Role
UX Designer collaborating with 1 other UX Designer, cofounders/developer to enhance the current prototype in preparation for launch
Timeframe
May 2025 - Present
Team
2 Designers
2 Cofounders/Developer
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Miro, Notion, Google Suite
Redefining the REferendum Experience for Launch
Improving the information architecture of an early-stage prototype.
Context
What is Referendum?
Referendum is an early-stage startup that created a user friendly interface with AI-powered tools to better understand ongoing legislature at both state and federal levels, as well as provide a platform to facilitate user-led discussions.
This platform was started by a couple of software engineers who observed the current political climate and saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between complicated legislature and users of all levels of political literacy.
My Role
I was brought on during the early development stages to improve the user experience of their prototype based on early usability testing in order to deliver the product to actual users. I led the enhancements on UX flows, restructured the platform’s information architecture, and refined the UI to improve accessibility and scalability.
Project Limitations
Things to keep in mind
Because I was joining an ongoing project where an MVP and branding had already been established, I had to work within existing constraints:
Save time and don’t reinvent the wheel: the overall design, look and structure shouldn’t stray too far from the original prototype.
Keep future features in mind: as an ambitious, growing startup, the roadmap stretches beyond the initial concept and launch. Design with room for growth.
Solution
Refining Referendum’s Core Functionality: taking the bill-tracking experience to the next level
Restructured information architecture to create a user experience that is both familiar and intuitive, allowing users to focus on reading and learning about the content
Updated structure to help integrate future enhancements with ease
UI upgrade to content cards to distinguish between different types of content, so that users can process information at a glance
My Impact
Collaborating with the designer and cofounders, I helped transform an early concept prototype to an intentionally structured and scalable product ready to ship to the App and Play Stores.
9:41
Feb 18, 2025
I don’t understand why this has become among our top priorities, any guesses?
User123 commented on bill HB361
Feb 18, 2025
I agree. I think the fact that they’ve just fired 1000 VA employees will only make these wait times slower
User123 commented on bill HB41
Feb 18, 2025
There should be a safety standard across all business, we need to keep osha
User456 commented on bill HB69
Feb 18, 2025
There should be a safety standard across all business, we need to keep osha
User456 commented on bill HB69
Feb 18, 2025
Bill HB7521
Spotlight: Banning TikTok
Feed
Search
Settings
Feed
Process
The Plan
I decided to take a more detailed and intentional approach to my initial design process while keeping the aforementioned restrictions in mind.
Discovery & Understanding
Preparing for the Future
Discovery & Understanding
Observing the current prototype
I began by reviewing usability testing results conducted by the other designer for their early prototype, as well as checking out the current wireframes myself. Supplementing this initial review with my own additional research, I can be in a more informed place to begin the redesign.
Discovery & Understanding
Prototype Usability Review
Competitive Analysis
Early Usability Testing
The early usability testing showed that while the overall concept and look of the product was approachable to new users, there were some usability issues that stood out:
There was confusion about the purpose and functionality of the feed page and what information it was supposed to provide
Users wanted to be able to follow or keep track of bills, and have a clear sort and filter function to organize the bills they’re looking for
Navbar ‘Search’ label was misleading to users who didn’t expect browsing on the same screen they input searches, despite browsing being the primary feature
Reviewing the prototype
I then evaluated the app prototype and wireframes myself - with the added context the early usability testing provided, I was able to identify the following pain points:
9:41
Feb 18, 2025
I don’t understand why this has become among our top priorities, any guesses?
User123 commented on bill HB361
Feb 18, 2025
I agree. I think the fact that they’ve just fired 1000 VA employees will only make these wait times slower
User123 commented on bill HB41
Feb 18, 2025
There should be a safety standard across all business, we need to keep osha
User456 commented on bill HB69
Feb 18, 2025
There should be a safety standard across all business, we need to keep osha
User456 commented on bill HB69
Feb 18, 2025
Bill HB7521
Spotlight: Banning TikTok
Feed
Search
Settings
Feed
The feed meant to display all app activity updates (user comments, updates to bills, etc.), but the visual presentation of the screen confused users about the purpose of this page.
