This presentation concept outlines the development of a versatile dashboard for Summer Lee's re-election campaign as a local Pittsburgh senate candidate. The dashboard aims to efficiently manage donations, volunteers, and events. Despite a strong base of enthusiastic supporters, the campaign currently faces coordination challenges due to reliance on various tools. Consolidating these functions into a single dashboard is proposed to enhance supporter involvement.
I managed every aspect of this project solo, from concept to presentation. I navigated through discovery, research, design, and testing, all while adhering to a tight, self-managed schedule to meet the deadline.
Managing volunteers involves juggling various communication tools based on individual preferences, using multiple platforms regardless of their features, and handling different databases without an easy way to import, edit, and share data. A customizable dashboard to centralize and prioritize key tasks is essential for maintaining organization and focus.
We want to know how people decide what to watch and how they watch it so that we can create an app that fills a market gap. To answer these questions, I will use three different research methodologies:
I analyzed platforms commonly used during election campaigns, evaluating their features, strengths, and weaknesses. This provided valuable market insights and guided the selection of features for integrating into a custom, efficient campaign dashboard.
I distributed surveys to campaign volunteers, workers, and individuals with non-profit sector experience to understand their challenges with existing software and dashboards. Feedback from the small, but resourceful group of participants guided the direction of my interviews.
I conducted interviews with three individuals experienced in campaign election work and non-profit work. These participants represented a diverse range of technological proficiency levels, which is crucial for ensuring that my app is user-friendly for everyone, including those who are not tech-savvy, and can quickly help onboard new volunteers. Using affinity mapping, I organized interview responses to identify recurring themes and issues. Among all participants, common themes included difficulties in managing volunteers, juggling multiple productivity tools, and navigating various communication preferences among volunteers.
Based on my research, I crafted Points of View (POV) statements that captured what people were saying. Then, I turned those insights into How Might We (HMW) questions, flipping challenges into opportunities for solutions. After considering several options, I selected the one that most closely resonated with the feedback gathered from surveys and user interviews.
Using the POV statements and HMW questions as a foundation, I constructed a persona profile to reference throughout the design process. This helped to ensure that the product resonated with the needs, goals, frustrations, and pain points.
We want to know how people decide what to watch and how they watch it so that we can create an app that fills a market gap. To answer these questions, I will use three different research methodologies:
I analyzed platforms commonly used during election campaigns, evaluating their features, strengths, and weaknesses. This provided valuable market insights and guided the selection of features for integrating into a custom, efficient campaign dashboard.
I distributed surveys to campaign volunteers, workers, and individuals with non-profit sector experience to understand their challenges with existing software and dashboards. Feedback from the small, but resourceful group of participants guided the direction of my interviews.
I conducted interviews with three individuals experienced in campaign election work and non-profit work. These participants represented a diverse range of technological proficiency levels, which is crucial for ensuring that my app is user-friendly for everyone, including those who are not tech-savvy, and can quickly help onboard new volunteers. Using affinity mapping, I organized interview responses to identify recurring themes and issues. Among all participants, common themes included difficulties in managing volunteers, juggling multiple productivity tools, and navigating various communication preferences among volunteers.
Based on my research, I crafted Points of View (POV) statements that captured what people were saying. Then, I turned those insights into How Might We (HMW) questions, flipping challenges into opportunities for solutions. After considering several options, I selected the one that most closely resonated with the feedback gathered from surveys and user interviews.
Using the POV statements and HMW questions as a foundation, I constructed a persona profile to reference throughout the design process. This helped to ensure that the product resonated with the needs, goals, frustrations, and pain points.
With a plethora of potential features to facilitate the work of volunteers and workers, prioritization became essential due to project scale and time constraints. I determined the initial implementation based on the frequency of mentions in my research.
Before delving into wireframes, I established the dashboard hierarchy by creating a sitemap, which served as a reference point throughout the design process.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
With a plethora of potential features to facilitate the work of volunteers and workers, prioritization became essential due to project scale and time constraints. I determined the initial implementation based on the frequency of mentions in my research.
Before delving into wireframes, I established the dashboard hierarchy by creating a sitemap, which served as a reference point throughout the design process.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
With a plethora of potential features to facilitate the work of volunteers and workers, prioritization became essential due to project scale and time constraints. I determined the initial implementation based on the frequency of mentions in my research.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
I developed user flows to illustrate the key pathways users will navigate while interacting with the app.
With a plethora of potential features to facilitate the work of volunteers and workers, prioritization became essential due to project scale and time constraints. I determined the initial implementation based on the frequency of mentions in my research.
Before delving into wireframes, I established the dashboard hierarchy by creating a sitemap, which served as a reference point throughout the design process.
I adjusted a Material 3 kit with Kismet's branding to keep it simple for the development phase.
After outlining low-fidelity wireframes for essential screens related to desired user tasks, I refined the information hierarchy. Once content with the layout, I progressed to creating mid-fidelity screens and a prototype for usability testing purposes.
I developed user flows to illustrate the key pathways users will navigate while interacting with the app.
I recruited 8 participants for unmoderated user testing, asking them to complete 2 tasks to uncover any potential UX or flow issues before advancing to high-fidelity wireframes. Success was measured by participants completing all tasks within a reasonable timeframe with minimal to no errors.
Wins
Opportunities
Focusing on the challenge participants faced in locating the "assign routes" button, I maintained its original placement but made it sticky for improved accessibility. Subsequent testing with high-fidelity wireframes and color integration confirmed the successful resolution of the button visibility issue.
Following multiple rounds of user testing and design iterations, I am confident in the inclusion of all necessary features to present an initial concept alongside a roadmap for future features.
Lessons learned:
It's essential to budget for interviews with participants who have relevant experience. This ensures that their needs and perspectives are thoroughly considered in the development process.
