Politzek.org – Turning Empathy into Action for Russia’s Anti-War Political Prisoners
My Role | Product Designer & Design Lead — User flows, IA, visual concept & language, UI kit, storytelling, handoff |
Team | Illustrator/Graphic Designer, Data Viz Developer, UX Writer, Product Owner, 2 Full-Stack Developers |
Timeline | 72h DemHack 7 sprint (Sep 29 — Oct 1, 2023) → Volunteer work → Public launch (Feb 25, 2024) |
Tools | Figma, Procreate, Photoshop/Illustrator, Midjourney |
Platform | Responsive Web (React) — Blocked in Russia, accessed via VPN/mirrors |
Project URL |
Politzek.org is a volunteer-driven web platform created to support Russia's anti-war political prisoners, tackling the critical lack of reliable information and the high barriers to offering aid following state crackdowns. As Lead Product Designer, my focus was on shaping a humane and friction-free digital experience, utilizing empathetic storytelling and simplified tools to transform compassion into tangible action.
The result is a vital website featuring the most comprehensive open database of its kind, successfully lowering the threshold for expressing solidarity and demonstrably impacting the community despite facing state censorship.
The result is a vital website featuring the most comprehensive open database of its kind, successfully lowering the threshold for expressing solidarity and demonstrably impacting the community despite facing state censorship.
Politzek.org emerged in response to the escalating repression in Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As human rights organizations like "Memorial" were shut down and existing databases became outdated or inaccessible, a critical gap emerged: there was no single, reliable, and humane source of information about individuals imprisoned for their anti-war stance. Furthermore, potential supporters faced significant barriers – both psychological and practical – to offering help.
The Problem:
- Fragmented & Inaccessible DataExisting prisoner lists were incomplete, outdated, or offline. Reliable information was scattered and hard to verify.
- High Activation EnergyWriting letters or sending aid felt intimidating; many potential supporters felt unsure what to say or how to navigate the complex processes, especially from abroad.
- Emotional Fatigue & PowerlessnessThe constant stream of negative news about repression often led to burnout and hopelessness, rather than mobilization. Existing resources sometimes reinforced this with somber aesthetics.
- Lack of CoordinationActivists lacked a unified platform to coordinate aid and avoid duplicating efforts.
- Barriers for NewcomersIndividuals new to activism struggled to find a starting point or understand who needed urgent help.
The Goal
To build one humane, friction-free portal that:
Lists every known anti-war political prisoner in Russia, creating the most comprehensive open database.
Makes supporting them (letters, donations, care packages, awareness) simple and rewarding.
Feels hopeful and empowering, rather than bleak.
My Role & The Team
As the Lead Product Designer on this entirely volunteer-based project, my responsibilities spanned the full design cycle: conceptualizing user flows and information architecture, shaping the visual identity and storytelling, creating wireframes and interactive prototypes, developing the UI kit, managing design tasks, conducting user validation, and overseeing developer handoff.
I collaborated closely with an Illustrator/Graphic Designer (responsible for the unique visual style and mascot), a Data Visualization Developer, a UX Writer (joined later), the Product Owner (with deep domain expertise), and eventually, Frontend and Backend Developers.
I collaborated closely with an Illustrator/Graphic Designer (responsible for the unique visual style and mascot), a Data Visualization Developer, a UX Writer (joined later), the Product Owner (with deep domain expertise), and eventually, Frontend and Backend Developers.
Research & User Understanding
While formal research was limited by the volunteer context, our approach was informed by:
Team & Product Owner Expertise:
Deep understanding of the human rights landscape, activist needs, and prisoner experiences.
Expert Insights:
Discussions with activists running "letter evenings" and analysis of prisoner testimonies (e.g., Yashin, Kara-Murza) highlighting the critical importance of letters.
Competitive Analysis:
Examination of existing Russian and Belarusian platforms (e.g., Politzek.me, Vkletochku.org) identified successful patterns (like letter builders) and areas for improvement.
Key Insight:
The "blank page anxiety" was a major deterrent. Removing this "one-click obstacle" for writing letters could significantly boost participation.
competitor analysis
#rec989053171
Key user needs:
• Access to reliable, up-to-date information about specific prisoners.
• A simple, convenient way to write letters or provide other forms of support.
• Clarity on who currently needs support most.
• The ability to see the impact of their actions and feel connected to the cause.
• For relatives: an easy way to update information.
Proto-Personas / Key User Groups:
- Concerned Russians(abroad and domestic via VPN)
- Active volunteers
and human rights defenders - Families and friends of prisoners
Design Process & Key Decisions
The project began as a concept during the DemHack 7 hackathon and evolved through subsequent volunteer efforts.
- Hackathon Sprint (72h): Intensive brainstorming, core visual metaphor development, IA mapping, design of 6 key screens (Home, Prisoner Profile, Letter Builder, Donations, Share Hub, Parcel Guide), and an interactive Figma prototype.
- Post-Hackathon Refinement: Developing the concept into a fully-fledged platform.
Key Design Decisions & Rationale:
Cut-out Silhouettes
Visual metaphor for interrupted lives (using Midjourney-generated '90s style photos); echoes paper letters/collage.
Balance warmth and the gravity of absence; humanize statistics.
Balance warmth and the gravity of absence; humanize statistics.
