The client & summary
Michael Baskins ran for an at-large seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board in the United States. The core objective was a bold campaign website in yellow, black and white that introduces the candidate, communicates his priorities, accountability, transparency and vision, and mobilises voters.
The challenge
The design had to mirror a reference campaign site he liked, with no donation or social media buttons. With the August 11, 2026 primary approaching, the site had to go live quickly, and the photos and text had to be readable on every screen.
Our solution
Our team designed and launched the campaign site in under three weeks, from 19 June to 8 July 2026.
Discovery and scope
The brief set the colours, the reference site and the pages: home, vision, the challenges facing the school district, meet Michael, join the team and vote.
Design
The first draft was ready on 23 June 2026. Internal checks made the header dark on scroll, kept headings white and black with yellow reserved for buttons, and set body text to 16px. In the revisions the candidate added a "Remember to vote: August 11th 2026 primary election" box, swapped photos, asked for more readable buttons and chose the brighter homepage image over a darker version.
Build and launch
The site runs on WordPress with Elementor, with a letter to the community on the homepage and pages for his platform and background. After the final adjustments the candidate asked for the site to go live immediately, and it launched on the campaign domain on 8 July 2026.
Challenges we solved
Readability under time pressure: contrast, font sizes and photo framing were refined across four rounds without delaying launch.
Get out the vote
One element was non-negotiable from the start: a separate text box on the landing page reminding visitors to vote in the primary election on August 11th, 2026. It sits prominently on the homepage so every visitor sees the date.
Revision details
The candidate supplied his own photos, and the landing page background was built from one of them. Over the revisions the photo on the about page was swapped, the landing page buttons were repositioned with larger, more readable text, a darker homepage version was tested and then returned to the brighter image, and the top and bottom bars were adjusted so the navigation stays readable. In the final round the candidate's name on the homepage went back to white, still underlined, and the image was moved down so it is not cut off by the top bar.
Simple by design
There are no donation buttons and no social media buttons anywhere on the site, as the brief required. The focus stays on the candidate's vision, the challenges facing the district and a contact form for volunteers who want to join the team.
Technology stack
- WordPress
- Elementor Pro
- Yoast SEO
- Complianz (cookie consent)
Results
- Campaign website live on 8 July 2026, under three weeks after the brief.
- Pages for vision, district challenges, meet Michael, join the team and vote.
- Primary election reminder on the homepage.
- Yellow, black and white design without donation or social buttons, as specified.
Frequently asked questions
How long did the campaign website take?
Under three weeks, from 19 June to 8 July 2026.
Why are there no donation buttons?
The candidate specified no donation or social media buttons on the site.
Which platform is it built on?
WordPress with Elementor.
What pages does the site include?
Home, my vision, district challenges, meet Michael, join our team and vote.
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