PolitiChat by NU Votes
HMW: Help NU Votes Ambassadors to streamline and disseminate political information in order to engage and inform curious NU students?
Partner
NU Votes, an initiative at Northwestern University Center for Civic Engagement
Contribution
Design research
User testing
Graphic design
Project Type
Service design
Timeline
January - March 2020
Tools
Figma
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects
Overview
PolitiChat by NU Votes tackles the voting problem in the younger generation, specifically at Northwestern University. It is a messaging service that connects politically curious students with informed peers, NU Votes Ambassadors, in a convenient and comfortable way.
Challenge
How can we help NU Votes Ambassadors to streamline and disseminate political information in order to engage and inform curious NU students?
Solution
A first-of-its-kind messaging service that connects politically curious students with informed NU Votes Ambassadors in a convenient and comfortable way.
Starting out, I was concerned because I was an international student who did not know much about the US voting system. My initial action was to do a deep dive on the US voting system and get up to speed.
By conducting secondary research, I created an initial stakeholder map to explore possible factors in the low student participation rate, listed all my questions, and searched for answers. Comparing my map to my teammates’, we merged our ideas together in a new stakeholder map.
To build on our research and verify our assumptions, we interviewed students from various majors and backgrounds to understand the different approaches to voting and motivations to participate.
Research
“We’re really trying to promote conversations and spreading of information in as many spaces as possible so that as many people as possible can get informed, and it's motivating to see engagement in real time… Sometimes it feels a little like we're screaming into the void, especially on social media.” - Ambassador
Analysis
We compiled our interview notes, and created two personas that reflected the interviewees. We generated “How Might We” questions to differentiate the subjects we could focus on, to investigate different aspects of the problem and to decide on the solution methods to implement.
We moved forward with the 3 most powerful How Might We questions and summarized our findings to date.
I generated at least 30 possible solutions for each of the 3 problem areas we had decided to focus on. Upon feedback from users, NU Votes staff, and ambassadors about which features were feasible and which parts we had to rethink, we chose 3 ideas that seemed to have the most promise.
Ideation
I created one of the three storyboards to display different scenarios where we could reach students, inform and engage them.
Prototyping
Build & Test 1
The storyboards turned into prototypes. Three prototypes were created to inspect how many students would use a texting service where they can ask questions to an informed student ambassador. I also tested how many students would interact with a QR code, which would take them to websites where they can check where they are registered.
We found out that students feel more comfortable asking their questions to their peers. In addition, students found the QR code a quick way to engage in a service. Combining the two ideas, we created a QR code that prompts the texting service on users’ phones.
Build & Test 2
To test our newest idea, I designed a table tent prototype to be placed on the tables in Northwestern University's student center. Through an online QR code service, the code directed the users to the NU Votes Ambassador hotline where ambassadors were able to respond to the users’ questions.
Service:
Promotion:
Step
Simple messaging service
On-campus poster promotion
Stretch
Semi-automated messages
Dining hall integration
Leap
Expanded automated messaging
Brew Bike partnership
We created "Step, Stretch and Leap" in other words, what we can achieve in the near future, in a few months and in a few years. In addition, we created blueprints for all three scenarios and articulated the customer actions as well as onstage and backstage requirements.
We presented our idea to our client, gave a presentation including a one-minute promotional video of the product, and provided a Step, Stretch and Leap plan.
Conclusion
* This project was done with Cate Wolfen, Will Deschler.