Challenge: To identify, research, design and test a UX solution to a significant social problem space for a team project at HCDE University of Washington.

Our Design Question: How might we improve communication to increase voter turnout among Millennials (ages 18-34) in local and state elections?

RESEARCH METHODS
Survey
74 respondents between ages 18 and 34 across the United States

Semi-structured interviews
with 8 individuals with varying voter behaviors

Secondary research

Competitive analysis  

“The national elections feel more important, but local (issues) are really more important; because they have more impact on our day to day life.” (P2)

"The media often labels millennials as selfish. But studies show a generation focused on family, community and helping others.” Jorgenson, K. [2016, September 28] - The Guardian

Circle (n.d.) states that only weeks before the 2016 election, roughly 30% of young voters had been consulted by a party or campaign affiliate.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Transparent
We provide information that represents different perspectives and verified sources of information.

Easy to understand
We strive to give clarity and ease of understanding of complex concepts and ideas.

Collective
Our design builds community amongst voters. We strive for human connections between people.

Engaging
We create fun and compelling experiences. We make it easy and desirable to be a part of the voting process.

Convenient
We fit into your routine, and we don’t make you conform to ours. We understand that people have busy schedules and limited time.

USABILITY TESTING

We developed lo-fi prototypes for an app and interactive billboard that utilize AR and a social networking platform to create “local” awareness and connectivity.

Using an app prototype we conducted usability tests with 6 users within our primary target, millennial voters, for overall proof of concept and navigation flow.

In addition to the app, we concept tested interactive billboards that would be placed around the city to spark attention about local issues, help create the feeling of community and awareness for our app. 

USABILITY TESTING RESULTS

What Went Well
• Participants understood the concept and objective of the application
• All participants said they would be interested in interacting with the Civic Stickies application
• The aesthetic of the home page invited deeper exploration

Opportunities for Improvement
• Focus on use cases prior to prototyping
• Axure learning curve
• Billboard development as a factor of time and scope

A COUPLE OF OUR MANY ITERATIONS
• On the left—learning from our user findings we worked through ideas to show candidates and their opinions so that they’d have more accountability and to create a direct feedback loop with our users.
• On the right—an example of how our home screen developed over time from more of an issue index to an immersive AR screen

OUR DESIGN SOLUTION

OUR MAIN PERSONA
This is Olivia. She is in the early stages of her career, and has a busy work and social life. She finds voting dry and cumbersome. But, when there are issues that are important to her like affordable housing and transportation, she finds herself wanting to get more involved.

OLIVIA INTERACTING WITH CIVIC STICKIES
One day Olivia was on her way to work in downtown Seattle, when she noticed a Billboard with an animated map of her city. Intrigued by the Billboard, she stopped and started exploring the map. She explored issues around the city, addressing different political and environmental topics.

Olivia notices that the Billboard is connected to an application called Civic Stickies and decided to download the app

Civic Stickies App demo

EAT, THINK, DESIGN, REPEAT TEAM

Bermet Jamankulova: Project Manager

Dinah Coops: UX/UI Designer, User Research Assistant

Hayley Bierbaum: User Researcher

Stefanie Funtsch: UX Designer, User Research Assistant

APPENDIX

Link to Azure prototype: https://6ibwjo.axshare.com

These are the first 18 pages of our usability study for the Cardiogram Application. Please contact me if you’d like to see the additional findings and reflections of our study.

This is a video sketch for a hypothetical Internet of Medical Things to help people with Prediabetes monitor and learn how to control this condition through healthy food and exercise. This was a project for the Interaction and Prototyping Class in the University of Washington’s HCDE program.

DESIGN THINKING FOR
A NON-PROFIT

The Design for Good Changemaker Series unites teams of creative professionals with nonprofits and social change organizations to use design thinking, sustainable frameworks and creative tools to help advance their mission. The theme for 2016 was housing and homeless and I worked on a team to support SeaMar Community Health Centers. https://seattle.aiga.org/changemaker/

HOW MIGHT WE PREVENT
HOMELESSNESS THROUGH OUR HEALTH CARE CLINICS?

Our purpose was to both use and teach our nonprofit through the human centered design thinking process for an assignment that we co-created. Through the process of interviewing customers and combining the perspectives of all of the stakeholders, we landed on the assignment of helping to influence recent health care insurance registrants to make and show up for their first appointments.

Health problems are one of the big
reasons that at risk people spiral into homelessness. 

Based on our interviews, we recommended that different customer types be addressed one campaign at a time.

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND
COMBINING PERSPECTIVES OF STAKEHOLDERS

For the initial campaign example we focused on customers who have kids, because parents want to stay strong and healthy for their kids and we liked the idea that kids see their parents as superheroes. 

After feedback from our stakeholders about a prior failed superhero campaign and considering that over 50% of SeaMar’s customers are hispanic plus talking with the stakeholders of the org, we landed on the idea of kids seeing their parents as the culturally appropriate superheroes, the Luchadores Mexican fighters. The left 3 images show Luchador inspiration and the right 3 images show the final 2 concepts we presented.

In-Depth Genomics was formed to bring about quicker diagnoses and treatments for patients with rare neurological diseases. Despite being considered rare, 30 million people in the US alone are affected by these types of conditions. With easier access to testing, data and education, In-Depth Genomics goal was to be a catalyst for faster, life-saving treatment plans.

The deliverable for IDG was for an overall digital visual identity which included:

• Photography and video style

• Typography

• Color palette

• Graphics direction and design of key screens

• Voice and tone direction

• Logotype and mark

This project was developed in collaboration with the In-Depth Genomics team and built by Point Clear Solutions.