Zafhir Nordin
© Zafhir Nordin

— PROJECT NAME

Changing The Narrative


— MEDIUM

Graphic Design

Print & Publication

User Experience


— DATE

30.05.2025

Changing the Narrative is a design-led intervention that uses humor, relatable characters, and discreet storytelling to make HIV testing less intimidating for Singapore university students. By shifting the tone from fear to confidence, it empowers students to embrace sexual health through playful, stigma-free, and user-centered communication strategies.



Built with Students,

For Students


This project was born out of a deep understanding that heterosexual university students in Singapore often face barriers, whether it's stigma, fear, or misinformation, when it comes to sexual health and HIV testing. To create something truly relevant and impactful, I knew I had to start with those at the center of the issue.

Through a series of focus groups with university students, I explored their concerns, perceptions, and experiences regarding sexual health and testing. 

These discussions provided a safe and open space for students to share their thoughts, what held them back from getting tested, what messaging felt approachable, and what would genuinely help them feel more empowered. 

Their honest feedback was invaluable in shaping the direction of this project, influencing everything from language choices to design decisions.

" If the results are positive, how am I going to deal with it?"

- Participants F3


" How hard will it be for me to get tested? Will it take along time? Do I have to go through rounds of it" -Participants F7

By collaborating closely with students, I ensured that "Changing the Narrative" wasn't just another awareness campaign, it became a conversation built with and for university students.

Their perspectives led to the development of an engaging, relatable intervention pack that prioritizes discretion, ease of access, and a stigma-free approach to sexual health education.

This project is a testament to the power of co-creation. When we listen to the people we aim to support, we create solutions that truly resonate and drive change

The Beginning

of Making

Grounded in student perspectives, I began shaping early concepts through low-fidelity prototyping. This was a period of experimentation, sketching layouts, mocking up possible testing kits, and exploring formats for how sexual health messages could be delivered more effectively. These raw ideas laid the ground. These raw ideas laid the groundwork for tools that are approachable, honest, and free from judgement.

Factor mapping


It becomes clear that psychological well-being resonates the most with my research compared to other well-being factors. This is because psychological well-being addresses critical elements such as fear, anxiety, and internalized stigma, all of which are central to the barriers preventing individuals from seeking HIV testing.

System Problem Mapping


Based on my readings, I observed that mindsets shaped by masculine norms and cultural misconceptions underlie the lack of urgency for HIV testing among heterosexuals.

Observation Analysis


It was necessary to observe and analyze the process of using an HIV self-test. From these observations, I found that the test itself was simple and painless, the instructions and packaging made the experience more challenging than expected. The multiple brochures felt overwhelming, and the small text size made them difficult to read.

low fidelity prototype 1


The Intervention Pack


User Testing


To further find areas of design improvements and to test current concepts, I conducted user testing with the same group of participants, where each participant was asked interact with both a low-fidelity prototype and existing test components. I tested packaging form and the format of instructions.

Rough sketches after feedback from user testing


Key findings: (1) All participants mentioned that should be a hierarchy(2) All participants found the oops proof advocate quiz engaging (3) All participants found that the game card was not needed (4) All participants understood the process of collecting the pack

Re-modeling the Intervention pack

Proposed

Outcomes

The project resulted in a multi-phase system including an interactive website, a character-based quiz, and a discreet, student-friendly Intervention Pack. These tools work together to make sexual health conversations more relatable, approachable, and empowering.





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