Election Systems & Software (ES&S) | 2022-2023

Modernizing Enterprise Election Software Through System-Level UX Governance

Overview

Led a cross-platform UX modernization initiative establishing a unified, WCAG-aligned design foundation across three enterprise voting software platforms: ExpressPoll Connect, Voter Registration, and Electionware. The effort focused on improving accessibility, visual consistency, and long-term scalability within highly regulated, task-driven environments.

While full navigation and layout redesign was executed for ExpressPoll Connect, the broader initiative established design system standards and governance adopted across all three platforms.

The Challenge

Each platform had evolved independently over time, resulting in:

  • Fragmented visual styles

  • Inconsistent component patterns

  • Accessibility gaps failing WCAG contrast requirements

  • Uneven hierarchy and interaction behaviors

The core issue was systemic misalignment rather than isolated UI defects. Addressing these gaps required foundational standardization, not surface-level redesign.

Scope of Ownership

Platform Governance & Design Foundations (All Three Products)

  • Defined cross-platform UX standards and visual system governance

  • Established WCAG-compliant color system and typography hierarchy

  • Built scalable component library for reuse across platforms

  • Created layout frameworks reinforcing hierarchy and task clarity

  • Partnered with engineering to guide phased implementation

Full Redesign Execution (ExpressPoll Connect)

  • Led complete navigation and information architecture redesign

  • Designed new layouts aligned with updated system standards

  • Produced production-ready UI specifications

  • Guided implementation and refinement within Agile workflows

Due to the proprietary nature of this work, wireframes and screenshots of the full design process cannot be publicly displayed.

Research & System Audit

Conducted comprehensive UI and accessibility audits across all three platforms, evaluating:

  • Color contrast and token application

  • Typography readability and hierarchy

  • Component consistency and interaction states

  • Navigation structures and workflow clarity

  • Information architecture alignment with user tasks

Findings confirmed systemic fragmentation requiring architectural alignment and design system standardization.

Accessibility-First Strategy

Accessibility was embedded at the foundation rather than retrofitted at the screen level.

The initiative established:

  • A contrast-compliant, brand-aligned color system

  • Accessible typography hierarchy for complex workflows

  • Standardized interactive states (focus, hover, error, disabled)

  • Predictable navigation patterns

  • Reusable component behaviors

This approach ensured scalable WCAG alignment and reduced long-term compliance risk.

Design System & Governance Foundations

To support long-term consistency across products, I established:

  • Centralized UI standards documentation

  • Scalable component definitions

  • Cross-platform layout system

  • Governance guidelines for future feature development

These foundations created a single source of truth supporting maintainability and phased adoption across enterprise platforms.

Constraints & Tradeoffs

The modernization effort operated within meaningful constraints:

  • Legacy workflows requiring familiarity preservation

  • Certification and regulatory timelines limiting disruption

  • Brand standards requiring refinement rather than replacement

  • Technical limitations requiring incremental rollout

Design decisions balanced usability gains with stability and compliance needs.

Outcomes & Impact

Unified three enterprise platforms under a cohesive UI system

  • Established a WCAG-aligned accessibility foundation at scale

  • Reduced cognitive load through consistent hierarchy and navigation

  • Improved cross-platform maintainability and scalability

  • Formalized long-term UX governance and design standards

This initiative transformed fragmented interfaces into a structured, accessible, and scalable system supporting both current workflows and future product growth.