & the positive. I also wanted to be able to create some content both writ ten and visual with this event.

sex + edu

Front

Back

Invitation For the most part, my invitation lived on Facebook. I did create a small 4 x 4 inch print version of the invitation. I wanted to play on the language that parent s use when they’re ready to talk to their child(ren) about sex.

I wanted the event to look legitimate and intimate at the same time. I designed a visual system for the event that used colors and the illustration style from previous labs. I combined soft illustrations with strong type. Of course, I mentioned the food and wine.

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Event materials

lab 07

To make the event seem legitimate to my attendees, I designed printed materials for them to hold and experience while at The Talk. I further developed the visual identit y of the event and carried across name tags, informational booklets, a planning guide, and wine labels.

sex + edu

Name tags Hand stitched notebooks doubled as name tags.

The squares on the front are playing with the concepts of pixelated censorship and identity.

Planning guide The planning guide and informational booklet carr y over elements from the visual language of the invitation but the colors are inversed so that there is a clear distinction and contrast amongst the materials.

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Final report: the anatomy of the talk The final report is the distillation of the discussion and content that I was able to gather from The Talk.

sex + edu

lab 07

I gathered quite a bit of content from my attendees and decided to go with a printed book format. The visual language of the final report is built off of the event materials.

I chose to present the book with some elements from anatomy textbooks. There are forms presented with the call outs in Latin. In the singular version of The Anatomy of The Talk, there are transparent pages that overlay the words of the attendees.

+ Sections

1

about information resources

2

ho¡mi¡nem

3

anatomy

4

epilogue

moderator physical guests digital guests

the body + sex education

conclusion special thanks

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sex + edu

intro

I carried over the visual system that I had developed for the event to the final report.

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sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

about

1

in¡di¡cina information

This is the anatomy of an event that took place where people came together to talk about their sex education experiences.

The event was held by a graduate student working on their thesis and their MFA in graphic design.

When thinking of a problem that needs solutions and help with graphic design, positive sex education is at the top of the list.

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Comprehensive and shameless sexual knowledge helps keep people safe and whole.

danavanetten@gmail.com behance.net/danavanetten

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Sex positivity is the idea of informed consent + agency within one’s own sexuality.

Sex positivity aims to remove stigma + shame from all sexual choices.9

Only 24 states require schools to teach sex ed.

Only 20 of those are required to provide medically accurate information.â ˇ

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+ Resources

For Goodness Sex Al Vernacchio, I love Female Orgasm Dorian Solot & Marshall Miller Girls & Sex Peggy Orenstein Sex From Scratch Sarah Mirk Too Hot to Handle Jonathan Zimmerman ted.com makelovenotporn.com globalequality.org thecspc.org ncsl.org

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

attendees

2

ho¡mi¡nem person

Dana Van Etten The Moderator California Age 28 Student

hos·pes host

Dana has always been curious about sex and

why there isn’t always healthy conversation

that didn’t really discuss sexuality.

Their early sex education was decent but when it came to high school, the program was lacking. They want a future for their child that sees sex as a normal and healthy part of life.

around it. Thier sex ed wasn’t comprehensive

but better than some.

Dana is working on their MFA in graphic design, They have one child and are passionate about people living lives that are free of body and sexual shame. They were raised in a conservative home for the most part

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Aaron Eaves The Intellectual Florida Age 28 Student

ho¡mi¡nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Aaron comes from a diverse background

that while conservative, was very open about sexuality. This attitude normalized sex and bodies for them and they are very comfortable sharing their experiences.

and is highly academic. They received their

gender, race, sexual orientation, political beliefs, etc. Aaron has an appreciation for the human experience and loves sharing conversations with others about anything. They grew up in a home,

sex education in the Southern United States

through a public school.

Aaron is working on their MDiv to become an interfaith chaplain.

They are extremely passionate about their love for God and Nature.

Their religion of choice is Mysticism.

They loves people regardless of

the anatomy

pru¡dens insight

My parents were very open + proactive when it came to talking about sex.

It made sex a normal thing for me.

People who come from sex positive families seem to view sex as normal and don’t struggle with body image issues as much as those who grow up in sex negative environments.

