Research Plan

My research plan thus far has been done primarily via desk research. There are numerous articles concerning my thesis topic. There are also many websites and apps, some of them using similar approaches to how I would tackle the problems I have gained insight on. The rut I currently feel is one which happens often to designers. You do research, think of the problems, the users and some obvious solutions. You even state the solution to some people you know and they agree it would be a great solve to a major problem. You then turn around and find existing sites already trying to solve your problem in similar ways and you proceed to think your idea stinks. It already exists. But my good friend and thesis accountability buddy Johny sent me some encouragement in the form of the following:

“Finding other businesses founded on the same idea you have doesn’t mean the death of your idea. Don’t be afraid of competition.”

“Your business idea doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to solve the problem better than your competitors. To figure out how you can do this, list the ways you’d improve on what they’re currently doing (AKA list your key differentiators).”

And so one of my next steps is to create a spreadsheet of the existing competitors, to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

I have also created a questionnaire for which I have received 20+ responses. I would like to break down the answers to create my next more specific set of questions.

I have reached out to some political experts and writers, in the hopes of being able to have a good conversation that may lead me to think of other ideas and other people to speak with. I have reached out to even our local candidate for NY State Senate, Peter Harckham through his campaign’s FB page. I have no idea if he will respond to me.

Objective 1 – achieved by Oct 8 (7 days): Through a connection, speak first with Ruby Shamir, a writer and literary researcher based in New York City who aided in the researching and editorial planning of many high profile non-fiction titles, including books written by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Tom Brokaw. She has public policy and political experience including working for three and a half years at the White House, two of which she served in the First Lady’s office and leading Hillary Rodham Clinton’s New York Senate office. She is a smart person with the bonafides to perhaps give me some new ideas.

It was suggested to me by a trusted professor to look deeply into Center for Civic Design, to study all of the materials they have available on their website and come up with questions they haven’t already answered. So I will be doing that next. She also suggested watching the film I Voted?.

Objective 2 – achieved by Oct 8 (7 days): Do an analysis thus far of the interviews I have conducted and the surveys I have sent out. Do a blogpost summarizing my take-aways.

Objective 3 – achieved by Oct 13 (12 days): Do a comparison analysis of all of the existing web-sites and apps dealing with my topic and see what the pros and cons are. Also look into AIGA’s Design for Democracy as well as Common Cause, the lobbying organization that works on keeping democracy free and fair.

Objective 4 — achieved by Oct 13 (12 days): analyze web-sites and apps that young millennials connect with and see if any of the content / UI can be utilized for a political app.

Objective 5 —achieved by Oct 13 (12 days): Look at other problems that voters have such as accessibility issues. IDEO did a great project w L.A. County which tackled this.

• For a given area of inquiry, are you better off going to a library and reading, or going out in the physical world and observing? I feel that I can gain a better understanding of the ins and outs of voter frustrations through online research (there is a lot of data on why people don’t vote) and in-person or phone interviews. I’ve been trying to find people who don’t vote. In my circle, it hasn’t been that easy. As well, Ive been looking at all sorts of political sites and apps, trying to understand the pros and cons of each. I may make a spreadsheet detailing how each stack up. I will also study some of the organizations that I listed above and draft up a list of questions that perhaps are not covered.
• Do you have goal for number of people/places/books to give you enough information to inform your design process? I sent out an online questionnaire and received 20+ entries. There was some good insight through that. I think that number is sufficient for that survey at least. I would like to interview some more people directly. So far I have interviewed 2 people, one who worked on an app for VotoLatino and one director of the Red Hook Food Vendors whom I connected with on an assignment for Public Interfaces. Both gave me valuable insight into the minds of people who don’t vote. I need to interview some more political experts, at least 4 of them and I am reaching out to a local candidate named Pete Harckham who is running for NY State Senator District 40. I found his facebook page and have sent him a message. Not sure if he will reply as he has fairly high profile. I was reminded to reach out to a few former SVA students which I will proceed to do.
• If you go to the library, what specific questions can you bring so that staff there can help point you to productive reading? I honestly feel that online has so many articles and resources but if I had to go to library I would ask where can I find books about voter suppression, voting accessibility, the history of voting in the United States, when voting numbers started diminishing
• If you go out into the world to observe, which specific places will you start with, and what is your backup in case you don’t see what you are hoping to? Voter registration drives, candidates campaign offices, lower income neighborhoods where voter turnout is low, fantasy football parties or establishments where people watch sports where I can interview people and understand why they are so enthusiastic.
• If you are observing or talking to people, what kind of people do you want to hear from? Voters, non-voters, political experts, politicians, pollsters, young millennials, political writers
• How will you find them, and how will you approach them? Voters I have been able to just send to my friends and colleagues whom have forwarded to other friends. Non-voters have been harder to come by. Political experts I have been reaching out to through connections. Hopefully I can reach a lot more as they likely have insight with experience.
• Will you be alone, or with a helper? I will likely be alone.
• Will you interview them with a survey or a recorded conversation? I did a Google Forms survey version 1. I may take the findings and create a version 2 to get further insight. I also have recorded my conversations thus far and plan on interviewing more people and recording them
• Will you take photos or make sketches? I will take photos and if needed, do sketches.
• How will you record and organize your observations, interviews, photos, etc., while you are on the go? I have been using my iPhone’s voice memo function to record conversations and the camera to take photos.