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[10/10/2007]
Along with articles about local races, the party leaders and Provincial electoral reform, I came across this article in the Toronto Star about how graphic and industrial design affect the outcome of elections.
Remember dimpled chads? The physical structure of a ballot is just one piece of the puzzle. Marcia Lausen of the University of Illinois deconstructs Ontario's voter cards, ballots and advertising campaigns in this interesting article.
"If nitpicking about all caps or colour schemes seems silly, Lausen argues in [her book] Design for Democracy that election redesign is about ensuring that the full range of printed and visual materials with which citizens interact communicates effectively. The project is motivated by a belief that increased efficiency and transparency will improve confidence levels and increase trust between citizens and their government, thus invigorating democracy."
So the current case of having the Notice of Registration, the VOTE poster, and the Referendum Ontario pamphlet all designed by different groups within Elections Ontario needs to change because it creates confusion rather than cohesion. I couldn't agree more.
Click on the Toronto Star link below to read the full article, or on one of these links to read more about Lausen and Design for Democracy:
Design for Democracy website (elections section)
Lausen Profile at UIC
Lausen Profile in Fast Company
Design For Democracy Amazon book link
Toronto Star article by Ryan Bigge
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