A Clear Path to Informed Voting
How might we foster political participation without political division?
8 minute read
Project Overview
The Brief
Develop a minimum variable product for a new edtech application. With no client research, I was tasked to uncover a compelling user problem, brainstorm solutions and develop an end-to-end application.
UX / UI Designer
8 weeks
Project Length
My Role
The Challenge
100-hour deadline to transform essential, context-heavy political information into user friendly layouts.
The Problem
Youth voters, aged 18-34, make up a significant part of the electorate, yet are the least engaged. Barriers like information overload, distrust and exposure to harmful rhetoric create a sense of disconnection from democracy, making it difficult to capture and sustain their interest.
The Solution
A comprehensive political education app designed to empower young voters by offering an accessible, trustworthy and engaging way to navigate the complexities of politics and participate in democracy.
DESCOVERY
Shaping the App Concept
Inspired by the intensity of the 2024 election, I set out to understand youth voters' perspectives on the political environment and uncover common pain points.
To do this, I began with secondary research to define the problem space, then conducted user interviews to validate it as a genuine issue worth addressing.
Key Findings
Feel supported to act on political concerns, with only 1 in 5 receive guidance from parties or community.
20%
User Interviews
Building on secondary research, I conducted user interviews
to validate the problem space as a problem worth solving.
Style
In-person & remote.
5 aged 18-30 ; 1 aged 49.
Interview Goals:
01. Understand how they learn & engage with politics.
02. Detect needs, pain points & opportunities.
03. Identify information & learning preferences.
Say social media is their primary source of political information, but only 8% trust its’ credibility.
75%
Questions were grouped into 3 categories:
01. Voting experience & behavior.
02. Engagement & learning preferences.
03. Mass media impact & information overload.
Say they have limited access direct civic information, causing lower levels of confidence to participate.
85%
Approach:
Duration
30 minutes each.
Number
6 participants.
Age
Research Findings
I created an affinity map to organize feedback into categories so I could discover common themes and patterns around user motivations, challenges and preferences.
