GLIDE: Research Artifacts
GLIDE: Research Artifacts
GLIDE: Research Artifacts
Branding
A Welcome Kit to Support Civic Engagement
Organization / Institution: City of Gainesville
Client: Office of the Clerk of the Commission
Role: Project Lead
Supervisor: Jacqueline Stetson
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Context
Participating in public meetings, voicing your opinions, and influencing community decisions is essential for a healthy democracy. Yet, learning how to engage in local government can be overwhelming and alienating.
How might we help our neighbors easily learn how to engage with local government?
Deliverable
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Welcome kit for City Commission attendees
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A digital kit to learn how to virtually engage and make public comments during the Covid-19 Stay-at-home order
Timeline
Welcome kit: 6 weeks (January - March 2020)
Digital kit: 1 week (Covid-19 emergency
Key Contribution
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Research
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Strategy
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Visual Design
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User Testing
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
The Challenge
Local governments make decisions that can impact our daily city experience. As residents of a city, we can influence and help shape these decisions by engaging with our local council/commission. Yet few residents participate and contribute to community decision making. This results in decisions that do not necessarily reflect the overall value and opinions of the city.
Good design can play a crucial part in increasing civic participation and in improving the overall quality of engagement. The overall service experience can be improved by designing for convenience, efficiency, and delight.
The Clerk of the Commission at Gainesville collaborated with the neighbor-centered design team to initiate efforts to improve this experience.
Our Approach
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Defining a focused area of inquiry: Onboarding experience of residents who are new to City Commission meetings
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Understanding challenges and expectations through user research
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Designing a solution to improve this experience
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Testing and validation
Findings & Opportunities
Residents who are new to City Commission meetings often feel overwhelmed and alienated by the overall experience. The meeting agenda presupposes a basic understanding of how meetings are held, its purpose, and key stakeholders. The terms that are frequently used during the meeting can further alienate new attendees. Many residents struggle with making a clear public comment within the allotted 3 minutes.
Constraints & Challenges
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Residents require a quick and easy to grasp learning solution.
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The design needs to be convenient enough to be used both before and during the meeting.
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Accessibility, technological proficiency, and plain language requirements have to be met.
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The design must be scalable, modular and easy to modify by city staff including staff with limited design proficiency.
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The learning solution must be cost effective and a smart use of taxpayer money.
Our Solution
A learning kit designed to provide both context and support to new residents.
The kit was piloted through a simple hardcopy. Testing was done by City staff who welcomed new attendees at the entrance of City Hall with the hardcopy of the kit.
Here are some highlights -