"Prison-Cat Postman" Mascot
Inspired by real jail cats delivering notes; provides micro-feedback and guidance.
Add personality, reduce intimidation, guide newcomers, encourage repeat actions.
Add personality, reduce intimidation, guide newcomers, encourage repeat actions.
Hand-written UI Language
Lined-paper textures, pencil doodles, warm colours, friendly typography.
Create tactile intimacy, counter the harsh subject matter, foster a hopeful atmosphere.
Create tactile intimacy, counter the harsh subject matter, foster a hopeful atmosphere.
Letter Builder Wizard
Step-by-step process with preset phrases, prompts, and optional news digest attachment.
Overcome "writer's block," simplify the process, increase letter volume significantly.
Overcome "writer's block," simplify the process, increase letter volume significantly.
Actionable Event Triggers
Surfacing birthdays, court dates, release dates on the home page and profiles.
Provide timely reasons to act now, sustain engagement loops.
Provide timely reasons to act now, sustain engagement loops.
Poster Generator & Share Cards
Automated templates for printable flyers (general/specific prisoner) and social media cards.
Extend advocacy offline/online at zero cost, empower grassroots action.
Extend advocacy offline/online at zero cost, empower grassroots action.
Impact Dashboard Elements
Real-time counters for letters, donations (on homepage).
Provide public proof of collective effort, motivate newcomers.
Provide public proof of collective effort, motivate newcomers.
UI Kit & Design System
Consolidated a component library in Figma (colors, typography, buttons, states, mascot variations, cards, etc.) ensuring consistency and aiding development. While not a rigid system, it provided essential building blocks.
Story & Tone
Onboarded a UX writer to ensure microcopy aligned with the hopeful, supportive tone. Conducted quick guerrilla reviews with diaspora activists.
Handoff & Collaboration
Used Figma comments, Slack, and weekly demos for close collaboration with developers, iterating based on technical constraints and QA feedback, especially regarding VPN latency and censorship.
Challenges
Volunteer Constraints
Limited team availability extended timelines.
Funding Uncertainty
Reliance on donations poses a constant threat to sustainability.
Implementation Gaps
Resource limitations meant some designed features (e.g., personal user dashboards) weren't implemented, and others (Letter Builder) were later deactivated due to changing needs or constraints.
External Pressure
Blocking by Roskomnadzor (Russian state censor) confirmed the site's impact but significantly restricted access within Russia, necessitating VPNs and mirrors.
Style vs. Scalability
The expressive visual style, effective for impact, increased development overhead compared to a more modular approach.
Entry from the Register of Blocked Websites
Results & Impact
Politzek.org launched on February 25, 2024, rapidly establishing itself as a vital resource.
Largest Open Database
Features 7,800+ prisoner profiles, forming the most comprehensive public database of anti-war political prisoners.
Significant Engagement
Despite VPN requirements within Russia, the site demonstrates strong community adoption:
- Repeat visitors account for 60% of sessions.
- Average dwell time is high (≈ 7-8 minutes), indicating deep engagement (Internal Google Analytics).
- Initial data showed a +220% MoM increase in letters sentvia the builder in the first quarter (Internal Analytics, feature later deactivated).
Community Adoption
Used by letter-writing groups in several countries; frequently cited in activist Telegram channels.
Censorship as Validation
Blocked by Roskomnadzor in June 2024 (initially named "If It Wasn't For the War" - Если б Не Было Войны), confirming its reach and perceived threat to the authorities.
Recognition & Fundraising Aid
Featured by prominent independent media like Avtozak LIVE and OVD-Info, boosting visibility and aiding fundraising efforts for prisoner support.
- OVD-Info10 Jun 2024“Roskomnadzor has blacklisted the Avtozak LIVE project ‘If There Were No War’—a service that tells you whom to support and how.”
- Sota Vision on X10 Jun 2024“The watchdog blocked the site ‘If There Were No War’, one of the flagship Avtozak LIVE projects.”
- Avtozak LIVE Telegram statement12 Sep 2024“We have filed a lawsuit demanding Roskomnadzor to lift the ban on politzek.org—our service for supporting anti-war prisoners.”
Lessons Learned
- Narrative is PowerfulWeaving a story (cat mascot, silhouettes) effectively translates abstract injustice into relatable human connection and motivates action.
- Small Prompts Unlock ActionRemoving friction, like the anxiety of a blank page via the Letter Builder, dramatically increases participation. Tiny nudges matter more than grand intentions.
- Design for ResilienceAnticipating state censorship by optimizing for performance (light pages, caching) and planning for mirrors is crucial for projects operating in repressive environments.
- Balance Emotion and ScalabilityWhile a strong emotional concept wins hearts (and hackathons), consider the engineering implications early on. Modularising expressive aesthetics can aid long-term development, especially for volunteer teams.
- Impact Beyond MetricsWhile usage numbers were affected by blocking, the high engagement of the core audience and the state's reaction demonstrate significant impact.
Key Takeaway
Effective product design can do more than just display information about injustice; it can actively lower the threshold for solidarity and make participation feel meaningful and achievable. Politzek.org demonstrates that combining clear data, empathetic storytelling, and friction-free tools allows compassion to translate into measurable impact—building bridges of support even across digital and physical bars.
So, am I hired? 😄
Okay, kidding (mostly!). But seriously, feel free to reach out – let's chat about design, projects, or anything else!