Master of Fine Arts Thesis: SexEd Mobile App

Human-centered design for sexual education

Person holding a smartphone displaying a sex education app with a purple condom illustration and an Enter button.

Overview

For my Master of Fine Arts Thesis, "Promoting Wellness and Reducing Stigma Through Accessible Sexual Education: A Human-Centered Design Approach," I tackled the complex challenge of modernizing health education.

The project culminated in the comprehensive research, design, and prototyping of a holistic mobile application, alongside a physical gallery exhibition.

2017 – 2018

Role

MFA Candidate / Lead UX Researcher & Designer

Thesis committee chair

Dr. Deana McDonagh

Scope

Academic research, persona development, wireframing, high-fidelity UI design, physical prototyping, and exhibition design.

The Research

Diagnosing the stigma

The foundation of the thesis required extensive qualitative and quantitative research into the gaps within current sexual education systems. I discovered that young adults often faced fragmented, highly stigmatized, and medically dense information. The goal was to use human-centered design to create a platform that was medically accurate, yet approachable, inclusive, and engaging.

Lower torsos of five people standing side by side wearing casual clothes above text about STI statistics in ages 15-24.

Infographic listing three factors contributing to STD issues: Lack of Knowledge, Inaccessible Information, and Social Stigma, with brief explanations for each.

Text stating CDC estimates over 110 million STIs in the US, 20 million new cases yearly, costing $16 billion in direct medical costs, with a background of contraceptive and medical device line drawings.

Black-and-white photo of a crowded urban street with people walking away from the camera, above text explaining the impact of stigma related to STD prevalence in the US.

The digital product

Designing the SexEd app

I translated my academic research into a tangible digital product, developing a vibrant, accessible mobile application from the ground up.

HPE GreenLake web interface showing the Devices tab under Assets with a table listing eight devices including status, name, serial number, model, location, type, support level, support expiration, tags, and actions.

HPE GreenLake Support documentation page with options to resolve billing, product, subscription issues, learn product use, and access guides, videos, and partner help.

Six mobile app screens for a sex education supplement showing topics like sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, safe sex, communication, and quizzes.

Collage of eight mobile app screens about STDs and sexual health information, showing sections on basic info, transmission, symptoms, and talking to doctors and partners.

Eight mobile screen mockups showing detailed information and images about different birth control methods including barrier methods, short-term contraceptives, long-term contraceptives, emergency contraception, sterilization, and fertility awareness with effectiveness rates and descriptions.

Smiling woman with glasses seated at a table with a laptop, surrounded by colorful educational posters and small plush toys representing viruses.

Smartphone displaying 'Sex Ed, a supplement to sex education' with an enter button, surrounded by colorful plush toys and cartoon character cards.

The Exhibit

Translating digital to physical

The culmination of the project was the 2018 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition. I designed a physical gallery installation that brought the digital app to life.

The exhibit featured large-scale illustrations and stickers, interactive physical prototypes, and branded apparel, allowing viewers to physically interact with the human-centered design process.

Exhibit room with wall text reading 'SEX ED' surrounded by colorful cartoon microbes, white t-shirts with microbe characters on hangers, a mannequin wearing a t-shirt and teal pants, and a screen displaying information.

Exhibit wall displaying six white t-shirts with cartoon STD characters and messages like 'Get Tested' hung alongside colorful cartoon STD-themed artwork and a mannequin wearing a white t-shirt and teal pants.

Exhibition wall with T-shirts featuring cartoon characters, a mannequin wearing a banana-themed shirt, colorful microorganism illustrations, a screen displaying data, and text about reducing stigma through sexual education.

A woman interacts with a mobile device on a pedestal in a museum exhibit featuring colorful cartoon microbes and text about promoting wellness and accessible sexual education.

Two people interacting with a touchscreen device on a white pedestal, in front of a wall with colorful sexual health education illustrations and text.

Master of Fine Arts Thesis: SexEd Mobile App

Overview

Role

Thesis committee chair

Scope

Diagnosing the stigma

Designing the SexEd app

Persona development

Wireframing the architecture

High-fidelity UI

Translating digital to physical

Women's Care Associates

Let’s build something that actually converts.