MOBILE & BALLOT
Ballot
Buddy
BALLOT BUDDY
Enhancing the voting experience in the US by redesigning the current ballot, ensuring easy access to reliable information
MY ROLE
I along with my team conducted primary research, secondary research, ideation, ballot iterations and user testing. I took the lead on developing mobile prototype of the proposed solution to do further testing with users.
INSTRUCTOR
Rebecca Blum
DURATION
September '23 - November '23
DELIVERABLES
TEAM
Research Methods
Research Insights
Ideation
UX Flows
Prototypes
3 UX Designers
Problem
US voting is tedious, often becoming a group activity due to OMR's time-consuming and error-prone circle-filling
The ballot is filled with technical jargon, leading to demotivating online searches by voters
The lack of section distinction overwhelms and disinterests users, reducing voter turnout
How might we make the voting ballot unchallenging so that repeat voters find it more convenient and are more confident while casting their vote.
Target age group: 25-34 year olds
Ballot Buddy
(a glimpse)
Physical Ballot
The redesigned ballot employs visual design for easy reading, QR codes to access details, along with familiar voting behavior, while keeping costs low.
Digital App
App simplifies voting by providing credible information on policies, candidates, and creating a personalized voting plan in a single platform.
The Process
User Research
We conducted a survey and interviewed 7 individuals to gain valuable insights into voters' challenges and experiences during the voting process.
What did the voters think?
Click to pause
"There are so many instructions, and things on a page, I do not know where to begin"
"The abundance of technical jargon is overwhelming"
Key Findings
45 minutes is the average time taken to fill in the ballot
Technical jargon makes the ballot seem confusing and overwhelming
People feel confusion when they read the instructions and see the number of pages.
Most people find the voting process inconvenient, even when they choose to opt for a mail ballot.
Secondary Research
We examined systems from different countries while analyzing various ballots to identify successful practices and areas for improvement.
Our research extends further than this.
Synthesis
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It's challenging to determine if voters can correctly navigate and follow ballot information.
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Biased online information can make voters question their choices, highlighting the importance of informed decisions.
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The extensive use of technical jargon hinders voters from comprehending policies thoroughly.
Who is this for?
Returning voters looking for a user-friendly experience to boost their confidence in casting their votes.
Finding credible source of information
Avoiding the use of multiple channels during research
Planning ahead while managing time
Journey Map
Generating Concepts
After analyzing insights and synthesizing research, we developed 4 concepts for user testing to effectively address voter pain points.
Hybrid Model
Simplified ballot displays key information, while a QR code allows access to more policy details on the app/website. Users physically mark their vote on the ballot.
Paper Prototyping
We utilized lo-fi paper prototypes to test our hybrid and digital solution. This early incorporation of user feedback helped us refine and improve our solution
MVP Testing & Validation
What did we learn from user testing?
8/10 users preferred Hybrid Model as the information was accessible using both digital and physical mediums
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People didn’t prefer Completely digital medium because of privacy issues which made them unsure if their vote would be counted or not.
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Surprisingly, even after our biased thought of using an ‘X’ to mark the vote, most of the users found it inconvenient.
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The colour coding of the different sections made it easier for the users to identify the sections. It also improved the readability of the information.
Solution
Issues with Existing Ballot
Physical Prototype
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Inclusion of both English and Spanish on the Spanish ballot, providing little value
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The absence of clear visual hierarchy and section divisions, along with a grayscale appearance, led to voter and demotivation.
Redesigned Ballot
Digital Prototype
Ballot Buddy, empowers well-informed decisions by providing policy and candidate information in a single platform. It simplifies the voting process by assisting in creating a personalized voting plan.
On-boarding
Sign up for personalised election updates and choose your preferred language for seamless app and ballot integration.
Homepage
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Get timely registration reminders and election updates.
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Access policy details and candidate information to make informed decisions and seamlessly add them to your voting plan.
QR Code Scanning
QR Code scanning on the ballot enables users to view detailed information about each proposition.
Add to Voting plan
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View the policies with simpler language making it easier to understand.
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Add the policy answer to your voting plan which will help you to access your own opinions while marking the ballot.
Making an informed decision
You can explore comprehensive candidate information, including their views on key issues, for informed decision-making
Reflections & Takeaways
Hybrid Model was user-friendly
It allowed easy access to information, and enabled pre-planning of choices.
Decreased avg time from 45 to 25 mins
It ensured voters' research efforts were worthwhile, enabling them to cast their votes confidently and effortlessly.
Testing Early and Often is essential
This iterative method allowed me to spot and resolve issues at an early stage, resulting in a more tailored user experience.