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Alexa Frazier The Traveler Washington DC Age 60 Student

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Alexa grew up in a ver y free-spirited home in

They grew up in a household where sex was everywhere. One of their parent figures never had the same partner for very long. They felt pressure to be a very straight and very sexual person.

the 70’s. They are continuing their education

an advocate for their comprehensive sex ed program that starts teaching members of their church at a very young age and continues throughout adulthood. They have a teenage son who is currently taking the program.

and they are working on their mDIV while

traveling the countr y.

Alexa is a parent and a student.

They grew up in Washington DC and is currently studying part time in Berkeley while traveling the country.

Alexa is part of the UCC church which is very sex positive. They are

pru¡dens insight

Whenever a student got caught writing a dirty word at school, it was defined on the blackboard.

Children are naturally curious about sex and bodies. When they act out because of this curiosity, it is helpful to use it as an educational moment rather than quieting their interests.

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Jennifer Fernandez The Straight Shooter Florida Age 39 Student

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Jennifer’s parents were immigrants who

came from a culture that didn’t typically

school that only taught about the

and gender. They went to public school and didn’t learn much from their sex education program, most of it was based on mechanics and science and they felt they weren’t ready to learn about it at that level.

talk about sex. They went to public

scientific aspect of sex.

Jennifer is a doctoral student who is working on their doctorate in ethics and theology. As a first-generation Cuban-American, they value diversity in education. This extends to education surrounding sexuality

pru¡dens insight

The sex education that my school provided was very scientific, so I had no interest in it.

Young children aren’t always ready to learn about sex in a scientific manner. When they do become sexually active later on, they are unprepared.

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Steve Birmingham The Joker California Age 52 Business Owner

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Kate’s parents never talked about sex or even

since Steve had any sex education, so they doesn’t remember much.

They tried to raise their children with the same religious beliefs around sexuality but it caused more hurt and negativity than good.

romantic relationships. They learned about sex

through their own personal experiences.

Steve is small business owner who grew up in a conservative town and family. Their parents grew up in the south and had very traditional views when it came to sex. Sex was only meant for marriage. It’s been a while

pru¡dens insight

I can’t imagine my parents ever talking about sex. We had to learn everything on our own.

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The lack of transparency around sex while growing up can cause an individual to do the same when they become parents.

Kate McFarlane The Feminist Delaware Age 26 Student

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Kate’s parents never talked about sex or

even romantic relationships. They learned

norms is very important. They define themselves as non-binary when it comes to gender. They grew in a household that was very quiet when it came to sex and relationships.

about sex through a rather comprehensive

sex ed program at a Quaker school.

Jennifer is a doctoral student who is working on their doctorate in gender and theology. They have experience as an associate pastor.

They are a roller derby referee and think that breaking gender

pru¡dens insight

My family never talked about anything sex or anything relationship oriented.

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Sometimes the lack of discussion around sex can lead to an eagerness to explore ones sexuality with great enthusiasm. While it might alienate one from their family, it isn’t necessarily always a negative outcome.

Stephen Van Etten The Includer California Age 29 Student

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Stephen grew up in a religious home. He still

conservative church congregation.

Growing up, most of their learnings about sex were based around sin and purity. They are still dismantling this viewpoint.

can’t imagine having a conversation about

sex with his father.

Stephen is working on their master’s degree in philosophy and theology.

They take great interest in how theology and sexuality work together. They grew up in a conservative family and a very

pru¡dens insight

Most of my sex ed was learned through my brothers and tv which wasn’t very comprehensive.

When sex education is learned from porn (or others who have learned it through porn) it can create narrowed and unrealistic views of sex and sexuality.

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Shelley Birmingham The Delegater California Age 50 Registered Nurse

ho·mi·nem person physical guest

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Shelley’s parents did not talk about sex,

that. They no longer hold people to such high standards of purity especially after experiencing their young daughter’s teen pregnancy.

at all. They went to a private Catholic

used to be, they have conservative views of sex and belongs to a nondenominational church. They didn’t really talk to their children about sex much while they were growing up and they have some regrets about

school where sex was presented as

dangerous and sinful.

Shelley is a registered nurse who works in a management position.

They have three children and they are slightly uncomfortable talking to them about sex. While they are much more open minded than they

pru¡dens insight

The only sex ed that I had was all about STDs. When my friends became sexually active, I was worried they were all going to have diseases.

When sex education is centered around fear and all the negative things that can happen when a person has sex, it can make sex seem dangerous and unnatural.

Anxiety and fear can become a large part of someone’s sex life.

