Deathnival: Redefining Death Education for Young Adults

Exploring Death with Colorful Illustrations and Dark Humor

Deathnival is a Death Education campaign designed by Chan Ching Ling for young adults to explore the topic of death. In Hong Kong, there is a false assumption and limited resources when it comes to death education programs, leaving the younger generation with few opportunities to start this essential discussion. This project aims to fill that gap and provide a platform for open conversations about death.

The project consists of three stages. The first stage is an interactive quiz that classifies the player's death attitude into five categories, each represented by one character. This quiz helps participants understand their own perspectives on death and opens up the conversation for further exploration.

In the second stage, Deathnival offers a board game set for participants to delve into death trivia with their families anytime, anywhere. The game covers various topics related to death, such as legalities surrounding dying at home in Hong Kong and preparations individuals can make before and after death. It encourages players to reflect on their own beliefs and attitudes towards death.

The project concludes with a social media campaign called Deathtalk. After completing the entire Deathnival campaign, players are invited to share their thoughts and reflections on social media. This not only helps them solidify their understanding of death but also contributes to a wider conversation about this often overlooked topic.

Deathnival stands out from other death education initiatives due to its unique approach and design. The project utilizes a combination of materials and technologies, including graffiti diamond paper for packaging, coptic stitch and laser printing for the game book, plywood with laser-cut avatars, and photo paper with laser printing for the game map.

The technical specifications of Deathnival are as follows: when packed, it measures 230 mm in width, 60 mm in depth, and 200 mm in height. When displayed, it measures 400 mm in width, 80 mm in depth, and 30 mm in height.

The design of Deathnival was not without its challenges. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many local death education programs were closed, making it difficult to conduct research. However, the designer overcame this obstacle by interviewing program hosts and gathering insights from their experiences. Additionally, repackaging the traditional Chinese concept of death, which is often perceived as negative, into something less anxiety-inducing was a creative challenge that the designer successfully tackled.

Deathnival was exhibited at Hong Kong PolyU in June 2021, following its completion in May of the same year. The project underwent extensive research, focusing on local grief experiences, public perspectives on death, and the effectiveness of existing death education programs. Questionnaires were distributed to the target audience of 18-35-year-olds, and interviews were conducted with local death education program hosts and grief counseling centers. The research revealed a lack of social support and false perceptions towards death as major barriers to effective death education in Hong Kong.

For its innovative and practical approach to death education, Deathnival was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in the Education, Teaching Aid, and Training Content Design category in 2022. This prestigious award recognizes designs that meet professional and industrial requirements while integrating industry best practices and competent technical characteristics. Deathnival's unique design and contribution to fostering open conversations about death make it a valuable addition to the field of death education.