First Time Voter's Survival Guide
Project Overview
The political process can be overwhelming to young voters. Statistically only 42% of those aged 18—24 vote in any elections. While the younger generation believes in change, they need a reliable resource to guide them to become lifetime voters.
Objective
To provide a reliable resource that does not pass judgement on young voters, and guides them through the process of voting for the first time, encouraging them to become life time voters.
Approach
I collaborated with MOVE Texas, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization whose mission is to build power in underrepresented youth communities through civic education. They printed 10,000 copies of my First Time Voter’s Survival Guide and distributed them by mail throughout Texas to use in the 2020 Presidential election.
Accolades
Graphis New Talent 2021—Gold, Young Voters PSA
AIGA Flux 2019—Certificate of Merit for Social Impact Design
Research & Interviews
I conducted interviews with young adults in the age range of 18-22, asking if they were registered to vote, if they knew what the voting process was like, and how often they participated in the act of voting.
Interview Findings
From these interviews, my final takeaway was that the biggest factors getting in the way of young voters are:
Texas Rankings
Hearing their responses made me curious on what else I could find out. I delved deeper into researching voter statistics in Texas, and was shocked by the outcomes.
User Persona
Based on the information uncovered during interviews and research, I was able to come up with a user persona to assist me in empathizing with my audience and coming up with a solution for them.
Refining Research
Wanting to make sure that my research findings were credible, I reached out to MOVE Texas, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization whose mission is to build power in through civic education. Even though I originally only meant to reach out in the hopes of improving my project, MOVE Texas were huge fans of my idea of creating a First Time Voter’s Survival guide, and agreed to collaborate with me to make it a reality.
Aligning With MOVE Texas
Together we agreed that:
We needed to consider young voters in underrepresented communities who may not have access to technology.
The solution needed to be uplifting and positive.
We needed to create versions in English and in Spanish.
Young Voter's PSA
Keeping my audience in mind, I knew I had to create a digital product that would visually compliment the guide, but could be posted and shared on the internet and social media. The PSA reminds them not only of their power as voters, but how voting actually makes an impact in the things that they care about.
Poster Campaign
I created a poster campaign that was on brand, reiterated what was mentioned in the Young Voter’s PSA, and was realistic for MOVE Texas to execute. It empathizes with those who are voting for the first time, and lets them know where they can acquire their guide.
Social Media Campaign
In the last page of the guide, it encourages voters to add their "I Voted" sticker, write down a reason why they voted, and share a photo of it on social media. Since my research showed that young people are more eager to share or do things if they see someone else their age is also doing it, this social media campaign felt imperative to let young voters know they're in it together.
Lessons Learned
You never know where your curiosity will take you!
My need for knowledge, and wanting credible sources lead me to reach out to the MOVE Texas team. Our collaboration was perfect as I was given a chance to turn my design into a reality in the hopes of creating a positive impact. By leaning into my curiosity, I got real hand experience on what it was like to take a design to production.
With More Time and Resources
During my research, I had an idea for an arcade game that would introduce the mission and importance of voting in a high school setting. I attempted to execute it, but it wasn't refined. I believe it would be a great way to reach out to users in that demographic, and if done well, could be successful.