Abstract:
Finding an unrelated bone marrow donor is hard enough, but for minorities the chances are even
more slim. Due to a lack of education and negative misconceptions about donating bone marrow,
African Americans aren’t necessarily eager to join the donor registry. This creative project
sought to 1) build a transmedia storytelling campaign intended to change the perceptions that
minorities have about donating bone marrow, and 2) encourage minorities to become donors
after those negative perceptions have been changed. This project used transmedia storytelling
and design thinking methods to first explore African American students’ knowledge of bone
marrow donation and willingness to donate. Next, design thinking strategies helped illuminate
key concepts and generate ideas for changing people’s perceptions of how they think about bone
marrow donation. The transmedia storyworld consists of a website, YouTube channel, interactive
posters, and a social media campaign that together serve to educate and change people’s
perceptions of bone marrow donation in an effort to encourage them to become donors.
