Project: Voting Warriors - App for Social Good

Role: All UX Roles

Work By: Justin G. L. Dumlao

Duration: June 2021 - July 2021

Overview

Mario is a newly eligible voter interested in becoming a more informed and involved citizen.  He comes across the Voting Warrior social media ads that encourage him to register to vote and stay civically engaged thru the app, so he gives it a download. 

I was the UX Designer imagining ways to increase voter registration and keep citizens informed on a district, state, and national level. 

The Problem      

To counteract voter suppression attempts in the U.S., our app allows for a 5 minute registration process when canvassing for new voters in person as well as an “opt-in” feature for continued election updates. 

Goal

Design an app that simplifies voter registration and encourages continued participation with fact-checked news.

Research

With the largest pool of new voters being Generation Z, our line of questioning centered around their values and views of the political and economic landscape today.  We wanted to know what issues were really important to them. 

 

After a politically charged election in November of 2020, an inauguration of a new President in January of 2021, and an attack at the capitol that same month, some stand-out themes in the summer of 2021 were worries on the complexity of voter registration, worries about facts vs “fake news”, and a desire to get more involved. 

 

Ideation exercises helped generate solutions to include in the app, that could encourage voter registration. Paper wireframes were then transferred to Figma and a lo-fi prototype was created to test.

 

Crazy 8s Exercise
Digital Wireframes

How it Works

 

  1. New Generation-Targeted:  After seeing a social media ad that reminded him to register to vote, Mario downloads the app from Voting Warriors because they’re a grass-roots organization keeping him updated on the issues he actually cares about.  Messaging and visual design seek to reach out to this new generation of voters. 

2. 5 Minute Questionnaire:  Since registering to vote is Mario’s main action, it needs to be as quick and painless as possible.  A straight-forward questionnaire determines a person’s eligibility and offers solutions to any common problems, such as missing documents or IDs. 

3. Continued Civic Engagement:  In an effort to overcome the voting barriers erected in some states, the app not only directs you to the correct state resources to get involved, but also attempts to educate users on current election candidates and current events worth noting. 

Results:  New voters can take a 5-minute questionnaire to determine their voter eligibility.  The app also coordinates with grassroots campaigns across the state to make organizing and communication more simplified while also offering users the opportunity to learn about current candidates and current events. 

User Impact

  • Increases the number of registered new voters on a district or state level. 

  • Simplifies registration process when canvassing in-person. 

  • Encourages users to stay engaged with current events and news.

  • Provides direct solutions to those with common voter registration issues (lack of ID, missing documents, etc.)

Final Look