Community Service Initiative CSI
WEEK 01 - Introduction
This Community Service Initiative (CSI ) module is the government's initiative to better equip students to be better citizens upon graduating. And this time, our CSI will be different from the previous attempts due to us vowing to #stayathome until the great plague has passed. This opens us up for a new experience in helping the community via digital means of communication.
This year The Design School @ Taylor's batch will be collaborating with Cybersecurity Malaysia (CSM), a National ICT Security and Emergency Response Centre which monitors the National e-Security aspect under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
I am pretty excited because I get to collaborate with the government and listen to their representative's presentation in the following class. All I know is that we have to come up with digital art to spread awareness on cybersecurity issues.
Before the class, my group (Boh, Sharon, Sher Rou and me) discussed via Zoom on which issues we wanted to tackle after browsing the Cybersecurity's community webpage.
To kick start our discussion, I shared my research encounters with Jeni Cross's TED talk about behavior change in advertisements.
Okay, I'll come back to this later, but keep your answer in mind first.
After that, I had a fun time together especially to see the reaction of my groupmates (both excited and confused) after I mentioned the word "grooming". Suddenly, Sharon and Sher Rou started talking passionately about videos and even series like the 90 Days Fiancé that focused on the dangers of online dating and catfishing while Boh looked confused as usual.
In the end, we finalized our findings and decided to go for cyber grooming awareness targeting children as most children in Malaysia are not aware of such subtle dangers of the internet.
Yes, back to my question. The answer is 'B'.
Surprising, isn't it?
This is because there is little to no role modelling in 'A' apocalyptic advertisement. Like a child, we are all natural rebels and if our parents say "no", we say "on"! If we know that everyone is also littering like what 'A' suggest, we will soon nod our heads on the head knowledge and shrug our way off. But if we see someone like "Mak Cik Kiah" or our favourite superhero staying at home and earn an honest living selling pisang goreng, we will follow due to the high standard posed by someone we can relate to. We all want to be our idol, isn't it? It is like peer pressure but in a good way for behavior change.
So, that's how our proposing digital media is going towards.
The next day, we met with CSM during our lecture time and got to see the needs the CSM wants to tackle head on.
WEEK 02 - Proposal Direction
After my lecturer, Ms Norji's gave feedback that there is too much focus on the children. We as a group come to a conclusion to focus on sending the awareness message of social grooming to the parents instead. Since we felt that there's a small number of growing children having an interest in such matters, we decided to target a wider range of audiences. We also added more research articles in our collection.
We came out with 3 ideas as proposals that involved infographics and artworks. To be honest, we did this in a rush because of the overwhelming work of the other subjects. We are also at lost at what the overall direction is. Are we to create one artwork or a series or....? We decided to just come out with what we understand and get a clearer direction during the group tutorials.
After the feedback, we are challenged to come up with more distinctive interactive ideas. We also noted that we might have a platform created as a whole class where everyone will be broadcasting only after the approval. I do feel overwhelmed, considering the limitations we have in certain social media outlets.
After that, we discussed and choose Instagram as our target media since we noticed many young parents with growing kids are susceptible to predators. We decided that these audiences are the most reachable groups of people that are tech-savvy, open-minded and have a close bond with their growing kids.
So, we gathered some examples of Instagram influencer accounts that did a good job in a social cause.
WEEK 03 - Finalizing Direction
As per last week's feedback, we confirmed as a group to do synchronized posts after being inspired by @myecoresolution Instagram layout design.
We decided to go to a full Sherlock Holmes style and make the postings a series.
So, we met up and researched together on what to be placed in the posts.
Here is the inspiration we found interesting:
WEEK 05 - Starting the Design & Proposal Presentation to CSM
The is the stage where all of us scratch our head on the method of designing. Since the Photoshop software can't allow us to collaborate efficiently, we ended up nominating Sher Rou as the main design host on the background design while the others continued to draft out the content of the remaining posts and help to find and crop or any images that Sher Rou needed for the first 3 posts. We also tried using Zoom's "control participant cursor" to navigate Sher Rou's computer. However, I felt that this could be improvised at the later stage and suggested Sher Rou crop out a part of the background for me to continue on her behalf to finish it up faster.
I attempted to make a glitching gif interactive post as an example to show how victims of online social grooming do not have a voice and hid it with a smile. As I'm new to making my own gif, I am recommended by Sharon of two awesome sites to make it.
STEP 1: Find the same image of a girl expression.
STEP 2: Go to https://photomosh.com/ to add glitch effect to each image separately and convert it to video.
