Electoral Education Mobile Application
Project Overview
This mobile application for electoral education, developed for the Election Commission of Nepal, aims to empower remote voters with crucial knowledge about the electoral process and the value of their participation. Designed for offline use, it provides accessible, easy-to-understand content tailored for all eligible Nepali voters, especially those in rural areas with limited internet access. Through interactive guides, step-by-step voting instructions, and educational resources on the importance of voting, this app ensures that voters, regardless of their location, have the information needed to participate confidently in Nepal’s democratic process. By bridging information gaps, this initiative supports informed voter turnout, fostering a more inclusive and engaged electorate.
The Problem
In Nepal, a significant portion of eligible voters, especially those in remote and rural areas, face challenges accessing essential electoral information due to limited internet connectivity and inadequate awareness about the voting process. This lack of information can lead to confusion, mistrust, and apathy toward participating in elections, undermining the democratic process. Additionally, many voters are unaware of the importance of their vote and the impact of their participation. There is a critical need for an accessible, offline solution that can effectively educate voters on the electoral process, ensure they understand how and why to vote, and encourage active participation in elections, particularly in regions with limited access to digital resources.
The goal of this project is to develop a mobile application that provides offline electoral education to all eligible voters in Nepal, especially those in remote areas, helping them understand the voting process and the significance of their participation in elections.
The Process
Understanding User
User Research, Personas, Problem Statements and User Journey Maps.
Creating Design
Digital Wireframes, Low-fidelity prototypes and Usability studies
Refining the Design
Mockups, High-fidelity prototype, and Accessibility considerations
Going Forward
Takeaways, Impact, Lesson learnt and Next Steps
Understanding User
User Research, Personas, Problem Statements and User Journey Maps.
User research in remote areas of Nepal revealed that many people have limited internet access but tend to download content on their mobile phones when traveling to places with better connectivity, allowing them to view it offline later. Additionally, mobile phones are often shared among family members, including children and elders, indicating a need for a user-friendly design that accommodates multiple users. The primary activities on mobile devices include watching TikTok videos, playing games, and watching YouTube, suggesting that the app should incorporate engaging, interactive content that aligns with these habits to effectively educate voters on the electoral process. The design should be simple, accessible, and appealing to a wide range of users across different age groups.
Pain Points
Limited Internet Access
Many users in remote areas have inconsistent or no internet access, making it difficult to access online resources or participate in real-time online activities, which limits their ability to stay informed about the electoral process.
Shared Mobile Devices
Mobile phones are often shared between family members, including children and elderly individuals, which creates challenges in providing personalized, consistent access to educational content on the app.
Low Digital Literacy
A significant portion of the target audience has limited experience with technology, making it difficult for them to navigate complex or overly technical app interfaces, requiring a design that is intuitive and easy to use for all ages.
Competing with Entertainment
Users tend to prioritize entertainment-based activities like watching TikTok or YouTube over educational content, which presents a challenge in designing the app to be engaging and interactive enough to capture and retain users’ attention.
Persona 1
Hari Prasad lives in the Mustang region of Nepal and works as an apple farmer. Due to limited internet access and a shared mobile phone, he finds it challenging to access the information he needs to understand the voting process. He’s keen on participating in the upcoming elections but is unsure of how to go about it. He often uses his mobile phone for entertainment such as watching YouTube and playing games with his children. Hari needs an easy-to-use, offline-capable mobile application that will educate him about the electoral process in an engaging way, helping him feel empowered to cast his vote.
Name: Hari Prasad
Age: 42
Education: Basic literacy
Hometown: Mustang, Nepal
Family: Married, father of two children
Occupation: Apple Farmer
Goals
To understand the voting process and how to participate in the elections.
To learn the importance of his vote and how it impacts his community and country.
To access educational content offline due to limited internet availability.
To navigate the app easily, considering his low-tech literacy.
Frustrations
Limited or no internet access in his rural area.
Shares his mobile device with his family, making it hard to access personalized information.
A lack of digital literacy makes complex apps difficult to use.
Struggles to focus on educational content due to the entertainment-heavy nature of mobile usage.
Persona 2
Ramesh Karki is a designer at an advertising agency in Kathmandu. Between his job and family, he has a packed schedule and limited free time to stay updated on electoral news. Though he values his right to vote, he often finds it hard to locate reliable, concise information that fits his fast-paced lifestyle. Ramesh wants a straightforward mobile application that provides easy-to-understand, factual election information. Ideally, he’s looking for an offline-friendly solution that allows him to catch up on the go, ensuring he can make an informed choice without spending hours in research.
Name: Ramesh Karki
Age: 36
Education: Bachelors in Business Studies
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal
Family: Married, father of one child
Occupation: Designer at Advertising Agency
Goals
To access accurate and reliable information about the electoral process quickly.
To understand the voting process to make an informed voting decision.
To find a simple, trustworthy source for election-related updates that fits into his busy schedule.
To set a good example for his child by participating actively in civic responsibilities.
