Consider yourself lucky if you have a toilet at your home, because one in three people worldwide, that’s 2.4 billion people globally, have no access to modern sanitation facilities. Of these 2.4 billion, an astonishing 946 million people defecate in the open. Open defecation is threatening survival rates and other health measurements of children living in rural areas of developing countries. In this lightning talk, I’ll describe a game-based approach to addressing this challenging public health issue.
Doo Doo Dash is a simple, single-player mobile game that teaches kids (ages 6-9) the health dangers associated with exposure to feces, and the importance of using toilet facilities for defecation. The message of the game is simple: open defecation is bad; it makes people sick. The game ensures long-term behavior change by addressing psychological principles in the Theory of Planned Behavior. Want to learn more about Doo Doo Dash and how you can design for social change? Come to this lightning talk, where we will discuss the game in detail to inspire a larger conversation around designing for social impact.