STEP 3: At https://giphy.com/create/gifmaker, each 3 video is merged to form a gif.
STEP 4: I cut the duration of the Gif file at https://ezgif.com/cut
Final Outcome:
I am glad that it is a success and is my first created gif ever!
Our progress:
The next day, we presented our progress to a representative of Cybersecurity Malaysia.
I'm glad we are good to go with some feedbacks to consider:
-localized photo, don't put angmoh (Westerners)
-font/size, what you wanna highlight (e.g. bolder font and colour)
-blend the logo together (logo cannot see cz background issue)
-check on the colors scheme
-HD photos (background)
WEEK 07 - Show Me the Design 2 & Group Proposal Writing
This week, we plan to finish our group proposal submission and the design of 6 more posts. I am grateful that I learned how to write a proposal essay.
Proposal Submission:
A Proposal for the Community Service Initiative Project
By the CSI:Miami Team: Boh Shi Yi, Liberty Woon, Ong Sher Rou and Sharon Chan
Online child grooming has been on the rise recently. In the UK alone, statistics show an increase by a third in the year 2019. These figures are merely just the tip of the iceberg, as many cases go unreported due to society’s taboo of shame. Especially in our Asian culture, there is the fear of shaming the family, stigma from society and victim-blaming. This is exactly what is happening to victims in Malaysia according to panelists at a sexual abuse and grooming awareness forum by The Star News (2018).
Our current society in Malaysia has a lack of awareness and understanding on the issue of online child grooming. Elizabeth Gnanapragasam (2017) from PS. The Children organization pointed out that awareness is key to the prevention of sexual abuse cases and the ability of both children and parents to recognize key areas vital towards eradicating such crimes from society.
Therefore, we will be partnering with Cybersecurity Malaysia under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia to come up with an awareness proposal on the underlying issues of the digital world in Malaysia. We are required to come up with contents for them to bring forth awareness and change in society digitally.
Our content will be mainly targeting parents with young families via the Instagram platform. Using trending hashtags like #instamom and #malaysianmoms, there are plenty of young and tech-savvy mothers who post unfiltered content about their pre-teen/teenage children, unaware of potential dangers. Our secondary target is teenagers who are active digitally too.
Hence, to educate, we decided to come up with 18 posts of a crime-themed layout, highlighting the dangers of the digital platforms. With 3 posts or 1 row as one topic, we will break down the information to the audience in stages of 6 topics:
What is online child grooming?
How does online grooming work?
Where does this happen and how can I prevent it?
What do your children need?
What should I do if someone is groomed online?
What should I do as a parent?
The strength of this method is that it is easier to get through to young adults as they are open-minded and active in the digital world, propelling them to bring up strong future generations. At this phase of life, the family dynamics are closely bonded, with young children in close connection to their parents and their advice on the importance of online safety. Besides, many teenagers are heavily active on the Instagram platform and are interested in visuals and simple crash courses. However, the weakness of this digital method is the unavailability to reach the rural and poor areas of our community, but this project has the opportunity with its coverage that can extend to a worldwide audience.
We believe that the new generation of Malaysians will be aware of such issues and fight the vulnerability of ignorance and extend understanding and care to all victims. We believe that awareness is the key to prevent any child sexual abuse cases.
After Mr. Redzwan commented that we are good to go, we continued with our design progress:
Before & After
Topic 2: How does grooming work online?
Topic 3: Where does this happen and how can I prevent it?
Topic 6: What should I do as a parent?
To access the updated individual posts information, go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lulFY8Dxo1oVGxTsexLX9CufpuPSFTHINbr4CqZ08bA/edit?usp=sharing
(this link has a limited timeframe to be accessed)
WEEK 09 - Dry Run #1
This week, we started our dry run with a private Instagram account. While Sharon is saving each post separately in the 1080px x 1080px format, me, Boh and Sher Rou are standing by to edit in the captions and hashtags immediately.
After that, I proceeded to update the first interactive post gif from Topic 1 Post 3.
Finally, I refigured how to embed gif /MP4 file into Wix new blog.
While I'm doing this gif, I suddenly remembered that we forgot to edit the logo to the newest requirement with the title beneath. Hence, we will do that next week for the final dry run (hopefully).
Next week milestone:
Final Dry Run:
All logo to be changed to newest KKMM logo
Caption hastags to be updated with Cybersecurity's normal hashtag used
WEEK 10 - Dry Run #2
Based on last week's feedback from our lecturer, Mr Redzwan:
- To compress all 18 posts to 6 posts with multiple attached posts per posting .
