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As a result of my personal political beliefs and activities, I do a great deal of political design. Most political work is entirely digital, but the cartoons and some illustrations are prepared traditionally with pen & ink, and incorporated into the digital files. Depending on the quantity produced and need for changes, pieces are either digitally or traditionally printed.

Political design is a somewhat different animal than other commercial design, because the “customer” is a voter who is often unaware or even uninterested in their need for the “product” being sold. Everyone should vote, and should care about candidates and issues, but large percentages of people not only don’t vote, but haven’t had a reason to care. Although all campaigns focus on “likely voters,” often the percentage necessary to win will come from those who are less likely to vote. Keeping your natural allies, selling those on the fence, and persuading unlikely voters in a campaign that is usually only a few months long is always a challenge.

While branding is a factor in political design, through development of a logo and look, due to the comparatively short time a candidate or cause has to be “sold,” direct mail pieces in a campaign, in particular, generally need to look significantly different from each other to attract the voters’ attention...in my opinion. Again, as in commercial design, pretty design is never enough – words and clear communication of ideas and concepts are what will persuade a voter.

Working in the pressure cooker of a campaign – with candidates, causes, consultants and campaign committees – is something I truly love.

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