Project Intro

This is an independent assignment for EDCI 337 in which I am creating an original 12–20 panel comic that informs readers about the importance of sleeping. I chose this project since students (and myself as well) tend to overlook the importance of sleep regarding learning, memory, and overall health. Utilizing story, visual metaphors, and concise educational words, the comic will address the way in which sleep affects the brain, body, and emotions.

My goal is to design an educational multimedia piece that not only teaches but also leads readers to rethink their habits. The design will apply design principles (e.g., coherence, dual coding, signaling) of educational multimedia theory.

Phase 1:

CHALLENGE

People don’t realize how strongly sleep influences concentration, learning, memory, and mental health. This comic will attempt to teach why science and sleep is important for learning

CONTEXT AND AUDIENCE

Audience:

Undergraduate students balancing coursework, jobs, and social lives.
Often sleep-deprived, motivated by grades and deadlines but unaware of long-term effects.

Needs:

Information that is simple, visual, and memorable.
Strategies to connect science with their daily choices.

Goals & Motivations:

Improve study habits and well-being.
Understand how lifestyle affects academic success.
Relate abstract science concepts to real life.

Demographics & Behaviors:

18–25 years old, mostly tech-savvy, engaged in visual culture (memes, webcomics, social media infographics).
Prefer short, digestible content over long text.

POV STATEMENT

A stressed university student needs to understand how sleep affects memory and learning so that they can make informed decisions about their health and academic success.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the comic, readers will be able to:

Explain the basic stages of sleep (REM vs. non-REM).
Describe how sleep impacts memory consolidation and learning.
Recognize the health risks of chronic sleep deprivation.
Apply practical tips to improve sleep habits.

Phase 2:

IDEATION

Brainstorming Notes:

Key metaphors: brain as a library sorting books, sleep as a “reset button,” or body as a phone battery recharging.
Tone: light, humorous, but accurate.
Comic length: 15 panels, each balancing image + 1–2 short sentences.

Promising Prototype Idea:
A character (student avatar) battles through exams while “Sleep” is personified as a superhero/sidekick who explains what happens inside the brain and body.

STORYBOARD / SCRIPT (rough draft)

Expanded Comic Script: The Science of Sleep

Panel 1 – Student Yawning
A tired student slumps at their desk, surrounded by textbooks, empty coffee cups, and glowing screens. Dialogue: “Another all-nighter… who needs sleep when I’ve got exams?”
Caption: But the brain has other plans…

Panel 2 – Entrance of Sleep Superhero
A bright, glowing figure “Sleep,” dressed like a superhero with a pillow cape bursts into the room. Dialogue: “Actually, YOU do! I’m here to save your brain and body.”

Panel 3 – Non-REM Explained
Comic cutaway: student lies in bed while muscles, tissues, and cells are shown repairing like little construction workers. Caption: Non-REM sleep helps your body repair and grow.
Superhero bubble: “This is when your body recharges, heals, and even strengthens your immune system.”

Panel 4 – REM Explained
Panel shows the student’s brain with cartoon “librarians” organizing books onto shelves. Caption: REM sleep = memory consolidation.
Dialogue bubble from superhero: “This is when your brain organizes and files away the day’s lessons, turning short-term facts into long-term memory.”

Panel 5 – Brain Without Sleep
Same brain library, but now books are spilling everywhere, shelves broken, and little “memory workers” are panicking.
Caption: Without enough sleep, your brain can’t organize properly information gets lost or jumbled.

Panel 6 – Student Forgetting
Student in class staring at a test paper, scratching head. Dialogue: “Wait… I studied this… why can’t I remember?”

Panel 7 – Benefits of Sleep
Superhero Sleep gestures to glowing icons around student: Energy, Focus, Good mood.

Panel 8 – Risks of Sleep Deprivation
A darker panel: student looks stressed with a runny nose, surrounded by labels like Weaker Immune System, Stress, Anxiety, Slower Reaction Times.
Caption: Long-term sleep deprivation harms both body and mind

Panel 9 – Temptation of Another All-Nighter
Student picks up coffee and textbooks again. Dialogue: “Okay, maybe just ONE more all-nighter…”
Superhero swoops in and blocks the path. Dialogue: “Not so fast! Let’s try something smarter.”

Panel 10 – Practical Tips
Superhero holds a clipboard with a checklist:

Keep a regular bedtime/wake-up time
Avoid screens before bed
Create a relaxing pre-sleep routine
Keep the room dark and cool
Caption: Healthy habits = better sleep quality.

Panel 11 – Peaceful Sleep
Student finally goes to bed, dreaming of funny scenes (maybe riding a giant sheep or floating on a pillow cloud).

Panel 12 – Next Morning
Student wakes up refreshed, glowing with energy, and walks confidently into an exam hall.

Panel 13 – Success
Student turns in test with a smile while classmates still look tired. Superhero hovers proudly in the background.

Panel 14 – Closing Message
Big final splash panel with superhero pointing at the reader with a quote about how sleep is a human superpower.

Taha’s Prototype Comic