How user-centered design principles transformed a grassroots political movement into a viral phenomenon and what it means for design practice.
The year is 2025, and New York City, “The Greatest City in The World” has a 34-year-old, democratic socialist and Muslim mayor! Mamdani’s campaign has inspired millions, many of whom not New Yorkers and, most impressively, not even American or located in America.
His campaign didn’t just change politics, it offered a masterclass in user-centered design.
A Parks and Recreation campaign come to life
Mamdani’s campaign seemed (and continues to seem) something out of a Parks and Recreations episode. When Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) decided to run for City council in season 4, she does so with her friends running every aspect of her campaign (after being let go by “official” campaign managers), this gives her campaign an approachable, friendly and personal aspect that eventually led to her victory.
Although specific names of the entire Mamdani’s campaign team are not extensively detailed in publicly available sources, it is known that the campaign operated with a community-driven approach characterized by deep community roots, and a decentralized yet well-coordinated volunteer network, with digital and field teams working closely to listen, test, and refine the outreach based on real-time input from voters.
The team behind the viral success
The collaborators frequently mentioned in media coverage are Debbie Saslaw and Anthony DiMieri (for us Parks and Rec fans, that’s our Ben played by Adam Scott), co-founders and executive producers of Melted Solids, the firm behind many of the campaign’s viral videos, they played a key role in shaping Mamdani’s message and managing his social media engagement, making this campaign the most viral political campaign in the past 50 years.
This lean, agile setup helped Mamdani’s campaign stay responsive and connected in a way that resonated broadly both locally and globally.
Why design thinking matters in political campaigns
Why did Mamdani’s campaign resonate globally while better-funded opponents failed? The answer lies in principles every UX designer should understand but while keeping in mind questions of power, authenticity, and manipulation in digital spaces.
Brad O’Conner who transitioned into UX design after 15 years in political consulting, discovered that he had been practicing UX design principles in political campaigns long before transitioning into the field, writes “The voters whom you are trying to reach are the users. The goal is to provide the voter with relevant information so that their decision to vote for your candidate or cause is made more accessible.”
One key difference is that politics is also a lot more “manipulative” than UX.
A study carried out by the Oxford Internet Institute that documented organized social media manipulation campaigns in 81 countries, found that “governments and political parties “produced misinformation on an industrial scale.” So as designers we must ask, where does authentic transparency end and performance begin?
1. Active listening as user testing
Mamdani’s campaign broke from the traditional political playbook by engaging directly with both supporters and critics on social media.
The “ultimately” moment: iteration made visible
Zohran Kwame Mamdani on Instagram: “I was given an ultimatum.”
Alt text: Video of Zohran Mamdani catching himself mid-sentence about to say “ultimately” and self-correcting with humor Video credit: Zohran Mamdani Instagram / Original creator
In one instance from July 2025, Zohran Mamdani, prompted by feedback from his communications team and voters, makes a conscious effort to stop himself from overusing the word “ultimately” during interviews and public appearances. In this light-hearted video, Mamdani acknowledges the feedback, shares clips illustrating his habit, and includes a segment where — mid-sentence — he catches himself about to say “ultimately” and quickly redirects his phrasing.
“I am listening, I am learning. Please keep sending me your feedback because ultimately, I will get better.”
“In response to my team and supporters pointing out that I say ‘ultimately’ a lot, I caught myself on camera correcting the habit. Keep holding me accountable. This is how we improve, together.” (Zohran Mamdani)
This approach mirrors what the Nielsen Norman Group teaches about design thinking: empathy mapping helps “distill and categorize your knowledge of the user into one place” and “discover gaps in your current knowledge.” Mamdani essentially created a public empathy map of his own communication style, inviting collective feedback.
2. Building trust through transparency
Mamdani’s response embraced feedback as a tool for self-improvement much like designers should seek out feedback and build on it in order to inspire trust in their designs. Furthermore, the transparency in documenting the process of listening and acknowledging the feedback is what inspired people’s trust in him. This moment, in equal parts humorous and earnest, embodies the essence of user-driven iteration.
However, a question we, as designers, must ask ourselves is, how do we distinguish genuine transparency from performed authenticity? The Mamdani campaign appears to represent authentic engagement, and although their strategies are effective, they can also easily be replicated by good actors with bad intentions.
