Giving young people a voice through game design

The Hearing House, together with PhD candidate Zoe Hector, recently hosted a fun and engaging workshop for young people ages 10-18 who use cochlear implants or hearing aids to access sound. 

This workshop was led by Zoe Hector as part of her PhD research. Zoe is the creator of Talk Town, a digital communication skills game designed for deaf children. Talk Town helps young players navigate real-life social situations, build confidence, and develop skills to enhance their school experience and support their success throughout life. 

The workshop aimed to give young people a voice in shaping resources like Talk Town, while also providing a fun and social space to connect and reconnect with others. 

Participants kicked off the day by learning about Zoe’s research and how they could contribute as ‘game design researchers’. They got to play the game then gave in-depth feedback on Talk Town.  

As Zoe explained, “They immediately grasped what the game was about and felt the communication breakdowns and challenges portrayed in the game were realistic and reflected their everyday life experiences.” 

Zoe was pleased to see that participants really enjoyed creating their own characters. They expected the game to look and feel very professional and shared helpful ideas for making it better. This shows that Talk Town could help deaf children build confidence and learn to speak up for themselves, especially those who live outside big cities. 

The workshop also provided plenty of time for hanging out, enjoying treats, and exploring different tabletop games. 

Zoe’s favourite part of the day was “seeing just how important it is for deaf kids to see themselves represented in a wide range of media, including games.”

The workshop generated so much interest that Zoe ran another session in Christchurch. Check out some pics from the day to see the fun and creativity in action!