Designing for Democracy
An example of how design can make a difference in unexpected places.
“A government creates trust almost exclusively through communication — using words and images to convey meanings. Most of the communication between a government and its citizens consists of asking for and providing information. These interactions can be positive and engaging experiences, or they can be difficult, frustrating, disengaging ones. The difference is often a matter of communication design.”
Richard Grefe, Design for Democracy President
In 2000 the Palm Beach butterfly ballot debacle opened the eyes of designers nation wide to the importance of ballot usability. From 2011–2013 I worked with Washington State as an AIGA Design Fellow to implement a human centered design practice within their Elections Division, assisting 32 counties with ballot design and the state with a variety of voter education and outreach materials.
For the first time in my career I found myself working outside of the design community, “in the field” so to speak, collaborating closely with experts of various other disciplines, from lawyers and election officials, to the Secretary of State himself. The world I came from moved lightening fast, but I quickly noticed that government moved slower than I could have ever possibly imagined. And while I had formal designing training and generally tended to have a good deal of resources, my new election staff friends were not designers and had little to no resources. But they were being tasked with the same design responsibilities I was.
The differences were difficult hurdles to adjust to, but when I got down to it, I noticed something important; election design involved the same design principles as any other design project. And these principals were revolutionary tools for the people I now found myself working with.
Teaching these simple principals to those working outside the design world can make a big difference on so many levels. They make employees self sufficient and design improvements more sustainable. So here they are; design principals to make usable ballots… or almost anything. Check out your ballot this November and see how it measures up.
- Use lowercase letters.
Lowercase letters are more legible than ALL CAPS because they create shapes that are easier to recognize. - Avoid centered type.
Centered type requires the eye to search for the start of of the next line, where as left-aligned type provides a flow for eyes that read left-to-right. - Use only one sans-serif font.
Using one font will make ballots more unified and allow for an easier read. For materials requiring more than one language set the primary language in bold and the secondary language in regular weight. - Support process & navigation
Place instructions where they are needed, and in a way that does not distract from the user’s task. Use page (or screen) numbering to show progress. And post signage in polling places that are easy to see and provide value to the clarity and efficiency of the voting process. - Use clear, simple, plan language
Avoid election jargon the average voter may not understand. Summarize referenda in simple language alongside required formats if possible. And do not include more than two languages on any one material. Bonus being that simple, plan language is often shorter, taking up less space! - Use accurate instructional illustrations.
Making instructions visual helps all voters, especially those at low-literacy levels. Illustrations must be accurate to the ballot style or voting system, for which there are many. And do not use photographs. - Use informational icons.
Icons call attention to key information, supporting instruction and navigation. - Use contrast and color to support meaning.
Color and shading should be used consistently. On paper ballots, to separate instructions from contest and contests from one another. On electric ballots, use color and shading to support navigation, call attention, and provide user feedback.
“A notable and noble achievement, applying the craft of graphic design in the service of the public interest.”
Edward Tufte
The idea of election design as a “thing” was born from a designer recognizing a problem and seeing an opportunity to help. I encourage you to keep your eyes open and seek out more design problems to apply your particular expertise. To me this is an exciting power and responsibility we are lucky to have. And at the risk of sounding completely hooky and overly idealistic, fixing these design problems is our opportunity to make a difference and help the world be a little more usable, trustworthy, enjoyable, and just a bit better in general.
For more information on Design for Democracy visit designfordemocracy.org or pick up Marcia Lausen’s book Ballot and Election Design. If you’re an elections employee looking for cliff notes to keep on your desk check out Field Guides To Ensuring Voter Intent.
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