Designing sonko: an interactive game application exploring visual communication through user experience/user interface design based on child labour

Abstract

This study explored the role of interactive design, specifically user experience/user interface (UX/UI and game) design, in disseminating information about child labour focusing on scrap collection as a case study. It focuses on the visual aesthetics and functionality of interactive design and its potential to foster meaningful dialogues between users and products (Sonko). The research adopted a constructivist (learners construct knowledge rather than just passively take in information) perspective and employed Nikolov’s aesthetic theory of functional and aesthetic usability to analyse game and product (UX/UI) design construction. Using a qualitative case study methodology, participants were selected from various stakeholders, including truck drivers (TD), organisations, UX/UI designers, parents/guardians (PG), game users/centres, and children to uncover significant issues, consider user input, and enhance design outcomes. Data collection involved field observations, interviews, and document analysis, with thematic analysis used to identify patterns and themes. The findings shed light on different forms of child labour, such as scrap collection, and highlight the implications on children’s health and education with data triangulation enhancing data validity. The study also examined various communication modes for mitigating child labour, including traditional, social media, community-based initiatives, and stakeholder engagement. This influenced the study’s studio practice for interactive design (UX/UI) and exploration of their effectiveness when combined to communicate. In conclusion, the study identified widespread areas of child labour, emphasising the importance of parental guidance, community engagement, and advocating for sensitising children about scrap collection. It further recommended government and non-governmental involvement and exploration of the potential of incorporating sound and future technological developments, including Neuralink, to revolutionise user interfaces. It concludes by suggesting further research on cognitive processes, ethical considerations, and privacy concerns related to Neuralink.