- To add a title page and end teaser for each post.
We realized that it will be easier for new readers to be updated and to follow up on a 6-day series.
So after I updated on the promised progress: the new KKM logo, Sharon helped to crop all into individual posts and then we started to discuss on how the new front cover and teaser will look like.
This week I tried the whiteboard feature on Zoom and we have a fun time sketching out our initial ideas. Boh had a brilliant idea. Instead of doing post-it notes or a crime board, she suggested using our existing digital appliances to the "cybersecurity" topic more clearly and use charger wires to connect all together. We agree to use the appliances but scrapped the wires to avoid messiness.
We then reviewed each appliance used and appointed them to portray each topic correctly. For example, topic 1 mentioned a case of a gamer and his victim. Therefore, we used a game controller to portray that topic.
Next, each of us is to design the elements needed (appliances and text) and forward the files to Sharon to compile all into one background. Sharon got an awesome idea to use glitch style for this. I love this style as it builds suspense.
After all is settled, we proceed to do our dry run with the private account.
So here is the before & after comparison and we are all lovin' it:
WEEK 11 - Mock Internal Presentation Progress
After presenting to both of our lecturers, Mrs Norji and Mr Redzwan, we got some minimal feedback, thank God!
The feedback:
Very comprehensive and complete content
Love the cover design of devices, the theme matches the topic
Do change the @childon9 username to something more catchy
Make sure presentation time in 10 minutes
So, we proceeded to make our (hopefully) final change to the username and added in biography description.
Now, we just have to brace for next week's final presentation with Cybersecurity Malaysia to get approval.
WEEK 12 - Final Presentation to CSM
For week 12, we prepared the presentation and how we should present effectively. Hence, we split the talking to the four of us and timed ourselves accordingly.
On the day of the presentation, we presented to Cybersecurity Malaysia within the given time and am glad that all went well. Besides some fonts and the changing of the logo placement, we have no other issue. So, our next final step is to remove the other logos in the intermediate posts and scout for any font issues.
WEEK 13 & 14 - Final Outcome
Finally, we finished updating the artworks and posted up on Instagram as well as the progress on Padlet and the original file on Google Drive.
As always, it is very satisfying to see the final outcome all in one page.
Do check out @changeforchild and let's be aware of #childgrooming
WEEK 14 - Final Reflection
This is the most unusual Community Service Initiative (CSI) that I have ever heard of and participated. A typical CSI often paints a heavy project from start to finish. I have heard struggling stories of peers about the urgency to raise funds and the supernatural favor to get the approval of the proposal where it requires the strongest of wills. Because of the pandemic, our CSI project has taken a different form and to be honest, the simplest form by being the best of what we can do - social medians and influencers. This showed me that a CSI project doesn't necessarily be big and recognizable but even little things that benefit others in our daily lives can be done. We can start whenever we are and what we do best. #staysafe
It is a great opportunity to work with a government ministry to come up with an awareness content. Although it is not something entirely new to me as I have been involved in Public Relations before, it is a good refresher to learn new things. As a team leader, it is a patience tester to guide the team to accomplish this goal. But I'm grateful that we chose together topic that everyone is very interested in, that is child grooming. As some of my teammates always being updated with tv series of adult catfishing, it is no doubt that they are always passionate about this topic that is so controversial and yet important. Hence, even though we have other subjects to be concerned about, our meetings are never boring and we often have much to talk about together. For me, the highlight of this project is not what I achieved but what we experienced together, that is the laughter, the progress and the realization of epic ideas. We have no idea whether our ideas be chosen, but we aim to make the best experience together in doing good.
The second highlight is what I learned. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and learn to do gifs. I also got to understand how a proposal is being done as well as how to ensure the audience are being engaged and updated. We might not have all the time to come out with the best Instagram interactive stories etc., but I'm glad we did our best to come out with a complete dummy guide to this online child grooming topic with the aim of getting the full message across and not half-baked ones.
I thank God that all went well during the presentation preparation. We get to rehearse together for the final presentation efficiently and my teammates have been very cooperative. Each played a crucial role and offered to step up when someone needs a hand. To be honest, this CSI module not just helped us to be aware of what we can do with the power of media at our fingertips to make a change, it also helps us to foster a connection with the community we are closest to. We might not be able to know how many hearts will or can be impacted by our project initiative but we sure have our hearts impacted as a team.
So that's all from me and thanks for being with us on this journey!
Love,
Liberty
CSI: Miami Team
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