Certain cancers may disproportionately impact the LGBTQIA+ community, including those associated with HPV (human papillomavirus). The Research Center for Health Equity at Cedars-Sinai (RCHE) challenged ArtCenter students to develop messaging to help eradicate HPV and HPV-related cancers for the next generation. In this Designmatters and Graphic Design hosted Transdisciplinary Studio, students worked with doctors, healthcare researchers and advocates to create innovative cancer-screening awareness campaigns to reach young people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Cedars was so pleased with the results of the collaboration, it offered one student a Designmatters Fellowship to develop the project for implementation.

Interview with Instructors Tracey Shiffman and Ron Romero 

ArtCenter: How would you describe this class to a prospective student?
Tracey Shiffman: Unlike classes that are theoretical, this project deals with real people, real concerns and real consequences. There's been a rise in HPV, a virus that causes cancer, among LGBTQIA+ youth for a variety of reasons. Some don't want their identities known; some don't want to go into a clinic; some don't know what HPV is. Our goal was to generate awareness around HPV, treatment and access to care within a community that's historically been ignored, overlooked and treated unfairly.

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AC: What inspired the direction you took with the curriculum for this class?
Ron Romero: We were dealing with sexual identity and sexual orientation, which are often taboo classroom topics. We wanted to create an uninhibited space where students could explore new territory. Cedars was wide open and really wanted to see anything and everything, so we had the freedom to explore ideas that were provocative.

TS: The first several weeks of the curriculum were devoted to research. The studio kicked off with a panel of Cedars-Sinai RCHE Community Advisory Board members, including representatives from The Wall LA Memorias Project, Trans Wellness Center and Men's Health Foundation. We took a field trip to the Los Angeles LGBT Center to speak with staff, and a unique range of speakers visited our class, including those from the transgender community, to share their experiences with discrimination.

Ron Romero: We were dealing with sexual identity and sexual orientation, which are often taboo classroom topics. We wanted to create an uninhibited space where students could explore new territory. Cedars was wide open and really wanted to see anything and everything, so we had the freedom to explore ideas that were provocative.

AC: What are some of the assignments and materials that challenge students to break new ground creatively?
RR: Students had to consider different mediums to get the message across. For instance, how do you communicate with someone who is homeless? Students came up with label systems for bottles of water, condoms, hand sanitizers, energy bars and other items, alongside billboard and poster designs. They also designed eye-catching cards with information on where and when to get vaccinated.

AC: What were some of the most surprising ways students responded to assignments? 
TS: For the midterm, students presented their ideas to Cedars RCHE and Community Advisory Board members, and I think they were blown away. Shortly after that, the College shut down because of COVID. We had to digest all this feedback and move the students toward the finish line and the final outcomes, remotely. Students gave a final presentation over Zoom to about 30 stakeholders, including staff from Cedars, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Planned Parenthood, Latino Equality Alliance and L.A. Care.

AC: What are some of the most important concepts and ideas you hope students take away from the experience/classwork?

JH: Whether interviewing a surgeon, spending a day with a paraplegic or talking with caregivers, we focus our efforts on understanding with an empathetic approach. My hope is that once students realize the impact they can make, they’ll want to use their talents in a rewarding way. I want them to continue to focus on underserved populations and change the dialogue from, “It's not sensible from a business perspective" to “How do we make this work?”

RR: It was emotional, impactful, real, intense and needed — it created a huge amount of empathy to hear their experiences of discrimination. This storytelling became pivotal for the project; it helped give it a language and a voice.