Lessons for designers: Find the line between authentic iteration and manipulative performance and listen to your users, show them you’re paying attention, and let the process of improvement happen in public view.
3. Small, agile teams win
Mamdani did not have the funding for a large campaign nor was he backed by any billionaires. According to the official campaign finance summary from the New York City Campaign Finance Board for the 2025 election cycle, Zohran Mamdani’s total campaign spending was $12,794,272. His campaign raised $17,159,487 in total receipts, with over $4 million coming from private funds and significant additional support from public funds through matching programs. This is relatively lean compared to Cuomo’s 40 million dollar budget which mostly came from super PACs and billionaire donors. Unlike Cuomo’s traditional campaign operation, Mamdani relied on volunteers and a handful of core personnel to constantly iterate and connect at the ground level.
Here’s how an agile approach played out in practice:
- Culturally aware content: Mamdani’s team highlighted community through moments like salsa dancing in Bronx parks, sharing biryani with cabbies, or joining Tai Chi classes in Flushing. These resonated with the voters and quickly turned viral.
- Collaborations born agile: Instead of focusing only on high-budget ad buys, Mamdani often teamed with social creators (like The Kid Mero and Subway Takes) and grassroots web series (“Are You Okay?,” “The People Gallery”). These partnerships came together quickly, built on DMs and group chats rather than formal contracts.
- Volunteer-led feedback loops: The campaign harnessed a decentralized WhatsApp-powered network of volunteers for canvassing, “friendraisers,” and “house parties.” First-time volunteers were rapidly trained and empowered to experiment, suggesting new neighborhoods to target, new stories to tell, and even filming spontaneous street interviews. This grassroots network was not only executing, but also feeding real-time insights and inspiration back to the campaign’s creative leads.
- Prototyping at campaign speed: from valentine’s day skits to a CTA in a box of chocolates, to working with rising and diverse artists like Aneesh Bhoopathy (whose branding drew from New York’s multicultural cityscapel), Wael Morcos of Morcos Key (who brought an Arabic inflection to the design for outreach in immigrant communities) and Rama Duwaji (Mamdani’s wife) a Syrian-American artist, all contributed creative input to the campaign’s bold color palette and storytelling style. Together, these collaborators crafted a visual system that embodied the campaign’s ethos: energetic, multicultural, and community-rooted.
Mamdani’s campaign proves that a small, nimble, empowered team listening, iterating, and acting in public, can beat even the biggest budget when it comes to building trust, resonance, and momentum.
Lesson for designers: Value nimbleness, rapid prototyping, and responsiveness over large, inflexible structures.
However, While Mamdani’s agile appraoch proves effective we must acknowledge what Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman argues, that “the non-profit campaigning world has overlooked the deep expertise available in UX design”; in other words, the success of Mamdani’s campaign was possible because skilled workers chose to donate their expertise, a privilege not readily available to every team.
4. Social media engagement and message clarity
If social media was meant for anything it was storytelling. This is exemplified in Mamdani’s social media campaigning, he didn’t just tell a story, he listened to other people’s stories.
Near real-time responsiveness
Alt text: Video of Mamdani announcing transition plans the day after election victory Video credit: Zohran Mamdani Instagram
Mamdani’s team developed a reputation for near real-time responsiveness, flooding platforms with multilingual and original content and directly engaging with voters, influencers and critics alike. When he won the mayoral race, influencers joked that Mamdani should “go to bed” as the very next day Mamdani posted a video announcing his plan for the transitional phase.
Digital experts credited his social media presence with fueling grassroots participation at levels rarely seen in local politics. Mamdani did not simply use social media he was intertwined in its roots through collaboration with influencers he knew would target his voters and his audience, that’s good user research: know your audience.
This engagement and real-time communication transcended boundaries and was embraced far beyond its original audience because it told a story and stories have no borders.
Lessons for designers: Storytelling as a tool in UX is often overlooked and under-appreciated, yet it is at the center of good UX and UI. Tell a story.
However, how can we discuss social media political success without acknowledging that
the very techniques that made Mamdani’s campaign successful (rapid iteration, emotional storytelling, influencer partnerships) are the same ones identified by researchers as enabling “organized social media misinformation campaigns” that threaten democracy globally.
