Parliament of Finland
Digitizing Democracy in 24 Hours
The Situation
March 2020. Finland went into lockdown. Members of Parliament needed to vote on critical legislation, but many were in COVID risk groups and couldn't be physically present. Existing parliamentary rules required in-person voting.
The Problem
How do you enable democratic processes when 200 MPs can't gather in the same room? And how do you do it fast enough to maintain government continuity? The brief arrived early in the day. It had to be ready by 5 AM the next morning.
The Approach
Hours of regulatory and compliance research with parliamentary advisors before touching pixels
Wireframes and evening check-in with feedback
Overnight Figma prototype with two user paths: technical staff and representatives
Research into actual Parliament voting panels and dials for familiar visual language
Initial design system for scalability if the project moved forward
The Magic Moment
The prototype was comprehensive enough that Parliament took it seriously. Speed came from structure, not shortcuts. The same sprint methodology refined over dozens of engagements, compressed to 24 hours.
A viable, carefully considered solution. A complete UI prototype with processes, incorporating all Parliament feedback.
The Outcome
A complete UI prototype with processes, incorporating all Parliament feedback. Never deployed due to regulations, but influenced Parliament's October 2020 decision to amend rules and permit remote voting.
Complete Figma prototype delivered in under 24 hours
Two user paths: session management and vote casting
Strong authentication and real-time vote tracking designed
Influenced Parliament's rule change permitting remote voting
What Transferred
Speed comes from structure. The reason I could deliver in 24 hours is the same method refined over dozens of sprints. Understanding the problem deeply before touching pixels.