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pil¡or¡um hair

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

favorite par t

lin¡gua tongue favorite par t

The attendees rated and then drew their favorite and least favorite body parts as part of a body positivity activity.

re·tror·sum back favorite par t

ocu·lor·um eyes favorite par t

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fa·ci·em face favorite par t

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

in¡ta¡mae intimate intimate conversation went well with wine and chocolate.

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sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Attendees were provided with supplemental booklets containing resources and the body positivity activity.

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Food & drink Wine, chocolate, and cheese pairings were the first thing ready for the attendees once they arrived.

Ambiance The lights were kept low and the seating was eclectic and comfortable.

Monica Christine Torres-Arellano Florida Age 26 Student

ho¡mi¡nem person digital attendee

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

Monica had a lot of questions about sex

sexuality. They grew up right before the Internet was very accessible so they gathered most of their sex education from the library.

growing up and she had to fight hard to get

the answers that she wanted.

Monica is working on their MFA in graphic design. They grew up in a religious household but was alway inquisitive about sex and sexuality.

Because of their religious upbringing, they had some fear of sex and

pru·dens insight

My parents didn’t talk to me about sex and we didn’t learn much in school.

I was always trying to find information.

Children are hungr y for information.

Sometimes they might go looking in the wrong places if it isn’t provided.

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Andrea Safar California Age 28 Student Educator

ho·mi·nem person digital attendee

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

their families beliefs, they can’t always be thier most authentic self around them and often have to hide parts of thier life. They still struggle with issues around shame and guilt.

Andrea’s family is Christian Orthodox which

does not allow room for sexual diversity.

Andrea is working on their teaching credentials. They have a degree in theater management. They believe that people should be able to have sexual freedom as long as they are being true to themselves. Due to

pru¡dens insight

My parents were from a culture where sex is very taboo and only meant for marriage between a man + a woman.

Growing up in a home where sexuality is taboo can cause deep seated fears about breaking that taboo.

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Shannon Smith Alaska Age 24 Illustrator

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

They are trying to learn more and have recently started illustrating erotic graphic novels to explore their sexuality.

Shannon didn’t learn much outside of the

Their parents didn’t talk about it either. Though they are married and have a new baby they still don’t understand much about sex and sexuality outside of the mechanics.

mechanics of sex. She’s just starting to

explore her sexuality.

Shannon grew up in a conservative Lutheran home in Alaska. They have a degree in visual communications and graphic design. They can only recall two different times their school talked to them about sex.

pru¡dens insight

I’m still hiding parts of myself from my family.

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0103

Lack of discussion and education can cause people to hide parts of themselves, even from the people they love the most.

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

we have more love for our bodies when we are taught that bodies are normal.

sen¡tio feeling

when we are given comprehensive information about sexuality that encompasses diverse way of living and consent we think better of ourselves and our decisions.

co¡gi¡tari thought

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It affects how we think of ourselves, how we feel about ourselves, and how we relate to others.

Sex positive education helps people live shame free and whole lives.

we are more accepting and welcoming of others if we learn that there is more than one way to express and live sexuality.

pen¡i¡tus interact

sex + edu: anatomy of the talk

epilogue

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fin¡is end

+ Conclusion Sexuality is a big part of who we are.

Our sexual identity is influenced by the sex education experiences that we have, through school or family, while we are growing up.

Paying attention to the sex education experiences of others has only reinforced how important it is to present sex and sexuality as healthy and normal to those wanting to know more.

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+ Thanks Thank you to everyone who shared such intimate pieces of themselves.

Thank you for your time and your stories. You are all beautiful.

Lab 08

Proposal video

Design Deck Script Opportunities Project Summary

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Proposal video I propose to take the topic of sex positive education into Thesis Development.

Here I present a short form video that contains some explanation of my topic, what the problems within my topic are, who my topic is for, and I present design opportunities.

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Slow but positive music.

Squares and rectangles gently float towards each other.

Once the rectangles touch they expand to fill the frame.

Let’s have the talk.

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Less than half of schools in the United States

are required to teach sex education.

and those that do aren’t always held responsible for accurate information. 6

sex + edu

lab 08

01

The enlarged black rectangle rolls across the frame as a transitional element.

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In the home, most parents are uncomfortable with taking on the responsibility of these conversations.â ś

The rolling rectangle rolls over the house animation as it falls down.

Instead of the talk, let’s have the conversations.

