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Learning from voters for more effective communication

Learning from voters for more effective communication. Whitney Quesenbery Center for Civic Design @ civicdesign | @ whitneyq. iGO 2018. Collaboration makes our work possible. Plain language. Easy instructions. Clear design. Our skills are important.

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Learning from voters for more effective communication

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  1. Learning from votersfor more effective communication Whitney Quesenbery Center for Civic Design @civicdesign | @whitneyq iGO 2018

  2. Collaboration makes our work possible

  3. Plain language Easy instructions Clear design Our skills are important But they are just the starting point

  4. Because we can’t unlearn what we know • …how our government and elections work • …why this information is important • ...how to fill in a form correctly • …when, where, and how to vote • Our deep knowledge can make it harderto cross the civic literacy gap and create clear, useful communications

  5. Voters are eager to help us… …if we are ready to listen Kathy Feng, Common Cause talking to participants before a usability test

  6. Usability testing lets you see behavior • Observe and listen. Quietly. • Don't explain or demo. • Watch what they do. • Listen to their comments. • Take their problems seriously. • Use what you learn to improve election materials Usability testing of voting materials at the farmer’s market in Olympia, Washington Credit: Jenny Greeve

  7. It doesn’t have to be formal Testing voter registration forms Colin, Rhode Island DMV, 2018 Testing voter guides Whitney, Nancy and Drew Orange County, 2016 Testing voting systemsDona Vitale, Cook County, 2005

  8. Explaining California’s Conditional Voter RegistrationWhat we tested

  9. “Missing a deadline has happened to me, so this is good. It means that if it comesup to the month in advance, and you move, you can still register.”“May 21 stood out for me – but you should be able to register until the last minute. Just run over and register if you want to vote.”“Aha – so it’s same day registration.” • Sacramento Public Library on a Saturday morning • 9 participants • Ages from 20s to 50s, diverse backgrounds, from never voted to habitual voters

  10. Explaining California’s Conditional Voter RegistrationWhat they asked • “Do the polling places go away?” • Voter who knew about early voting centers from Nevada • “When are the 11 days?” • It wasn’t clear that those were days immediately before the election • “When did this pass?” • Just curious, but also concerned that he’d never heard of this

  11. Explaining California’s Conditional Voter RegistrationWhat we learned • Voters just wanted to know how to vote • Not the rules or the legal words • Not the problems • Just what to do and where to go for their own situation

  12. “Voting is not really for me, but it’s good for anyone who wants to vote to have choices.”

  13. Usability testing can make your wishes come true Whitney and Nancy, with Dora Rose, LWV California in Santa Cruz County

  14. Field Guides To Ensuring Voter Intent civicdesign.org/fieldguides/

  15. Thank youWhitney Quesenberywhitney@civicdesign.org@whitneyqcivicdesign.org@civicdesign

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