How do we as designers harness the power of emotional connection and rapid iteration without contributing to the erosion of truth and democratic norms?
5. Clarity as empowerment
Other than the consistent and constant social media messaging and presence, the likes of which have never been seen in US political campaigning, Zohran Mamdani’s message was committed to clarity. On social media and in real life, whether he was explaining voting requirements, or his plans as mayor for the city, he was walking people step-by-step through the message and in multiple languages and settings thereby empowering first-time or previously disengaged voters.
Lessons for designers: Mamdani’s approach exemplified the core UX principle of affordance: making it immediately visible what action is possible and how to take it.
However, the question then arises, Why should anyone have to explain the ability and process of voting? Doesn’t this then allow those with the explanation the power to weaponize this knowledge? Edgar Allan’s UX team notes, “If there was ever a thing that should be unquestionably clear, understandable and accessible, it is the ability to vote. Unfortunately, the U.S. voting system suffers from a distinct lack of user-centricity.”
6. Cultural pain points = empathy mapping
One of the first steps in the design thinking process is to empathize. Empathy was the main message throughout Mamdani’s campaign, it “goes beyond what users explicitly state and manages to unearth hidden motivations, desires, and pain points.” (Interaction Design Foundation).
By focusing on lived experiences, cultural nuances and specific community needs his campaign resonated with voters in an unprecedented way.
In a historic move not seen before in American politics, Mamdani publicly asked his supporters to stop donating once the campaign reached its financial goals. He posted transparent breakdowns of fundraising progress and, upon reaching the spending cap, communicated directly:
Alt text: Video of Mamdani asking voters to stop donating money to his campaign. Video credit: Zohran Mamdani Instagram
“We have enough to win. Please…do not give more. Redirect your generosity to mutual aid, to neighbors, to other grassroots causes.” (Zohran Mamdani)
Plain language, clear needs
There were no hidden motives or complicated political lingo, just a plain-language presentation of what he needed from his supporters at each moment. Voting instructions were step-by-step. Donation limits were openly discussed. When the campaign reached its fundraising goal, supporters were told explicitly and publicly that there was no need for more underlying the empathetic line that his campaign had been running “For a New York You Can Afford”.
Lessons for designers: make empathy visible by listening, responding, and adapting your design to users’ actual lives and constraints.
Here again we must consider the power of manipulation and exploitation. When genuine empathy certainly bridges gaps, but when performed it can manipulate vulnerable populations. Our responsibility, as designers is to ensure empathy serves users’ interests, not just campaign goals, to quote Lloyd Hervey writes about Political Design, designers must consider “what is possible and what is ethical…the trade-offs of who will benefit from a particular solution versus who will be negatively affected.”
7. Multilingual communication = inclusive design
Some political opponents criticized Mamdani for “code switching”, shifting languages and communication styles to match his audience. But in UX terms, this is exactly right. Code switching isn’t diluting your message; it’s adapting it for different user contexts.
Authentic voices from communities
Alt text: Video of Mamdani speaking Spanish with a local Spanish speaking voter. Video credit: Zohran Mamdani Instagram
Alt text: Video of Mamdani speaking Arabic. Video credit: Zohran Mamdani Instagram
Mamdani’s socials are flooded with videos in Arabic, Urdu, Spanish, appealing to all the New York demographics and communities. He did so by enlisting the help of people from those communities, in other words he engaged with more diverse audiences thoughtfully and used locals to help make his message more authentic and relevant. This helped communities feel seen and heard and Mamdani was able to build trust with communities small and large.
Lessons for designers: use language fluidity to engage broader, more diverse audiences thoughtfully and do not translate blindly, instead ellicit help from locals who speak the language. S
Such help from local communities should go beyond translation and requires including the diverse communioties in the design process itself and not just in the final messaging. Language fluidity is not automatically inclusive and as designers we must be weary of what researchers call “performative diversity” which is looking inclusive without transferring actual power to marginalized communities
Conclusion
Hope through human-centered design
Mamdani’s campaign gave people something special and new (perhaps also dangerous, it remains to be seen): Hope.
