The Digital Toolkit Revolution

Let’s talk about the digital toolkit revolution — the trend in campaign branding to create an online database of downloadable resources and social media content. Digital toolkits are a device of young campaigns. The importance of social media has skyrocketed in recent election cycles, so campaign executives turn to digital toolkits to connect with Gen Z and millennials, who dominate virtual platforms. The most successful example of a digital toolkit, and the most extensive one that I could find, is Pete Buttigieg’s toolkit for his 2020 presidential campaign. Linked here, this toolkit was designed by the Brooklyn-based design studio Hyperakt. Over the course of his campaign, the toolkit received 277,000 unique impressions and 115,000 unique downloads of design assets.

Buttigieg’s toolkit was successful because it was sleek and easy to use. The interface was friendly and not overwhelming, and there were personalized options for each state and issue. I want to contrast Buttigieg’s toolkit with another from the same election cycle that I thought was less successful: Senator Elizabeth Warren’s. Warren’s webpage does not have as clear of a flow, and it uses a wider, more haphazard variety of fonts, so it is difficult to navigate to the necessary resources.

Something I consider a medium between the two is Michelle Wu’s toolkit, from her 2021 Boston mayoral campaign. At first, Wu’s page appears more like Warren’s, but as you scroll down, it takes on Buttigieg’s straightforward formatting. Wu also includes different language and format options, as well as pattern and color swatches. Regardless of their UX, I’m excited by the inclusion of digital toolkits in campaign brands, and I think they’re a unique way of reaching a younger audience.