COMMONJANE
Harnessing local civic engagement to protect the environment in Hudson Valley.
DESIGN RESEARCH | PRODUCT STRATEGY | UX DESIGN
Over 50% of Americans feel somewhat to extremely anxious about the effects of climate change.
CommonJane works to turn this fear into power by connecting community members to environmental causes within their local government.
Project Highlights
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CONDUCTED 100+ INTERVIEWS
Sourced and interviewed over 100 individuals to uncover barriers to environmental action.
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CONDUCTED 10 CODESIGN SESSIONS
Held journey mapping, co-design and UX prototyping sessions with members of core stakeholder committee.
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DEVELOPED FRONT END UX
Developed fully-functioning front end prototype of a digital engagement platform.
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CREATED GO TO MARKET PLAN
Worked with business advisors to develop 12-month product and business development plans that were acquired by OurCitizens.org.
Modeling the Path to Impact
Our team started by conducting comprehensive research with the target audience: climate activists, with the goal of understanding the process, challenges, and resources needed to successfully create change in local government.
Rapidly Prototyping Solutions
Based on our initial understanding of the process and challenges, we created low-fidelity prototypes of a variety of potential digital solutions that could augment the engagement process.
We quickly tested and iterated on these prototypes with groups of our target audience – hosting five rounds of iteration.
Designing a Solution that Works
During our extensive co-design process, we refined our solution to a core digital networking and eduction platform: CommonJane.
This solution connects community members around shared interests and equips them with the resources and education they need to get involved in their local goverment.
Watch the Platform in Action
CommonJane’s Impact
+87%
Increase in confidence in being able to make an impact on local issues after using CommonJane (according to users).
40+
Partnerships formed with local political activists in the Hudson Valley.
One
Coal-powered energy plant turned into a green energy facility, leveraging the network built by CommonJane
“We follow the local government process to create change. I wish more people knew that by learning about and following local procedures, they can have real success in their community.”
Rebecca Martin, Founder Kingston Citizens