Indian Political Action Committee, Hyderabad

This role marked my first significant breakthrough in the field of UX Research, and it was an incredibly fulfilling experience that reinforced my passion for understanding user behavior and needs. As the sole UX Researcher, I was responsible not only for evaluating the usability of products but also for contributing to the ideation and conceptualization of new products.

One of the most exciting aspects of this opportunity was working directly with real users on the ground. The ability to gather firsthand data and understand user concerns, wants, and pain points was invaluable. Additionally, my understanding of multiple Indian languages allowed me to effectively communicate with users in both Telugu and Marathi, even with my limited proficiency, enabling me to gain deeper insights into their needs.

Another key highlight was the opportunity to work with rural communities in India, which provided a unique perspective on their motivations and the challenges they face when using technological devices, mobile apps, and websites. It was eye-opening to witness firsthand the difficulties experienced by individuals who are not highly tech-savvy. This experience was both enlightening and profoundly rewarding.

Challenge: The existing YIP app was functional but faced several challenges, including technological limitations, user experience (UX) issues, and content-related gaps. These problems were impacting user engagement and overall satisfaction. A comprehensive revamp was needed, not only to address technical and UX concerns but also to refine the app’s content and make it more user-centric and relavant for today’s youth. The goal was to transform the app into an engaging, worthy and seamless experience that would resonate with its target audience.

Methods:

Heuristic Evaluation of the existing app to identify usability, relavance related issues.

Competitor Analysis to understand industry trends and user expectations from the app and from a content point of view.

Benchmarking Study to establish standards for content, performance and design.

Feature Analysis & Prioritization to ensure key functionalities were optimized especially from UX and technical perspective.

Card Sorting to improve information architecture and navigation and look out for opprotunities, if any.

User Interviews, majorly to gather insights into pain points and needs.

User Testing (both pre-launch and post-launch) to validate design choices and ensure usability improvements.

Outcome: The revamped YIP 2.0 app saw remarkable success, with over 20,000 downloads within just three months of its launch. User feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with significant improvements in engagement and overall satisfaction. The new design and functionality led to a higher retention rate, while the content strategy enhanced user understanding and interaction.

Task given: During the 2021 elections in Goa, the party my organization was supporting planned to launch a new initiative aimed at connecting with the masses through a helpline number and a ‘website’. The concept of teh website, was simple yet crucial: a platform where users could easily submit their concerns by typing it, attaching images, and providing any relevant details for reference. The goal was to gather real-time feedback on the problems faced by the public, which could then inform strategy for campaign rallies, manifestos, and other election-related initiatives and at last solving them.

Methods:

As this project was initiated by the business side, there was minimal research conducted prior to development, particularly from a UX research, foundational research perspective. Recognizing the importance of user-centered design, I focused on:

Designing the Web Page with an intuitive and straightforward interface, ensuring ease of use for the intended audience.

User Testing before launch through both remote and in-person interviews, especially targeting individuals who were not very tech-savvy and may have faced challenges with online forms.

Addressing Limitations such as language barriers by tailoring the user experience to the local context and ensuring accessibility for a diverse range of users.

The primary insight from these user interviews was to simplify the submission process, taking into account that many users had limited digital literacy. This user research was crucial in refining the design and functionality before the product was officially launched.

Outcome: The outcome of this project was somewhat mixed. While the grievance page was neither an overwhelming success nor a complete failure, it did manage to serve its purpose in facilitating communication between the party and the people of Goa. The number of grievances submitted was in line with expectations, but user engagement was not as high as anticipated, which could be attributed to factors such as limited digital literacy in certain areas and a lack of awareness about the platform.

Personally, this project was an excellent learning experience. It was different from my regular work on mobile and desktop designs, as it involved the unique challenge of creating a platform for political engagement. I gained valuable insights into designing for public sector initiatives, understanding the nuances of user accessibility, and the importance of continuous feedback analysis to improve the service.

My takeaway: This project helped me step outside of my typical design and research roles for mobile and websites, broadening my perspective on how technology can play a vital role in political communication and grievance redressal.

Major limitations that came out were: The absence of thorough user research meant the platform did not fully cater to the diverse needs of the population, particularly those with limited understanding of its purpose. Ultimately, the project exposed flaws in design, accessibility, and user needs, underscoring the challenges of implementing inclusive solutions without a deep understanding of the target users’ capabilities. Many users highlighted the need for an IVR call system or a direct point of contact to better address their concerns.

Challenge: The challenge was to design an engaging and informative mobile app for a political party, aiming to connect with state citizens, raise awareness about the party’s initiatives, and foster interaction. The app had to serve multiple functions, such as educating users about the party’s history, ongoing campaigns, and future plans, while also allowing them to stay updated on local and national developments.

Features:

• Interactive Learning: Users could play games that educated them about the party’s history, key leaders, and political ideologies.
• Local Insights: The app provided information on local developments and ongoing projects in various regions, helping users stay informed about what’s happening in their areas.
• Live News & Current Affairs: Real-time updates on current political events, both within the party and in the broader political landscape, kept users in the loop.
• New Schemes & Initiatives: Users could access information about new schemes the political party planned to implement, including detailed descriptions and progress updates.
• Social Interaction: Users were encouraged to engage with content by liking, sharing, and commenting on posts, fostering a community of active supporters.
• Push Notifications: The app allowed users to customize notifications to stay informed about new updates, events, and important news regarding the party and the state.

Methods:

• User Research & Interviews: Conducted in-depth interviews with potential users to understand their needs, expectations, and pain points when engaging with political content.
• Persona Development: Created personas based on different user segments, from the politically active to the casual voter, ensuring that the app addressed a wide range of user needs.
• Wireframing & Prototyping: Helped designers and product managers to visualize wireframes and prototypes to understand the app’s structure and functionality, followed by iterative testing to refine the user experience.
• Usability Testing: Ran usability tests to assess the ease of navigation, effectiveness of engagement features, and overall user satisfaction with the app. Feedback from real users helped shape key design improvements.
• Analytics Integration: Post-launch, integrated analytics to track user behavior and refine the app further based on engagement metrics and interaction patterns.

Outcome: The political party mobile app saw significant success, with over 10 lakh downloads. Users engaged actively with content, with high participation in the interactive games and a substantial volume of likes, shares, and comments. The push notification feature played a key role in keeping users informed and engaged, while the app’s ability to provide real-time updates helped it become a valuable tool for political engagement.

My takeaway: The project not only enhanced my skills in researching and designing for a political audience but also taught me how to blend information dissemination with user interactivity effectively.