Based on my survey, a mobile application is the most effective means for parents to help children nurture good tooth-brushing habits at home. The mobile application also works as an extension from the book for continuous development of good tooth-brushing habits.
Visual Communication 2 – G1
There are 6 posts filed in Visual Communication 2 – G1 (this is page 1 of 1).
Infographic Design Process
Essential Questions I Want to Know to Better Understand my Target Audience
For parents:
- Do you supervise your kid when they brush their teeth?
- How often do you bring your child for dental check?
- Do you know about the effect of decayed milk tooth?
For Preschoolers:
- How often do you brush your teeth in a day?
- How do they brush their teeth?
- How long do they take to brush their teeth?
- Do they like brushing teeth with toothpaste? If no, why?
- Do they know the outcome of not brushing their teeth?
During consultation, I was told to categorise my questions to have a better focus and structure my survey questions more succinctly.
Awareness of Good Dental Habits
Resources available
What appeals to their children
ATTITUE
How important do you think it is to teach preschoolers about good dental habits and why?
Are you willing to supervise your child(ren) tooth brushing habit for 5min and twice daily?
UNDERSTANDING
Do you know that decayed milk tooth can stunt the growth of adult tooth?
Briefly share how do you help your child(ren) develop good brushing habits.
AESTHETIC PREFERENCE
Which platform do you think is the most effective and convenient for you to teach your child(ren) about good dental habits?
- Storybooks
- Animation
- Board Game
- Toys
- Mobile Application
- Others
The survey questions and results are as follow:

Survey questions and results
My first draft was too lacklustre and I decided to add more information in the next draft.
In order to create a more useful infographics, I’ve adapted from this article which shares about 10 Tips to Keep Cavities At Bay.
Project 2 Process

Storyline:
I was greatly inspired by Penny the Pirate and wanted to design a solution that could be easily distributed and extend good dental habits beyond dental clinics and in the comfort of their homes. I need my solution to stand out amongst the numerous tooth brushing apps and videos available out there.
I was reading a book which mentioned that imagination was the fundamental of concepts and beliefs. This became the starting point of my project – I needed a convincing story accompanied with impactful imageries to help preschooler visualize, understand and belief that poor tooth brushing habits has its repercussions.
I turned the process of tooth decay into a narrative and added a little playful imagination and bam- the story of ‘Clarke’ was born.
The Character:
Thinking about the story was easy but illustrating a completely imaginative character was tedious.
I spent quite some time developing the character. It had to look like a non-human creature (it’s a bacteria) yet has human-like characteristics (it has a growing family). It had to be child-friendly but not too much as it ultimately becomes the antagonist. As I was creating the character, I had to also be wary of what I was painting in the preschoolers’ mind.
Layouts
I wanted a bigger book dimension to create an immersive reading experience for the child. I have already exaggerated the process of tooth decay into a narrative and amplifying the imageries was to the only logical move to me.
During consultations, Michael has also reminded me to add more context in my illustrations to tie in with the storyline more closely. Eg family portraits hanged around Clarke’s home rather than just a home-sweet-home floor mat.
The transition from the imaginative world of Clarke (aka inside the mouth) to the reality world of Charlie was a struggle at the start. But I soon found the use of negative spaces helpful in the differentiation.
Pop-Up
I have always been fascinated with interactive books and wanted to incorporate ways to help children build their dexterity for tooth brushing. I was really really ambitious at the start and imagined how electronic paper would be really cool as it could change kinesthetic movements into sound when they brush. Or maybe thermochromic paint could be used to print the decayed tooth that changes into white when children brush it with their fingers. But I gave up after checking the price and technical skills need to use those materials. In the end, I decided to go ahead with pop-up page, something I’ve always been interested. It turned out to be waaaay better than I expected.
Designing the pop-up page was easy because it was simply layers of paper stuck upon one another and no fancy tricks. The measurements, however, was time-consuming and required trial and error.
Printing
It was so damn ex.
Probably the most expensive project I had but the quality made it worthwhile.
Binding
I done it in a rush and it was poorly binded.
But I’ve learnt from my mistake.
Lesson 1: Don’t hardbound if I’m left with less than a day to get it done
Lesson 2: It takes 2-3 prototypes to get it right. Test print with the same paper type but print it at cheaper shops first.
Lesson 3: ALIGN the spine. It’s the first and most crucial step. Then, trim the excess external margin.
Lesson 4: Spray mount should be sprayed a distance away. The glue particles should land lightly on the paper. Not create texture like a gravel wall.
In conclusion, this project was a roller coaster ride but with lots of lesson learnt. I did enjoyed this project and would like to improve it over my vacations.
Design Artefact 1 Final
I illustrated a children’s book about the need for daily tooth brushing.
