This is personal UX project worked on social media campaign for small businesses.
What (problem): The goal is to motivate the Board of Supervisors to pass legislation that will increase the economic thresholds for all business categories and implement other critical updates that will help LBE’s grow, develop and thrive in San Francisco’s current business environment. In short, the goal is to have people sign petition. This campaign is to protect small business owners in San Francisco.
Goal: Design social media campaign that engages audience to sign petition. Engaging this generation as active citizens rather than passive consumers.
Process: Strategy, research, analysis, prototype, design
Problem statement: The population of Millenial and Generation X is getting bigger than baby boomers and older generations. In general, millenials feel like their vote doesn’t make any difference.
Target audience: Millenials and GenX
Strategy:
Phase 1 – Making assumptions
Why Millenials + GenXs are not interested in those programs? Making assumption for the question is not too difficult task. They are interested in politics, but they don’t go to vote, they don’t sign petition because:
- They feel like their vote/sign doesn’t matter.
- They have feelings of powerless against politics.
- Simply no time for reading what is all about.
- Politics doesn’t affect them.
- Conflicting work.
- Not interested.
Phase 2 – Validate assumptions
I tried to validate my assumptions are right, googled “why young people don’t vote” or “politically ignorant” and I came across the article from CNN politics, it saidMillennials are drawn into politics over issues that affect them, like student debt, the economy, the environment, and health care, said Erin Loos Cutraro founder of She Should Run, a nonpartisan group that helps women run for office.
“Millennials especially want to put their time toward something they know they can change”
Phase 3 – Summary for next step
It seems hopeless but if they don’t take an action, nothing will be changed. Let’s change the angles of the conversation for a moment. How does politics affects on society? Everything we do. Health insurance, cost of food, taxes, and so on. Politics would influence your personal life especially for when you need help. But unfortunately people don’t care about politics unless you get old, get sick or pregnant.
Politics is all about you, individuals. It will affect you directly.
Objective for this campaign is to protect small businesses in SF.
Small business could be:
Business (accounting, taxes, bookkeeping, public relations)
It & Internet (Development, front end, games, apps, podcasting, consultant)
Retail (apparel, discount store, supermarket)
Food and hospitality (restaurant, catering, event planning)
Specialized Skills (car repair, copy or content writing, graphic design, music lessons, massage therapist, real estate, sports coach, translator)
Scope:
Creating persona
I was able to identify those feelings and behaviors helped me to develop persona.
Structure: How do I engage the disinterested? How do you show millenials that program can have direct impact on their lives?
I tried to create a story like this.
If small businesses are more active and revitalize, who would be taking benefits?
You, each one of you living in San Francisco can take an advantage. Amazon is not cure all solution. Two days shipping is very attractive option for customers, but Amazon won’t provide cozy cafe in your next door. Small business in your neighborhood is convenient.
Also I wanted to spot light each person who own business and their life journey. Maybe s/he came from Vietnam 40 years ago and started to restaurant. S/he was born and raised in San Francisco, and had a dream to open a bookstore in the neighborhood since 4th grade. I tried to highlight each person’s life journey and story. We all have stories to tell.
So I came up with an idea
#connected
Hashtag connected is tagline for campaign, why “connected”? Because we are connected to them – small business and the owners in a way.