Feed cards were too similar in design to Bill cards, and were not visually distinct from each other based on content
Settings are usually tucked away in a menu to make room for more high-value features, but it was placed in the navigation menu
The label for this screen and the navigation icon are different, which can confuse users as to what the main purpose of this screen is
Bills
Legislators
Catalog
Search
Sort by
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
US | SR 5
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut et massa mi. Aliquam in hendrerit urna.
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
US | SR 5
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut et massa mi. Aliquam in hendrerit urna.
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
US | SR 5
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut et massa mi. Aliquam in hendrerit urna.
Feb 18, 2025
Eliminating the Federal Executive Institute
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut et massa mi. Aliquam in hendrerit urna.
Introduced
Feed
Search
Settings
9:41
Competitive Analysis
As I was not familiar with reading and searching for bills and legislature myself, I performed additional research into our direct and indirect competitors to see how this information is displayed and organized in other platforms.
Direct Competitors: Dedicated Bill-Tracking Mobile Apps
Direct competitors with mobile-first platforms allowed bill searching, tracking, and feedback. However, the way bill details were presented was fragmented and unintuitive, making information difficult to understand or navigate. As a newcomer to the civictech space myself, I also found that these platforms are less beginner-friendly when it comes to gaining a deeper understanding of terms and context.
Indirect Competitors: Social Media, Government Websites
Meanwhile, indirect competitors like social media and government websites have their own clear flaws. Though social media apps like Facebook and Tiktok have great reach and familiar UI, the short-form, discourse-enabling nature of these platforms offers less meaningful support for users seeking deeper understanding of news events and the legislature attached to them.
On the other hand, government websites tend to have barebones UI and limited supporting context, hindering the user’s ability to both locate relevant information and fully understand it.
Key Takeaways
By combining my findings and my supplemental research, I was able to create two aspects to focus on during this redesign process:
Clearer Labels and Structure
Since the primary content of the app - bills and legislature - can already be complex for many users to understand, I prioritized making the platform itself easy to navigate. Clearly defining the app structure and labels will reduce cognitive load and allow users to focus on engaging with and understanding the content.
Visual Distinction between Content Types
I found that the card components for the Feed and the bills were visually very similar. Although I still needed to use the same design guidelines for these cards, I saw the need to ensure that users can easily differentiate between content updates and the content itself.
Design
Refining the Structure
I clarified the purpose of the home navigation screens by creating more accurate labels and reorganizing the way the content is presented and organized in each screen.
Clearly defining the app’s content structure will not only improve the current user experience, but also establish a stronger foundation for introducing and integrating new features.
Revamping the Feed
I dove deeper with the design of the Feed screen - this screen houses all content updates and activities from system-generated bill changes like bill status updates, to user-generated activity like bill comments and vote activity.
After performing additional design research, I decided two levels of nested tabs would be the best way to organize this data since users could clearly see what type and level of content they were looking at, as well as navigate seamlessly between each tab group.
This allows users to have a more organized dashboard for the different types and levels of content they can keep track of within the app.
Reworking the Card Components
The card components within Referendum give users a quick look at what content lies behind them. I added labels and icons that would clearly inform the user what kind of information they can expect when interacting with each card.
Bill cards focus on what level the bill is at (state or federal), a clear visual distinction between the bill number and the bill title/summary, as well as the status and topic related to the bill.
Additional functions like the total number of views, comments, and the ability to share the bill have been included to encourage social interaction among users.
Federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Chaptered
[US SB514] - MERP Clarifications Act of 2025 Methane Emissions Reduction Program Clarifications Act of 2025
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
2.2k
2.2k
Federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Introduced
[US SB613] - Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025
Science, Technology, Communications
2.2k
2.2k
Feed cards denote the type of activity or update - whether it’s a status change to a bill, a legislator’s recorded vote, or a user’s comment on a bill.