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So growing up we learn how to behave; we are taught a sense of responsibility, work ethic, and social etiquette. . .

but no one teaches us how to behave in bed.

Instead we learn to feel shame when it comes to our bodies and sexuality.

The letterforms fall off the bottom of the frame.

The words are crossed out by animated strikes.

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Sex positivity counters that with the philosophies of agency and consent.

With stigma removed from all choices.

The word yes is animated to appear as though it’s being written in.

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Building off the period, the rectangles fill the frame as a transition element.

The way I see it, comprehensive and shameless sexual knowledge helps keep people safe and whole.

The pupil expands to fill the frame.

The eye is animated to blink.

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Parents and educators are connected to the lack of sex education.

When children and young adults are taught about sex and their bodies in a formal setting they are often provided with sex negative education. When they’re curious, they turn to their friends and the internet.

Kids as young as six are stumbling across porn.⁸ Porn provides a very unrealistic, one-sid-ed, and mechanical view of sex.

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And often has undertones of misogyny, rape culture, and promotes body image issues.

How do we discover our values around sexuality when we don’t have basic knowledge?

We reach out.

lab 08

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sex + edu

The letterforms fall off the bottom of the frame.

The letterforms fall off the bottom of the frame.

The hands animate as though they are being drawn in.

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“Most of my sex education was learned through my brothers and tv. It wasn’t very comprehensive.”

“Whenever a student got caught writing a dirty word at school, it was defined on the blackboard.

It normalized taboo’s for me.”

“The only sex ed that I had was all about STDs. When my friends became sexually active, I was so worried they were all going to have diseases.”

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Talking about sex is how we discover our values and how we learn about it. Sex ed shouldn’t be limited to one or two events because:

“Everything great in life and business is born out of great communication.”

“Sex is no different.”

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I plan to better communicate sex positive education through design.

I would also like to develop printed materials for parents that target what they should be talking to their children about based on age.

Finally I would like to create a retail and educational space that presents sex related products in a way that is normalizing and inclusive.

I propose to design a comprehensive and interactive app for parents and young adults that provides positive sex education.

The design opportunity mockups slowly float up the screen as though they are weightless.

The final design opportunity mockups land on a shelf, then slow fade out.

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Instead of the talk, let’s have the conversations.

Sex positive education. Identity.

Values. Communication.

The animation style follows the same as the first sequence.

End.

lab 08

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Design opportunities

sex + edu

I propose three design opportunities that I think will help improve the problems around sex ed.

App I plan to better communicate sex positive education through design.

I propose to design a comprehensive and interactive app for parents and educators that provides positive sex education.

0 1 14

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Print

sex + edu

intro

I would also like to develop printed materials for parents that target what they should be talking to their children about based on age.

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Environment

sex + edu

intro

Finally I would like to create a retail and educational space that presents sex related products in a way that is normalizing and inclusive.

Project summary

Less than half of schools in the United States are required to teach sex education, and not all of them are held responsible for accurate information. 7 Also, most parents are uncomfortable with taking on the responsibility of these conversations. 6 When children and young adults want to learn about sex and their bodies they are either provided with sex negative education or they turn to the internet and media. A recent study shows that children are coming in contact with porn as early as the age of six.8 Coming in contact with porn at a young age provides a very unrealistic, one-sided, and mechanical view of sex.

Porn often promotes misogyny, rape culture, and body image issues.

Research shows that sex positive education is best taught at home. 6 Parents, educators, and adolescents are all connected to the lack of sex positive education.

I propose to design a comprehensive and interactive application for parents and young adults that provides positive sex education. I would also like to develop a printed curriculum guide for parents that targets what they should be teaching based on their child(ren)s age(s).

Finally I would like to create a retail and educational space that presents sex related products in a way that is normalizing and inclusive.

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Research

Blog Movie Book Expert Stakeholder Wildcard

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Research 01

The blog Savage Love Dan Savage thestranger.com

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The film Sex (ed)

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The book Too Hot to Handle Jonathan Zimmerman

sex + edu

sources

04 The expert Cindy Gallop ted.com makelovenotporn.com 05

The stakeholder Public educators

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The wildcard Al Vernacchio For Goodness Sex

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State Legislature ncsl.org

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usatoday.com

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colostate.edu

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advocatesforyouth.org

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Sex positive + comprehensive sexual knowledge helps keep people safe and whole.