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.
From these interviews, my final takeaway was that the biggest factors getting in the way of young voters are:
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.
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.
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.
Together we agreed that:
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.