Revise and redesign of the Drinking Decisions: Young people and drinking booklet
NDARC Staff
Paul Dillon, Jan Copeland, Cath Finney-Lamb, Fiona Shand and Laura Vogl
Rationale
In 2003 the resource Drinking decisions: Young people and drinking was developed by the AGDHA. NDARC was contracted to revise and re-develop this resource. It was noted that this booklet was specifically designed for those young people (17-25 year olds) who may have problems with their drinking but needed to be made more 'youth-friendly'.
Aims
- to redevelop and redesign the resource Drinking decisions: Young people and drinking so that it is appealing, credible and useful to its target audience, i.e. 17-25 year-olds who are problem drinkers
- to run a series of focus groups with young adults to assess what information on alcohol they feel should be included in the resource. These focus groups would also gather information on the style, language and content appropriate for the target group
- to focus test the resource once it has been developed to ensure that the style, language and content is appropriate for the target group
Design and Method
Two phases of focus testing were conducted, and were to assist in the development of the resource.
The first phase explored general reactions to
Drinking Decisions: Young people and drinking and to several proposed graphic designs for a new resource. This was conducted to inform the development of an updated version of the original resource. Three to four focus groups were conducted with young people aged 17 to 25 years. Information was collected on general reactions to each proposed design, e.g., the relative attractiveness of each design, perceived audience, and interest generated in reading the resource. Information was also collected on the messages and content of the original booklet, and young people’s opinions on what types of resources they would use.
The second phase of focus group testing was conducted after an updated version of the resource had been developed. This phase explored in detail young people’s reactions to the revised resource.
Four to six focus groups will be conducted with young people aged 17 to 25 years. The focus groups collected young people’s comments on the appeal of the resource. Detailed information was collected on young people’s reactions to the artwork and images, font, length of the booklet, tone and readability, information provided in each section, and messages received.
Participants were offered $30 for travel reimbursement and out of pocket expenses. The groups were taped and comprehensive notes were made by listening to the tapes.
Benefits
Output
- The title of the booklet was changed to Drinking Decisions to reflect participants' concerns that the term ‘young people’ made it appear that the resource was designed for people under the age of 18 years.
- Rather than a booklet, the resource now became a foldout resource. Content was dramatically cut and a number of the sections removed as both groups felt that the resource was much too long. Many of the participants regarded some of the sections as condescending and others as irrelevant to the target group, e.g. some commented that some of the messages were far more targeted towards younger people aged between 15-17 years who have had little experience with alcohol.
- Much of the language was adjusted to suit the target group and the tone altered to reflect participants' concerns.
The booklet has been printed and is available through the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing's Publications Department.
Funding
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing