Other Projects
Other Projects
VoteGo
VoteGo
VoteGo
Making voting a seamless, informative and digital process in the U.S.A.
Making voting a seamless, informative and digital process in the U.S.A.
Making voting a seamless, informative and digital process in the U.S.A.
Overview
Overview
VoteGo was created as part of a group project for my Computer Interface Design class at Tufts. It is a voting app for the United States of America that allows users to learn about upcoming elections and referendums, register to vote for their state, and submit official votes on both state-wide and national levels. The app was made in response to the current lack of official voting apps in the U.S.A and emphasizes the importance of shifting this crucial political activity to a digital setting to reach more voters.
VoteGo was created as part of a group project for my Computer Interface Design class at Tufts. It is a voting app for the United States of America that allows users to learn about upcoming elections and referendums, register to vote for their state, and submit official votes on both state-wide and national levels. The app was made in response to the current lack of official voting apps in the U.S.A and emphasizes the importance of shifting this crucial political activity to a digital setting to reach more voters.
VoteGo was created as part of a group project for my Computer Interface Design class at Tufts. It is a voting app for the United States of America that allows users to learn about upcoming elections and referendums, register to vote for their state, and submit official votes on both state-wide and national levels. The app was made in response to the current lack of official voting apps in the U.S.A and emphasizes the importance of shifting this crucial political activity to a digital setting to reach more voters.
Role: UX Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer, Product Designer
Collaborators: Rewa Karam, Yan-Qing Wu, Mina Shokoufandeh, Paola Munoz
Timeline: April 2024 - July 2024
Tools: Figma, Miro, Canva
My Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
UI Designer
Product Designer
Team
Rewa Karam
Yan-Qing Wu
Mina Shokoufandeh
Paola Munoz
Timeline
April 2024 - July 2024
Tools
Figma
Miro
Canva
Problem
Problem
Problem
Much of the problem stems from barriers that prevent voters from voting in elections, including not being registered to vote, lacking education about political issues, having language barriers, and having trouble accessing polling stations.
Much of the problem stems from barriers that prevent voters from voting in elections, including not being registered to vote, lacking education about political issues, having language barriers, and having trouble accessing polling stations.
Solution
Solution
Solution
VoteGo: An all-in-one voting app where you can learn about and vote on both national and state-wide issues.
VoteGo: An all-in-one voting app where you can learn about and vote on both national and state-wide issues.
VoteGo is a voting app where eligible voters can get politically informed and complete the entire voting process from the comfort of their own homes. With in-depth "Vote", "Learn" and "Help" sections, users will feel empowered and increase engagement with one of the U.S.A's most important political rights.
Additionally, VoteGo prioritizes user accessibility and contains robust accessibility features like audio options and language settings.
VoteGo is a voting app where eligible voters can get politically informed and complete the entire voting process from the comfort of their own homes. With in-depth "Vote", "Learn" and "Help" sections, users will feel empowered and increase engagement with one of the U.S.A's most important political rights.
Additionally, VoteGo prioritizes user accessibility and contains robust accessibility features like audio options and language settings.
User Research
User Research
User Research
We conducted 5 user interviews and asked them to provide us their opinions about creating a potential voting app as well as the current voting methods available in the U.S. We also asked our users about how their lifestyle habits play into potential motivations and frustrations surrounding the voting process.
We conducted 5 user interviews and asked them to provide us their opinions about creating a potential voting app as well as the current voting methods available in the U.S. We also asked our users about how their lifestyle habits play into potential motivations and frustrations surrounding the voting process.
100% of our voters believe that a voting app would boost their chances of voting.
100% of our voters believe that a voting app would boost their chances of voting.
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
After talking to users and meeting with my group to discuss ideas for our app, my group found similarities in each others' interviews and pinpointed specific issues that our app needed to address. Our gatherings can be visualized through this affinity map.
After talking to users and meeting with my group to discuss ideas for our app, my group found similarities in each others' interviews and pinpointed specific issues that our app needed to address. Our gatherings can be visualized through this affinity map.
User Personae
User Personae
We created the following user personas further summarize our findings from our interviews to identify their frustrations with current voting methods as well as their needs and goals. Our interviews and persona-development were absolutely crucial to our ideation process.
We created the following user personas further summarize our findings from our interviews to identify their frustrations with current voting methods as well as their needs and goals. Our interviews and persona-development were absolutely crucial to our ideation process.
Pain Points
Pain Points
The following pain points were identified from our user research and analyses.
The following pain points were identified from our user research and analyses.
🕜Inefficiency
🕜Inefficiency
Because users are often times busy with jobs, academics, and other life events, they often feel that voting in-person and for mail-in are difficult to plan for. There is a clear demand for voting online based on our user research!
Because users are often times busy with jobs, academics, and other life events, they often feel that voting in-person and for mail-in are difficult to plan for. There is a clear demand for voting online based on our user research!
🌐Accessibility
🌐Accessibility
The voting process is inaccessible to some eligible voters because of factors like language barriers and disabilities.
The voting process is inaccessible to some eligible voters because of factors like language barriers and disabilities.
🤔Uninformed
🤔Uninformed
Many users felt that they find it unmotivating to vote because of the difficulty of finding information about elections and referendums. They wish this information was more straightforward to find.
Many users felt that they find it unmotivating to vote because of the difficulty of finding information about elections and referendums. They wish this information was more straightforward to find.
🔓Security and Privacy Risks
🔓Security and Privacy Risks
While all of our users expressed interest in an online voting app, they listed security risks as a main con.
We also noted that many of the links to issues are currently outdated, and that events are not updated either. We would keep this in mind for further website development steps.
While all of our users expressed interest in an online voting app, they listed security risks as a main con.
We also noted that many of the links to issues are currently outdated, and that events are not updated either. We would keep this in mind for further website development steps.
Ideation
Ideation
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Our research revealed a market gap we resolved to fill with VoteGo.
Current voting methods, in-person voting and mail-in voting, present highly actionable methods of voting, but they only provide limited information on ballot measures and candidate policies.
Meanwhile, Vote.org, the U.S.A.'s largest non-partisan voting non-profit organization contains an online platform that is highly informative for voting dates and registration deadlines, but there is no way to actually use its platform to vote.
Our research revealed a market gap we resolved to fill with VoteGo.
Current voting methods, in-person voting and mail-in voting, present highly actionable methods of voting, but they only provide limited information on ballot measures and candidate policies.
Meanwhile, Vote.org, the U.S.A.'s largest non-partisan voting non-profit organization contains an online platform that is highly informative for voting dates and registration deadlines, but there is no way to actually use its platform to vote.
Takeaways for VoteGo Design
Takeaways for VoteGo Design
Takeaways for VoteGo Design
VoteGo will seamlessly close the gap in the market by combining non-partisan information with in-app voting and voting registration features, making our app highly actionable and highly informative.
Additionally, VoteGo will also prioritize accessibility for users. The digital nature of the app paired with accessibility and support tools make this app very user-friendly for users.
All in all, the following equation represents our powerful app idea:
VoteGo = Information + Action + Accessibility
VoteGo will seamlessly close the gap in the market by combining non-partisan information with in-app voting and voting registration features, making our app highly actionable and highly informative.
Additionally, VoteGo will also prioritize accessibility for users. The digital nature of the app paired with accessibility and support tools make this app very user-friendly for users.
All in all, the following equation represents our powerful app idea:
VoteGo = Information + Action + Accessibility
User Flow
User Flow
User Flow
We mapped out a flowchart for our system to more clearly map out user interactions with our app and how accessibility, informing content, security, and voting comes into play.
We mapped out a flowchart for our system to more clearly map out user interactions with our app and how accessibility, informing content, security, and voting comes into play.
Wireframes
Wireframes
We then went onto creating a wireframe for our app to better visualize the features of our app.
We then went onto creating a wireframe for our app to better visualize the features of our app.
User Flow
User Flow
✅ The overall flow of the app felt straightforward and intuitive for our users.
✅ We added a crucial accessibility feature of audio options for individuals who preferred not to read.
✅ The Learn and Vote features of our app made our app a powerful tool that surpassed current voting methods and related sites.
✅ We added a Feedback page to the end of the VoteGo voting process for a constant flow of user feedback and suggestions for improvement.
⭕ The Voting Registration Check feature was in an awkward position.
⭕ There needed to be a larger emphasis on accessibility and support in our app.
⭕ There was currently no way to save information and upcoming elections that were important to the user, making the content inefficient to keep track of.
✅ The overall flow of the app felt straightforward and intuitive for our users.
✅ We added a crucial accessibility feature of audio options for individuals who preferred not to read.
✅ The Learn and Vote features of our app made our app a powerful tool that surpassed current voting methods and related sites.
✅ We added a Feedback page to the end of the VoteGo voting process for a constant flow of user feedback and suggestions for improvement.
⭕ The Voting Registration Check feature was in an awkward position.
⭕ There needed to be a larger emphasis on accessibility and support in our app.
⭕ There was currently no way to save information and upcoming elections that were important to the user, making the content inefficient to keep track of.
