No, this won’t be a socialist rant or end zone dance about the next four years. I will venture a guess that the great majority of us are greatly relieved and have a feeling of deliverance about this general election being OVER. At any rate, we all know that despite the mind-boggling amount of money spent on the various message delivery vehicles for both sides—the most precious commodity is the individual VOTE.
That being said, a few interesting posts passed notice this week, and along with a collective sigh of relief that it is now over for the near future. The first phenomenon that crossed my screen were some student creations in response to the GOOD community’s Take Back Tuesday challenge. They were to create a new phenomenon around the act of voting. After four years’ worth of obsessive coverage of an impending election vs. apathy of the electorate, these students had two weeks to develop an idea to symbolize this new holiday and develop the supportive communication vehicles to encourage election day participation. This post gives me hope for the future that lasts long after one man takes office.
Check out their efforts here:
http://www.good.is/posts/designing-a-phenomenon-student-designs-inspire-a-new-approach-to-voting
Earlier this week, this interesting documentary, 11 Excellent Reasons Not to Vote actually encouraged viewers to vote by playing the devil’s advocate and exploring the many reasons not to vote.
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1681873/errol-morris-finds-11-reasons-not-to-vote?partner=newsletter#1
Interestingly, this video exposed both sides of the issue of apathy and fervent action. Whatever your thoughts on voting and our election process, these explorations were a delightful respite in the sea of talking heads. We can always believe that thoughtful design and reflection can save the world. And who knows, it just might…