It was unfortunately poorly binded so here’s the digital illustrations for view:
The last spread is a pop up page that allows children to build their dexterity for toothbrushing and flossing.
Infographic Final
After comments from classmates
Task 1: Defining Problem
What are some of the current issues confronting our world today? Amongst them, what is of interest and a cause of concern to you?
- Increasing Childhood Caries among Singapore Children: Teach Preschooler Good Tooth-Brushing Habits
Dentists here are seeing more children with early childhood caries before the age of six, with some requiring general anaesthesia, 31 January 2013
One in two Singapore Kids has Rotten Teeth, 14 May 2014
Tooth Decay in Children Can’t Be Brushed Aside, 12 June 2017
Dental Health among Pre-Primary School Children, 2017
Despite dental efforts to promote good tooth-brushing among preschool children, at least half of the preschooler* children in Singapore has tooth decay and more than a quarter has severe early childhood tooth decay. Many parents neglect educating good brushing habits and some even delay dental check for their young children. They are unaware of the that decayed milk teeth stunts the growth of adult teeth. Many of the current programs that aim to educate good dental habits to preschooler children lacks sustainability.
* Preschooler children refers to children age 7 and below - Overconsumption in Our Society: Minimalist living- Buy wisely
More Singaporeans Turning to Online Shopping for Better Bargain, 3 June 2016
The Good and Bad Side of Consumerism, 11 July 2016
The Pursuit of Less, 19 January 2018
Overconsuming is Costing Us the Earth and Human Happiness, 21 June 2010
Singaporeans are constantly surrounded with consumerism. With e-commerce and cashless payment on the rise, we are often coax to buy more. It’s time for Singaporeans to learn to live minimally – stop hoarding, buy wisely. After learning to live with less, I find myself being more mindful and less overwhelmed. This is exceptionally helpful to millennials and even working adults who are constantly engulfed with information, possessions and people that some are at the verge of stuff-o-cation.
* The term ‘minimalist’ can be confusing with the art movement - Increasing undergraduates’ engagement in (Singapore) Museums
Museums Tell Teenagers: We Are Here for You, 15 March 2017
Room to Rise Project @ Whitney Museum
Engaging Young Adults in Museums
There are numerous museum programs targeting different age groups and social groups but limited in targeting young adults. Many young adults (internationally and locally) perceive museums to be an all-serious and no play venue and they do not understand the works. Hence, despite schemes for free entry for tertiary students, visitorship is still low (except for arts-related majors).However, in my opinion, everyone is sure able to find a piece of art that they can relate to even without an art background. A connection needs to be made between the artwork and preconceive knowledge they have. Hence, I would like to target undergraduate students and curate art content based on their university majors.Final Selected Case: #1 Increasing Childhood Caries among Singapore Children: Teach Preschooler Good Tooth-Brushing Habits
- Why is the issue important? Who does it affect and how?
By nurturing good dental habits in young children help to prevent future dental problems when they are older which may require costly solutions such as braces, crowning and root canal. This cost would be bore by parents or the child themselves. Furthermore, Singapore has insufficient dentists and waiting list of rental services are long.Firstly, it will help to reduce childhood caries among preschoolers by teaching them the right brushing habits. Secondly, it saves parents from the costly dental services when they are older. Lastly, it reduces the strain on the nation’s dental services and ideally reduce the long waiting list.
- Who do you need to communicate to, and why?
The target audience are preschoolers age 3 to six because they are of age to learn to brush their teeth independently or under adult supervision. Ideally, they would recognize the importance of brushing their tooth through means of play and make it a habit. My secondary target audience are the parents of preschoolers as they play an important role in supervising their daily brushing habits and brining their children for bi-annual dental checks for cavities or abnormalities. - How has visual communication contributed to address the cause?
- Princess Prophy – A Tooth Fairy Pal Plush
Lilac Paper
Plush Toy and Print on Paper
July 2017- They created a friendly tooth character to attract children’s attention
- Checklist for children to brush their teeth independently
- The plush toy is an effective reminder for children to brush their teeth before and after bedtime as it would be their bedside buddy.
- SHIT-IN-M’TEETH: Your Weapon Against Dental Damnation
Erik Noyes
Mirror, Acrylic and Print on Paper
November 2014- They make a big deal out of food stuck in their tooth; the sarcastic tone makes it funny and catchy especially for young adults
- It is credit card size and can be conveniently stored in wallet
- Penny the Pirate
Satchi & Satchi (Australia)
Print on Paper & Digital Platforms
June 2014- Children eye test gets convenient; Children get eye checks at the comfort of their home
- Eye test taken through form of storytelling
- The format of a book and toolkit makes eye check interactive and convenient for children
- Children get to role play as a pirate when reading the book
- It provides full support – e-book and online instructions for parents