Designing
Designing
😄Accessibility and User Support: Accessibility Features and Help Section
😄Accessibility and User Support: Accessibility Features and Help Section
Many individuals eligible to vote in the U.S. have language barriers or have disabilities that impair their current voting experiences as in-person voting and mail-in voting are especially catered towards able-bodied, English speakers. My team brainstormed together to decide on creating simple, effective features in VoteGo to change languages as well as additional audio next to each text in the app. This would allow people who have trouble reading to simply listen to verbal instructions. We ended up moving the “Choose Language” feature to the Welcome page to ensure efficiently switching the app’s language to a preferred one. Resolving accessibility issues in the voting system would definitely open the pool to more voters.
Many individuals eligible to vote in the U.S. have language barriers or have disabilities that impair their current voting experiences as in-person voting and mail-in voting are especially catered towards able-bodied, English speakers. My team brainstormed together to decide on creating simple, effective features in VoteGo to change languages as well as additional audio next to each text in the app. This would allow people who have trouble reading to simply listen to verbal instructions. We ended up moving the “Choose Language” feature to the Welcome page to ensure efficiently switching the app’s language to a preferred one. Resolving accessibility issues in the voting system would definitely open the pool to more voters.
🔐Adding Voter Registration to Sign-In Process and Dual Factor Authentication
🔐Adding Voter Registration to Sign-In Process and Dual Factor Authentication
To target the lack of engagement that Future Histories’ online platforms are experiencing, I added a new “Events” section to the website prototype that includes upcoming events that Future Histories organizes, as well as including small blurbs detailing each event that easily piques users’ interests.
To target the lack of engagement that Future Histories’ online platforms are experiencing, I added a new “Events” section to the website prototype that includes upcoming events that Future Histories organizes, as well as including small blurbs detailing each event that easily piques users’ interests.
🗳️Efficiency and Action: Voting Process and Bookmarking Ballots
🗳️Efficiency and Action: Voting Process and Bookmarking Ballots
VoteGo contains many features from voting to reading the latest information about presidential elect candidates. In order to help our users keep track of ballots and information, I proposed the idea of bookmarks that users can activate to save information and ballots from the comfort of their own home. Additionally, while the development of a voting app inherently guarantees more efficiency in the voting process than what methods are currently available, my team worked to ensure only keeping necessary steps within our app flow to maximize convenience.
VoteGo contains many features from voting to reading the latest information about presidential elect candidates. In order to help our users keep track of ballots and information, I proposed the idea of bookmarks that users can activate to save information and ballots from the comfort of their own home. Additionally, while the development of a voting app inherently guarantees more efficiency in the voting process than what methods are currently available, my team worked to ensure only keeping necessary steps within our app flow to maximize convenience.
🍎Adding Educational Features: "Learn" Section and Votie AI Chatbot
🍎Adding Educational Features: "Learn" Section and Votie AI Chatbot
We created a "Learn" section to help users learn about election candidates, voting procedures/regulations, and ballot measures in a national and state-wide level. The "Learn" section functions similarly to a news website and contains strictly non-partisan information to properly cater to eligible voters of all parties and backgrounds. For extra interactivity, we also added an AI chatbot called Votie that answers questions regarding voting dates, candidate profiles, general support for navigating the VoteGo app, and more!
We created a "Learn" section to help users learn about election candidates, voting procedures/regulations, and ballot measures in a national and state-wide level. The "Learn" section functions similarly to a news website and contains strictly non-partisan information to properly cater to eligible voters of all parties and backgrounds. For extra interactivity, we also added an AI chatbot called Votie that answers questions regarding voting dates, candidate profiles, general support for navigating the VoteGo app, and more!
Reflections & Goals
Reflections & Goals
From our affinity mapping and user persona development, we gathered the following pain points to resolve for our
website redesign:
From our affinity mapping and user persona development, we gathered the following pain points to resolve for our website redesign:
From our affinity mapping and user persona development, we gathered the following pain points to resolve for our website redesign:
What I Learned
What I Learned
🌱 Working with a group of collaborative UX designers can really speed up the design process and foster great ideas.
🌱 I familiarized myself with Figma prototyping tools to deliver a realistic prototype of our VoteGo app!
🌱 The importance of user research and how it can not only inform the design of our app, but also make me more understanding of issues like accessibility and be able to connect to people!
🌱 Working with a group of collaborative UX designers can really speed up the design process and foster great ideas.
🌱 I familiarized myself with Figma prototyping tools to deliver a realistic prototype of our VoteGo app!
🌱 The importance of user research and how it can not only inform the design of our app, but also make me more understanding of issues like accessibility and be able to connect to people!
Goals for the Future
Goals for the Future
✨ I want to push the interactivity of the app a step further by introducing more animations to the app such as changing colors of buttons when hovering over them.
✨ I want to learn other methods of gathering user research such as creating surveys that can reach more audiences.
✨ I want to push the interactivity of the app a step further by introducing more animations to the app such as changing colors of buttons when hovering over them.
✨ I want to learn other methods of gathering user research such as creating surveys that can reach more audiences.