1:32:20 AM

Political Information Hub

Neutral Ground

An App to Empower Canada’s Next Generation

mY rOLE

Lead UX/UI Designer & Researcher

Product Type

Mobile App

Timeline

4 months · 2025

Skills

User Research, Project Management, Interaction, Design Prototyping, Information Architecture, Agile Workflow

tools

Figma, FigJm, Adobe Creative Cloud, Excel (Sprint Tracking)

Collaborators

Olivia Harborne, Kenny Robstad, Leo Bitterman, Carolaing Herrera

The problem

Young Canadians (under 30) vote 30% less than their older cohorts

Young Canadians (under 30) vote 30% less than their older cohorts

While often dismissed as apathy, this gap is driven by a lack of unbiased, accessible and trustworthy information that is usually filled with complex political jargon. This all makes it difficult for new voters to engage with politics confidently.

Our mission was to help people go from "I don't know enough" to "I'm confident enough"

Research

After researching the market and our users, we found a product demand that wasn't being met

Through research into any potential competitors and existing products, there were none that would solve our identified issue. However due to time constraints and low manpower, we resorted to digital methods such as surveys and market research. Some notable finds were:

User Discovery 1

95% of target users consumed political media on mobile devices

User Discovery 2

Users preferred visuals or bite-sized information

User Discovery 3

Users wanted multiple mediums (reading, listening and watching)

User Discovery 4

49% of target users struggle with political terminology

Research

After researching the market and our users, we found a product demand that wasn't being met

Through research into any potential competitors and existing products, there were none that would solve our identified issue. However due to time constraints and low manpower, we resorted to digital methods such as surveys and market research. Some notable finds were:

User Discovery 1

95% of target users consumed political media on mobile devices

User Discovery 2

Users preferred visuals or bite-sized information

User Discovery 3

Users wanted multiple mediums (reading, listening and watching)

User Discovery 4

49% of target users struggle with political terminology

User Goals

But what do the users want to achieve from this app? Do we understand their goals?

We knew the statistics, but we still didn't fully understand the users. By laying out user goals and reframing them as how might we statements, we were able to decipher the expectations users had for Neutral Ground as a product.

We shape ideas, brands, identities, interactions, interfaces, experiences

  • bridge the knowledge gap for young Canadians?
  • ‎
  • empower young Canadians to engage in political discussions?
  • ‎
  • simplify information so young Canadians see how policies affect them personally?

We shape ideas, brands, identities, interactions, interfaces, experiences

  • bridge the knowledge gap for young Canadians?
  • ‎
  • empower young Canadians to engage in political discussions?
  • ‎
  • simplify information so young Canadians see how policies affect them personally?

  1. How might we bridge the knowledge gap for young Canadians to better understand how federal politics work without complex jargon

  1. How might we empower young Canadians so that they are more comfortable in engaging with political discussion and decisions 

  1. How might we simplify information so that young Canadians can understand how certain policies affect their daily lives and future

Setting the Direction

"So is this going to be another news platform? How is this going to be different?"

After presenting the initial idea to mentors, there was confusion about the direction of this app. By using the MoSCoW Method, I was able to cut down on unnecessary features. Rather than adding more and more features, we instead focused on expanding the core functionalities.

uSING User Habits TO dESIGN

Instead of reinventing the wheel, we utilized the strength of already existing designs to make our product effective

In our survey, we had asked for apps users for what they currently used for political information. This allowed us to expedite the design phase by using other designs as foundational components.

In our survey, we had asked for apps users for what they currently used for political information. This allowed us to expedite the design phase by using other designs as foundational components.

We wanted the app to instantly feel familiar to allow users to get right into the content

We wanted the app to instantly feel familiar to allow users to get right into the content

We wanted the app to instantly feel familiar to allow users to get right into the content

The rESULTS

By taking the time to understand what users wanted with Neutral Ground, we were able to create a product that resonated with them

We Made Politics Personable to the User

  • Helped users understand their political alignment better

  • Increased understanding about personal impact

We Lowered the Political Language Barrier

  • Allows users to bookmark and learn political terminology easily

  • Simplfied complex articles for easier reading

We Simplified Information for Unbiased Learning

  • Breaks down complex information into short visual and auditory learning

The rESULTS

By taking the time to understand what users wanted with Neutral Ground, we were able to create a product that resonated with them

We Made Politics Personable to the User

  • Helped users understand their political alignment better

  • Increased understanding about personal impact

We Lowered the Political Language Barrier

  • Allows users to bookmark and learn political terminology easily

  • Simplfied complex articles for easier reading

We Simplified Information for Unbiased Learning

  • Breaks down complex information into short visual and auditory learning

Reflection

What did l learn from this project?

This project was where I realized that I, as a designer, really value the idea of physical ideation (paper sketches, whiteboard and sticky notes). Otherwise, all of my ideas would be a jumbled mess in my head and would lead to design choice paralysis. By forcing me to get my ideas out faster, it led to a faster turnover rate of feedback and subsequently better designs overall.

What I wish I could've done more of

I would have like to have gathered more user feedback and more quantitative data to justify certain decisions. Beyond our initial survey, our user testing results were based mostly off of anecdotal feedback which is still valuable, but I would like more experience dealing with numerical data to further my skills as a user researcher.

Previous Project

Previous Project

Next Project

Next Project

menu