Small text providing further context, like brief description of the update or a preview of a user’s comment, will appear below.
Bill vote recorded
2hrs
[Bill Number] has been voted on
Bill vote held and has been approved
Bill status update
2hrs
[Bill Number] changed status
Introduced
Engrossed
Official vote recorded
2hrs
(VT) Senator Bernie Sanders...
... and 25 others voted on Bill 1234A
[Username] left a comment
2hrs
[BILL NUMBER] - Bill Title for cards with user comments will be 2 lines..
Comments preview will cap at three lines so users can see enough of the comment for context, and some comments might be typically under 3 lines...
High Fidelity Designs
Final Changes
Policies Screen
federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Introduced
[US SB514] - MERP Clarifications Act of 2025 Methane Emissions Reduction Program Clarifications Act of 2025
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
2.2k
2.2k
federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Introduced
[US SB613] - Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025
Science, Technology, Communications
2.2k
2.2k
federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Introduced
[US SB675] - Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Museum Artifacts Act
Arts, Culture, Religion
2.2k
2.2k
federal//executive
May 14, 2025
Introduced
[US SB675] - Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Museum Artifacts Act
Arts, Culture, Religion
2.2k
2.2k
Sort by
State
Bill Title (A-Z)
9:41
Policies
Policies
Feed
Public Servants
The Search/Catalog screen was renamed to Policies, and became the landing screen instead of the Feed due to being the highest value function of the app.
Feed Screen
Official vote recorded
2hrs
(VT) Senator Bernie Sanders...
... and 25 others voted on Bill 1234A
Bill status update
2hrs
[Bill Number] changed status
Introduced
Engrossed
Public Servant added
2hrs
(NY) Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani
has been sworn in as the new Mayor of NYC
Bill vote recorded
2hrs
[Bill Number] has been voted on
Bill vote held and has been approved
Bill status update
2hrs
[Bill Number] changed status
Introduced
Engrossed
9:41
Feed
State
Federal
Activity
Government
Discover
Following
Policies
Feed
Public Servants
Nested tabs allowed for clearer navigation between types of content, helping users find the specific kind of updates they want to locate.
Public Servants Screen
Sort by
Federal
Last Name (A-Z)
Aaron Bean
Republican - Florida
Representative
2.2k
2.2k
Aaron Woods
Democrat - Oregon
Representative
2.2k
2.2k
Abi Boatman
Democrat - Kansas
Representative
2.2k
2.2k
Abigail Spanberger
Democrat - Virginia
Representative
2.2k
2.2k
Abraham Hamadeh
Republican - Arizona
Representative
2.2k
2.2k
Show More
Policies
Feed
Public Servants
Public Servants
9:41
To reduce clutter and create space for additional policy types besides bills, ‘Legislators’ was relabeled ‘Public Servants’ and separated from the Policies screen to a dedicated section.
User Profile Menu
Firstname Lastname
@usernamehandle
Profile
Bookmarks/Saved
Glossary
Settings
Sign out
Feedback
Help & Support
I created a more robust user profile menu and moved ‘Settings’ to this screen to align with common design practices and create a more familiar experience for users.
Next Steps
What’s next?
Because of time constraints that were already in place by the time I joined, the app was pushed to launch after several reviews of my work. Due to additional technical limitations from the developing side, the current screens from the published app are still being changed to match my updated screens.
So far we have netted over 50 user downloads and a monthly average of 20 product page views across both iOS and Android, and are continuing to grow our user base. We are actively collecting user feedback through surveys and user interviews to validate my contributions to the updated app and make adjustments based on user needs and business goals.
We are also currently working on integrating additional features to make Referendum a more robust platform for more active involvement in politics. Based on additional market research and ongoing user feedback, we are making plans to support action-based features - such as participating in protests related to certain bills and sharing resources to help users sign petitions and get more involved.