As part of my UX Design class, I was tasked with addressing a problem in American politics. Through brainstorming and iteration, I ultimately decided to focus on developing PolitEase -- a platform that aims to reduce bias and confusion in the political scene. As a result, 80% reported greater confidence in navigating political content with PolitEase.

American politics has two major parties -- Republicans and Democrats and this system creates division.

With only two dominant parties, voters often feel pressured to vote for one or the other. This dynamic reduces nuance and limits new ideas. Ultimately it supresses the voices of smaller parties. To address this, I focused on explore a solution that boosts the visibility of minor political parties.

1. Preliminary Survey: I conducted a survey to 6 participants to understand their familiarity with the political landscape, including their awareness on minor political parties.

2. One-on-One Interview: I discussed with each participant to discuss their answers in further detail. Each session varied based on their survey responses.

User interviews revealed that the primary barrier was motivating young adults to engage with politics. Without this participation, many struggled to make informed voting decisions.

Key Findings:

Based on the information I collected from my competitive analysis and user interviews, I created a low fidelity wireframe to consolidate and visualize my ideas.

Using A/B testing, I asked the same 6 participants to compare the layouts and share their feedback.

Exploring two approaches for the "Add Topics" feature that allows users to add categories they want to follow

There were mixed reactions for both layouts. Half preferred the left layout due to its simplicity and the other half felt that the right-hand layout works better because of its readability. Upon reflection, I ultimately chose to use the left layout for adding topics. For the sake of this design, simplicity is my priority and eliminating any unnecessary clutter would be ideal.  

What wording resonates with users the most?

All users preferred "Guides: Recommended to You" because it felt more personal and human. The phrasing gave the impression that the content was directed toward them, which aligns well with the purpose of guides.

Do users support designing the homepage to adapt to their familiarity level with the platform?

Users supported this layout because it is effective in contextualizing politics for individuals with limited familiarity. In fact, having this feature makes it easier for them to engage with the material and become confident in navigating politics.

Other notable feedback that was not mentioned previously...

A mobile platform that aims to make politics less daunting and more digestible to invite those who are overwhelmed by the abundance of the political scene

*due to time constraints, all screens from wireframe are not fully built*