Xiaoyi Liu

Overview:

Safe & Sexy is a project that aims to empower young heterosexual adults aged between 18 to 24 to take control of their sexual health and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK.

The STI epidemic is here.

In 2022, STI infection rates in England increased by 24% within a year, soaring above pre-pandemic levels. Specifically, gonorrhoea diagnoses increased to 82,592, with a rise of 50.3%. Despite free testing services from the NHS, there are challenges within individual and social behaviours resulting in record-high levels of STIs. The public services are out there. We now need behavioural changes that can fully utilise these services to create a safer environment for all.

The Trend of Casual Dating

56% of Britons have had a one-night stand in their lives, and this is widely due to the rise in popularity of online dating platforms that are creating easy access to connect with partners nearby, as well as a lack of need for emotional connection, more time freedom, greater kink compatibility, and influenced by the sexual revolution from 50 years ago. We're focusing on people who look for casual dates because they're most at risk for spreading and getting STIs.

Xiaoyi (Niki) is a service designer driven by human-centred designs, social innovation and the transformative power of technology. With her background in Product and UX design in the smart consumer electronics sector, she thrives to create meaningful experiences and interactions that bridge the gap between human needs and technological possibilities. As a team-player, her greatest strength is her ability to blend design thinking, strategy, and human-centricity whilst facing complex problems. Her mission is to foster meaningful and inclusive social changes, one empathetic experience at a time.

Education:

MA Service Design | Royal College of Art (2023)
BA (Hons) Product Design | Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (2022)

RCA Projects:

UN Habitat: digital identity theft and data security (Future)
Design for Good: menstruation for homeless females (Society)

Consultant Experience:

User Researcher and CMF Designer: Siemens Smart Switch Project (2020)
User Research Lead: Emma Sleep Project (2021)

Why are we designing for short term relationships?

What do they wish to explore?

What do they say about STIs?

As a starting point, we aim to leverage the hookup culture and explore how an increase in sexual health knowledge can empower individuals to be resilient against stigmas around STIs, protecting themselves from physical and emotional harm by inspiring generations to come. Our core mission is to empower users to adopt behavioural habits that promote better sexual health and testing.

To vitalise behavioural change and create a social shift in the long run, five main steps are considered:

Increase awareness of the dangers of STIs: Share knowledge about STIs in a fun and engaging way.
Encourage regular testing: Help users schedule and plan testing periods.
Existing users influence others to test: Focus on a small group of users who will act as players to inspire others.
As more people become responsible, this will lead to the development of testing habits: User engagement and will empower each other.
Reduce diagnosis rates of STI and increase social acceptance: If more people test, the number of people who get diagnosed will increase, but the overall infection rates will reduce in the long term.

In Collaboration with:

Shivani Yadav

Youngin Park

Xiaoyi Liu

To vitalise behavioural change and create a social shift in the long run, five main steps are considered:

In Collaboration with:

Social

About

Royal College of Art