Presidential Primaries: Who Should I Vote For?
For each election cycle, the UX team is tasked with exploring ideas for enhancements to our core election results experience. The goal was to think about meaningful and impactful narratives to help simplify the complex, and sometimes confusing election process for readers.
I was invited to a brainstorm session to present a couple concepts for the 2024 Presidential Primary elections. Like any design challenge, I focused on the user's needs and the problem to be solved. It became clear the biggest issue for voters was sifting through the many candidates—learning who they are, what they stand for, and which one best aligns with your values.
Idea 1: Who's My Candidate?
With so many Presidential hopefuls throwing their hat in the ring, it's a challenge for voters to wade through and determine which candidate best aligns with their own ideals. People don't generally have the time or patience to research each candidate's stance on the many polarizing social and political issues.
HMW statement: How might we create a visually simplistic experience to give voters a way to easily compare and understand each candidate's position, perspectives, and priorities on top political issues?
This notion lead to a bar graph format illustrating how each Presidential candidate prioritizes the top ten social issues. The reader can easily swipe back-and-forth through each candidate's profile and get an immediate sense of how they all stack up in comparison with the voter's own viewpoints and beliefs.
Idea 2: Meet The Candidates
Video is a great way for voters to see, hear and connect with Presidential candidates, as they discuss their political platform and give a sense of what type of leader they may be.
HMW statement: How might we compile video speeches, quotes and interview excerpts and create an easy-to-consume experience to help voters compare and learn more about each candidate?
From a content and product feature perspective, each video would ideally be a one-minute, elevator pitch-style short. The vertical video format can easily be repurposed and syndicated on other social channels, such as TikTok, IG/FB reels and YouTube shorts for wider audience reach. A swipeable interface allows for quick consumption and comparison of each candidate.
In addition to video, include the companion text transcript and highlight key takeaways. This would optimize for SEO and allow for other formats and applications. Content could also potentially be monetized with video advertisements.