Frustrations
Juggling a demanding job and family commitments, leaving little time to research electoral information.
Finds it difficult to locate unbiased, clear information on the electoral process and candidates.
Frustrated by conflicting or unclear information on social media and other digital platforms.
Concerned about misinformation and wants a reliable source he can trust.
Persona 3
Nirmal Acharya is a 24-year-old computer science student living in Lalitpur. Between classes and his part-time job as a client service executive, he has little free time to catch up on current events, including the election. Although he’s excited to vote, he finds the process somewhat confusing and wishes there was a straightforward way to understand what’s needed to participate. He seeks a user-friendly, digital solution that fits into his on-the-go lifestyle, providing accurate, accessible information about candidates and the voting process. An offline option would be ideal, allowing him to review information during breaks or commutes, without needing constant internet access.
Name: Nirmal Acharya
Age: 24
Education: Undergraduate Student in Computer Science
Hometown: Lalitpur, Nepal
Family: Single, lives with his family
Occupation: Full-time student, works as a part-time client service executive
Goals
To understand the voting process and registration requirements in a simple way.
To access election-related information quickly, without disrupting his busy schedule.
To participate in the election and feel confident in his voting choices.
Frustrations
Balancing studies and a part-time job leaves limited time for research on voting.
Often overwhelmed by the complexity of electoral information found online.
Finds social media sources unreliable, but struggles to find time to verify information.
Concerned about missing registration deadlines or important steps in the voting process.
Persona 4
Sita Gurung is a committed class teacher at Shikharapur Community School in Dakshinkali – 3, Pharping, Kathmandu. She’s passionate about civic education and wants her students to fully understand the importance of voting and civic responsibility. However, her school has limited internet access and does not allow students to use mobile phones in the classroom, she has to share her mobile phone for teaching, making it challenging to track individual progress. Sita needs an app that allows offline use and saves each student’s learning progress. She also requires a simple way to manage and switch profiles to track new students. With these tools, Sita can effectively teach her students about the electoral process, preparing them to be responsible voters in the future.
Name: Sita Gurung
Age: 40
Education: Bachelor’s in Education
Hometown: Dakshinkali-3, Nepal
Family: Married, mother of two
Occupation: Class Teacher at Shikharapur Community School, Pharping, Kathmandu
Goals
To teach electoral education effectively, ensure each student understands the voting process and the importance of participation.
To track and save individual progress for each student to ensure they are learning thoroughly.
To use the app as an engaging supplement to her lessons, making it simple and offline-compatible.
Frustrations
Difficulty managing individual student progress on her mobile phone without devices for each student.
Limited internet access in the school, makes offline functionality essential.
Ensuring that each student can easily use and engage with the app, particularly since some may require extra guidance.
A straightforward way to reset the app for new groups of students each academic year.
User Journey Map: Hari Prasad
Creating Design
Low-fidelity prototypes and Usability studies
Low-fidelity prototype in Figma
Usability Study
The "Switch User" feature allows Sita to easily manage multiple student profiles on her mobile device, enabling seamless tracking of individual progress and resetting for new student groups, even in offline mode.
Multiple users can track and resume their progress, ensuring both Sita and Hari can use the app effectively. For Sita, it saves each student’s progress, enabling personalized learning on a shared, offline device. For Hari, it stores his progress, letting him continue learning despite sharing his phone with family. This offline-friendly, user-friendly feature supports personalized, seamless learning for all.
The Quiz Feature offers engaging learning tailored to Sita, Nirmal, and Ramesh's needs. Sita can use quizzes with her students to make learning fun and track performance offline. Nirmal, a college student, can test his knowledge and identify gaps independently. Ramesh can use quizzes to solidify his understanding of elections. This feature supports collaborative and individual learning seamlessly.
Refining the Design
Mockups, High-fidelity prototype, and Accessibility considerations
The final electoral education mobile application, developed into an APK by the developers, incorporates features tailored to the needs of users like Sita, Nirmal, Ramesh, and Hari. It includes offline functionality, progress tracking, and interactive quizzes to enhance learning. Accessibility is a key focus, with PDF summaries for visually impaired users, and video content with subtitles and audio descriptions for deaf users. While high-fidelity mockups were not created in Figma, the developers ensured the design addressed usability and inclusivity considerations. This approach ensures the app is an effective tool for electoral education, accessible to all, regardless of technical or physical barriers.
Going Forward
Takeaways, Impact, Lesson learnt and Next Steps
The development of the electoral education mobile application provided valuable insights into designing for diverse user needs, such as accessibility and offline functionality. Key takeaways include the importance of creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces for low-tech users and ensuring the app is accessible to people with disabilities. The impact of the app is significant, as it empowers users like Sita, Nirmal, Ramesh, and Hari to learn about the electoral process in an engaging and personalized way. One key lesson learned is the necessity of incorporating user feedback early and often to refine features. The next steps involve further testing with real users to gather more feedback, improving the app’s scalability, and ensuring long-term sustainability through updates and support.