He did it by embodying core UX principles: empathy, storytelling, and iteration. His message was always empathetic, his statements clear and direct, and his “user requirements” (what he needed from his supporters) consistently open and accessible. This was a campaign led by the people, for the people, but more importantly, Mamdani didn’t position himself as someone observing New Yorkers from the outside. He is a New Yorker. He lived their stories alongside them, not above them.
Remembering the human element and our responsibility as designers.
As designers, it’s all too easy to get caught up in technical features or aesthetic appeal. While those things matter, the most meaningful work happens when we remember the element of humanity at the heart of every experience. As the UX world shifts rapidly, perhaps toward “Zero UI” where interfaces recede and experience comes to the foreground, we should focus on listening deeply, telling better stories, and designing platforms where users’ stories are welcomed, valued, and allowed to live and breathe.
But we must also remember our ethical responsibility; feelings give way to manipulation and exploitation, and the same techniques that built hope in Mamdani’s campaign can and are also used to to spread misinformation, manipulate vulnerable populations, and erode democratic institutions. Our work as designers is never neutral, after all design for everyone is design for no one, and the question is not whether our design has impact, but whether that impact serves democratic values, human dignity, and truth.
Mamdani’s campaign was a reminder that empathy, clarity, and authentic connection are what build hope and inspire change. But it’s also a reminder that these tools are powerful, and that with great power comes great responsibility.
The future of design in democracy depends on our willingness to hold two simultaneous truths: that connection matters deeply, and that not all connection is created equal.
Every design decision is a choice. Choose wisely.
References and Additional Readings
Campaign Coverage:
- Wikipedia. “2025 New York City mayoral election.”
- Adweek. “Meet Melted Solids, the Scrappy Agency Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Primary-Winning Campaign.”
- New York Times. “Mamdani, N.Y.C. Mayor-Elect, Names Transition Team of Government Veterans.” November 6, 2025.
- CNN. “Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayor’s race in historic upset.” November 5, 2025.
- CBS News. “Zohran Mamdani claims victory in NYC mayor’s race, promises ‘relentless improvement.’” November 5, 2025.
- New York City Campaign Finance Board. “2025 Campaign Finance Summary.”
- Mamdani, Z. K. [@zohrankmamdani]. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Instagram. Retrieved November 12, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/zohrankmamdani/
- Zohran for NYC. (n.d.). Media kit. Retrieved November 12, 2025, from https://www.zohranfornyc.com/media-kit
UX and Political Campaigns:
- O’Conner, Brad. “User experience & politics: how UX can be applied to political campaigns.” Medium, June 2021.
- Key Lime Interactive. “The UX of Politics.”
- Edgar Allan. “A UX Perspective on the US Election.”
- Stanford Social Innovation Review. “When to Use User-Centered Design for Public Policy.”
- Stinebrickner-Kauffman, Taren. “Progressives need a UX design revolution.” Medium, November 2018.
Design Thinking and Empathy:
- Nielsen Norman Group. “Empathy Mapping: The First Step in Design Thinking.” January 2024.
- Interaction Design Foundation. “Empathy Map — Why and How to Use It.”
- QED42. “The role of empathy mapping in the process of design thinking.”
- Stolzoff, Alex. “Design Thinking, Empathy Maps, Journey Maps, and how they are interconnected.” Medium, March 2021.
Agile Marketing and Small Teams:
- Atlassian. “How to create an agile marketing team.”
- Teamhood. “What is Agile Marketing: Definition, Framework & Examples.” July 2025.
Political Design and Ethics:
- Hervey, Lloyd. “Political Design.” UXP Magazine, June 2025.
Social Media Manipulation and Criticism:
- University of Oxford. “Social media manipulation by political actors an industrial scale problem.” January 2021.
- Stimson Center. “Social Media Misinformation and the Prevention of Political Instability and Mass Atrocities.” November 2022.
- Yerlikaya, Turgay, and Seca Toker Aslan. “Social Media and Fake News in the Post-Truth Era: The Manipulation of Politics in the Election Process.” Insight Turkey, July 2020.
- Guess, Andrew, et al. “Social media’s contribution to political misperceptions in U.S. Presidential elections.” PLOS ONE.
- Bonnema, Simone. “The responsibility of social media in times of societal and political manipulation.” European Journal of Operational Research, September 2020.
What designers can learn from Zohran Mamdani’s historical campaign was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.