It's Not Just Politics As Usual
Today is the last day before what has been the most intense presidential campaign in history is finally over. Throughout, one element I’ve been energized by has been watching the growing sophistication of the political campaign process as technology becomes increasingly integral to it. And whether it’s a political campaign or an arts organization, I’m always excited to see smart technology and good design elevate and improve the ways things are done.
Admittedly, I’ve been paying most of my attention to the Obama campaign. I’ve seen traditional (dare I say stodgy?) norms of politics broken down as the Obama campaign has made use of available technologies ranging from multimedia and text messaging to mobile platforms.
The easiest place to start is with the website. It breathes new life into the typical design you expect to see in the political arena. Information is easy to find and it’s highly personalized to the user. Once you’ve created an account, the site empowers you to take an active role through fundraising and campaigning activities. The tools they provide make it so easy and a dashboard on your personal homepage gives you a quick glance at what you’ve accomplished.
The emails have been prolific and really too much for anyone to keep up with. But one - a matching gift campagin - really grabbed my eye. What was the catch? Rather than match someone else’s donation, they asked me to pledge and used that to find new donors. Almost immediately, a match was made through the website and the donors who gave because of my match had the opportunity to write me a note, which made the whole experience feel so personal.
The last thing I’ll call out is the Obama iPhone application. I admit to getting giddy over most things having to do with the iPhone, and the Obama application did not disappoint. Have a few minutes to read up on the issues on your commute? It’s right there in the app. Got some time to make some calls to undecided voters? You can do it right from your iPhone, including logging the results. And throughout the application, the ever present donation button was always reminding me that now is as good a time as any to donate.
With all of these features, and the others I didn’t even get to, what emerges is how successful the Obama campaign was at making people feel connected and invested. From the innovative design elements to the relevant uses of technology, the campaign had a cohesive approach that took into account the way people interact today.