International prize to Master’s student from Södertörn University
How can interactive digital narratives contribute to women’s health in communities where information is sensitive? This is the core issue of Pakezea Anwar’s conference paper, which was awarded the Best Student Paper Award at the international ICIDS conference, 1–5 December 2005, in Malta.
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“This award means a great deal to me and confirms the value of combining academic research with empathetic and socially engaged design work. Going forward, I want to continue along the same research path in my doctoral studies, focusing on how AI and inclusive design can contribute to social change,” says Pakezea Anwar.
Anwar is currently completing her Master’s degree in User Experience and Interactive Media Design in Media Technology at Södertörn University. The prize recognises her groundbreaking research in culturally adapted health technology. The award was presented for a paper that examines how interactive digital narratives can be used to disseminate knowledge about women’s health in culturally restrictive contexts.
Prototype with symbolic storytelling
In her study, she focuses on the situation of Afghan women and the risks that may be associated with seeking health-related information. The paper, A Culturally Sensitive Interactive Digital Narrative to Promote Bodily Awareness Among Afghan Women External link, opens in new window., presents a prototype for a mobile app called Rah-e-Noor (“Path of Light”).
The study, which builds upon a combination of feminist Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and IDN design, creates “symbolic safety”, in which symbolic storytelling is employed to protect the user.
Design principles for real-world challenges
The app she has developed uses symbolic storytelling to discreetly convey information, with the aim of reducing the risk of surveillance or social consequences for the user. This is done through metaphors and visual symbols – such as using moon phases to represent menstrual cycles.
The paper was written as part of the Master’s programme in User Experience and Interactive Media Design at Södertörn University. The programme focuses on human-centred design, interaction design and digital media, and emphases both theoretical understanding and practical skills for creating meaningful digital experiences.
Her supervisor was Professor Hartmut Koenitz, who also co-authored the paper and is a leading expert in interactive digital storytelling (IDS). He believes that it shows how technology can be designed with consideration of both cultural and social circumstances.
“This award confirms the importance of designing technology that respects cultural complexity while also promoting fundamental health rights. Pakezea’s work shows how interactive digital storytelling’s theory and design principles can be applied to solve real challenges faced by marginalised groups,” says Koenitz.
ICIDS External link. is an international conference in interactive digital storytelling that brings together researchers, practitioners and artists from areas such as computer science, design, humanities and art. The Best Student Paper Award recognises exceptional research contributions from promising researchers in the field.
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