photo credit
Andrea Miranda Salas with participant's consent
ROLE
Research Lead, Project Manager
PROJECT DURATION
August 2023 - January 2024
DESIGNING VOTER EDUCATION FOR MULTILINGUAL VOTERS
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Center for Civic Design partnered with Ohio Voting Rights Coalition (OVRC) to research and develop targeted voter education for a special election and general election in 2023.
I led the research for a study aimed at understanding how culturally responsive voter materials can encourage participation among multilingual communities in Ohio. We explored how design elements—such as color, imagery, and layout—can enhance the effectiveness of information presented to diverse voters. We asked what it means to be 'culturally responsive' when communicating with voters.
OUTCOMES
Our research findings directly informed the design of a publicly accessible voter education toolkit. This toolkit supported statewide advocacy organizations in Ohio during the August special election and November general election in 2023.
The toolkit includes customizable templates, design assets, and practical guidance to help organizations engage with voters from diverse, multilingual communities.
While our research focused on Ohio, the research-driven design recommendations embedded in the toolkit can benefit GOTV efforts and voter education nationwide, making the toolkit a valuable resource for anyone involved in civic engagement.
A summary of the findings of this research can be found here. The full report is titled Visual and Information Design Research: Designing impactful and culturally responsive voter education and published by Center for Civic Design.
Watch the presentation for AIGA 2024 Design Conference below.