Up for a short story? Cool.

The Client

Hawai'i County Office of The County Clerk Elections Division

County-level elections office responsible for voter registration and issuing and receiving of mail-in ballots.

The Conversation

After viewing the client's brief and user research on my machine, it's time for a conversation with the human(s). This is my favorite way of building empathy with the client. Some people call this a consulting workshop.

I don't live in Hawaii. Have you ever had a client meeting with a 7-hour timezone difference? I have. During my conversation with the Elections Division team, we spoke about their goals and aesthetic preferences. Here are some initial insights:

The Style Tiles

A crucial part of our conversation; think of style tiles as a cross between a mood board and a mockup. I designed these small bits prior to the meeting based on limited information. Feedback from these help to inform the initial design and minimize revisions. I basically ask them to rip it apart (tell me what they like & don't like) while I take as many notes as possible.

Sometimes they do very well at ripping it apart.

Showing the style tiles triggered a lot of feedback, good and bad. Either way, I got loads of information that helped me to aim for the sweet spot in the full initial design. Style tiles reveal crucial feedback: hit or miss — still a win.

Core Feedback

• The serif font is "cute." (use it)

• The red & fuchsia are too strong — aim for a muted color palette.

• They like the colors and feel of the muted imagery behind the calendar snippet.

I have enough information to get to work on a full-fledged design. Now it's time for me to translate this wireframe, built by Grant Hasbrouck, into intelligent visual language.

Below is a quick look at how I transformed each section of this short wireframe.

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This short story was meant to give you a peek into my process.

If you want to know more about my full-on creative process and user research techniques don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Linkedin | miller.akhil@gmail.com