The Civic Engagement Portal was designed to simplify how Wisconsin residents take part in policy-making. I joined this project in June 2024 to make government processes more accessible. My focus was on identifying challenges, designing solutions, and building a platform that connects people to the tools they need.
I conducted research on various systems, including Wisconsin's Public Service Commission, and identified key issues: scattered information, unclear involvement steps, and overwhelming processes. These insights informed the portal's design.
Starting with Figma, I created wireframes to outline workflows and visualize how users would navigate the portal. After multiple rounds of feedback with Professor Jackson, the designs were finalized and brought to life in Framer.
The portal includes step-by-step guides for different regions, filterable datasets for decision-making, and a responsive design that works across devices. Scalability and future updates were central to the design.
I coordinated workshops to gather feedback and improve the Knowledge Map, an important tool for collecting and visualizing data from citizens.
One important event was the "Amplifying Voices Brown Bag" session. This session brought together NGOs, community members, and academic institutions to:
- Share findings from the CZI project.
- Show how the Knowledge Map works and how it can be used in real life.
- Lead breakout discussions on how to use data in areas like environmental justice and urban planning.
Participants discussed how to use air quality data for resource allocation and how to combine tree canopy and community data to reduce urban heat islands. Each group shared their thoughts on whether the data matched their experiences, what additional data they needed, and what actions local governments could take. This workshop confirmed that the Knowledge Map is useful and encouraged discussions on how to improve civic tools.
The platform is now fully built in Framer and ready for usability testing. This testing will gather feedback to improve navigation and enhance the user experience. By focusing on what users need, the portal aims to be a reliable resource for civic engagement in Wisconsin.
In the future, the project plans to expand to more regions and datasets. It will also use advanced analytics to better understand user behavior and continuously update the platform based on testing results. These improvements will help the portal meet user needs and give communities a stronger voice in public policy.
