A political CRM, from the desk to the phone

Partyline is the CRM many political professionals run their work on, from members of Congress and their staff to fundraising consultancies and PACs. Gulf Partyline came to us for the mobile app after setting aside a previous partner's designs. We designed it, built it in Flutter on their existing API, and launched it on time and within budget, with features added beyond the original scope.

Client: Gulf Partyline, CRM for political and legislative professionals
Built: The Partyline iPhone app, on the platform’s existing API
Services: UI/UX design, mobile development, QA, project management
Stack: Flutter
Engagement: Design through launch, on time and within budget

What changed

Built to the standard Partyline set

Before the app

With the app

Access: Before the appThe Partyline platform, at a desk.; With the appThe data users need most, on their iPhones.
Design: Before the appA previous partner’s designs the team had set aside.; With the appA mobile design that matches the desktop and feels native.
Data: Before the appA large existing dataset shaped for desktop screens.; With the appAn app built to load it quickly, with API changes made alongside Partyline’s team.
Scope: Before the appAn MVP drawn from the client’s user stories.; With the appExtra features added with the time the build saved.

How we built it

From the desktop platform to the app stores

Partyline had high standards and had already set aside one partner’s designs. The app had to feel like the desktop platform its users knew and load a large dataset quickly.

Start from the desktop
We studied the desktop platform in detail and held discovery sessions on Partyline’s users, their industry terms, and the business. The client’s own user stories set the MVP’s priorities.
Design for three kinds of users
Members of Congress and their staff, fundraising consultancies, and PACs and lobbying groups each need different things on the go, so each gets a tailored experience inside one app that looks like the desktop and feels native.
Put an engineer in every design meeting
A developer sat in on every design meeting with the client, so feasibility was settled before handoff and later design changes moved through quickly.
Build on the existing API
We built the app in Flutter on Partyline’s existing API, worked with their team on API changes the mobile features needed, and tuned loading for a large dataset and Partyline’s particular sign-up and login rules.
Launch with features to spare
The app launched on time and within budget, with extra features added in the time the build saved.

What we built

The data political teams need most, on the go

The app gives users the parts of Partyline they reach for away from their desks, and leaves the rest to the desktop.

Home
Fundraising at a glance
The home menu opens on the quarter’s pledged and paid totals and what has been raised this week.
People
People, organizations, and clients
One search covers people, organizations, and clients, with lists of the records created and viewed most recently.
Members
Members and their districts
A member’s profile maps their district and lists its major cities, their staff contacts, and their performance.
Contacts
Call, text, or email in one tap
A contact’s profile puts their numbers, addresses, and email a tap away, beside a summary of their transactions by year.

Also in the app