Comics Jam: Creating healthcare and science communication comics – A sprint co-design methodology | Intellect Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Studies in Comics
  4. Volume 11, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 11, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2040-3232
  • E-ISSN: 2040-3240

Abstract

Educational and public information messages can be enlivened through the medium of comics, engaging readers not simply through the content, but through careful application of the attributes of the form. The creative and oftentimes collaborative processes used to create such comics benefit from the blending of different perspectives and expertise in order to ensure that the educational message is precisely calibrated. This article elucidates this argument in light of a suite of educational and public information comics produced by the authors as part of a multidisciplinary team from the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies (SCCS) at the University of Dundee, working with various external partners, and reflects on the methodological and pedagogical approaches embedded in this project. We argue that by using a participatory and iterative process that draws on some of the key elements of Jake Knapp’s concept of the design sprint, a prototype comic can be quickly developed that is informed by relevant scholarship and engages a diverse range of partners as co-designers, which can then be moved quickly to the final version. This process creates a feedback loop between research, practice and the various stakeholders, each of whom is empowered within the co-design methodology to contribute to the comic based on their expertise. This is driven by the operational logic of such projects, which bring together participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, to collaborate and co-design outputs at the interface between critical and creative investigation. In many cases, the comics that we have produced have been to a tight deadline, where the need for the comic is pressing, so the process partly emerged due to necessity, but became refined over the course of several years, evolving into a practice research approach combined with a sprint co-design methodology that embeds learning outcomes in the process as well as the output. Given the nature of this process, we took to describing this activity as a ‘Comics Jam’, and due to the city’s association with the three J’s of ‘jute’, ‘jam’ and ‘journalism’, the name sort of... stuck.

© 2020 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/stic_00020_1
2020-07-01
2024-04-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Boal, Augusto. ( 1995), The Rainbow of Desire: The Boal Method of Theatre and Therapy, London:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Dietrich, Timo,, Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn,, Schuster, Lisa, and Connor, Jason. ( 2016;), ‘ Co-designing social marketing programs. ’, The Journal of Social Marketing, 6:1, pp. 41–61.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Farinella, Matteo. ( 2018;), ‘ The potential of comics in science communication. ’, The Journal of Science Communication, 17:1, https://doi.org/10.22323/2.17010401. Accessed 3 March 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Findlay, Laura,, Doran, Heather,, Murray, Christopher,, Nabizadeh, Golnar,, Nic Daeid, Niamh,, Vaughan, Phillip, and Brown, Mark. (eds) ( 2020), Understanding Forensic Gait Analysis, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Horner, Rebecca. (ed.), ( 2018), The Gift: Transforming Lives through Organ Donation, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Herd, Damon. (ed.) ( 2016), Tackling Disability Hate Crime, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Herd, Damon. ( 2011), The Adventures of Ticking Boy, Kirkcaldy:: Ticking Boy Publications;.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Keiller, Andrew,, Kelly, Lynn,, Langlands-Scott, Judith,, Murray, Christopher,, Snape, Anja,, Snape, Jonathan B.,, Snape, Nik,, Warden, Freddie,, Whittingham, Bryan,, Balson, Elliot,, Dominiak, Zu,, Herd, Damon,, Horner, Rebecca,, Larkin, Ashling,, Millar, Norrie,, Robinson, Helen, and Wilson, Letty. ( 2017), Fibromyalgia and Us, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Jindal-Snape, Divya, and Larkin, Ashling. ( 2020), Pandemic Tales: Responses to COVID-19 and Lockdown, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Jindal-Snape, Divya, and Cantali, Dianne. ( 2019;), ‘ A four-stage longitudinal study exploring pupils’ experiences, preparation and support systems during primary–secondary school transitions. ’, British Educational Research Journal, 45:6, pp. 1255–78.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Davies, Dan,, Scott, Rosalind,, Robb, Anna,, Murray, Christopher, and Harkins, Christopher. ( 2018;), ‘ Impact of arts participation on children’s achievement: A systematic literature review. ’, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 29, pp. 59–70.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Hannah, Elizabeth F. S.,, Cantali, Dianne,, Barlow, William, and MacGillivray, Stephen. ( 2020;), ‘ Systematic literature review of primary–secondary transitions: International research. ’, Review of Education, 8:2, pp. 526–66.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Vettraino, Elinor,, Lowson, Amanda, and McDuff, Wilson. ( 2011;), ‘ Using creative drama to facilitate primary–secondary transition. ’, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, 39:4, pp. 383–94.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Jungst, Heike Elisabeth. ( 2010), Information Comics: Knowledge Transfer in a Popular Format, Frankfurt:: Peter Lang;.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. King, Grant,, Murray, Christopher,, Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Nabizadeh, Golnar,, Vaughan, Phillip,, Sinclair, Megan, and Herd, Damon. (eds) ( 2018), Let’s Talk about Suicide, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Knapp, Jake,, Zeratsky, John, and Kowitz, Braden. ( 2016), Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, New York:: Bantam Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Murray, Christopher. ( 2011), Champions of the Oppressed? Superhero Comics, Popular Culture, and Propaganda in America during World War II, Cresskill:: Hampton Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Murray, Christopher. ( 2019;), ‘ Comics studies at the University of Dundee: A transatlantic case study. ’, in D. Seelow. (ed.), Lessons Drawn: Essays on the Pedagogy of Comics and Graphic Novels, Jefferson:: McFarland & Company;, pp. 111–33.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Murray, Christopher, and Wilson, Letty. ( 2016), Understanding Evidence, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Murray, Christopher,, Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Horner, Rebecca, and Vaughan, Phillip. (eds) ( 2018), Close to the Heart, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Nabizadeh, Golnar. ( 2019), Representation and Memory in Graphic Novels, New York and London:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Nabizadeh, Golnar,, Murray, Christopher,, Jindal-Snape, Divya,, and Vaughan, Phillip. (eds) ( 2019), When People Die: Stories from Young People, Dundee:: UniVerse;.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Spiegel, Amy N.,, McQuillan, Julia,, Halpin, Peter,, Matuk, Camilla, and Diamond, Judy. ( 2013;), ‘ Engaging teenagers with science through comics. ’, Research in Science Education, 43:6, pp. 2309–26.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Herd, Damon,, Jindal-Snape, Divya,, Murray, Christopher, and Sinclair, Megan. ( 2020;), ‘ Comics Jam: Creating healthcare and science communication comics – A sprint co-design methodology. ’, Studies in Comics, 11:1, pp. 167–192, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/stic_00020_1
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/stic_00020_1
Loading
Comics Jam: Creating healthcare and science communication comics – A sprint co-design methodology
Studies in Comics 11, 167 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1386/stic_00020_1
/content/journals/10.1386/stic_00020_1
/content/journals/10.1386/stic_00020_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): co-creation; education; healthcare comics; public information comics; science communication; sprint methodology

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error