Politiques

Project Context

Developed during a design internship at NAVER, Politiques is a strategic service proposal tailored specifically for the French market, leveraging NAVER's existing technology to tap into local cultural habits.

1. The Problem: The Need for Safe, Structured Online Debate

In France, debate is a deeply ingrained cultural practice—89% of French people regularly debate topics ranging from politics to football, and 68% tune into debate shows on TV or radio. The "Grand Débat National" further highlighted this national appetite for discourse, generating 140 million digital contributions. However, existing online debate platforms suffer from significant flaws: anonymity often breeds malicious comments rather than effective discussion, neutral opinions are drowned out by radical voices, and the lack of moderation degrades the overall quality of the conversation.

2. The Key Insight: Anonymity Meets Accountability

Through expert interviews with French media and marketing professionals, a core insight emerged: when debating online, privacy and the actual content of the argument are more important than physical appearance. If anonymity is guaranteed, people feel comfortable expressing sincere opinions. The challenge was to design a platform for the French market that maintains this necessary privacy while ensuring users remain responsible and polite.

3. The Solution: Voice-Driven, Avatar-Based Debating

"PoliTiques" derived from "Poli" (Kind) and "Politiques" (Politics) is a proposed mobile app designed to provide a fun, fair, and responsible online debate experience.

• Audio Recording: Instead of text, users record their opinions via 30-second voice memos. This introduces a sense of real, responsible debate by attaching a human voice to the argument.
• Animated Avatars: To guarantee privacy without sacrificing engagement, users are represented by customizable animated avatars. This allows users to debate comfortably in any situation without needing to show their faces.
• Turn-by-Turn System: The app uses a structured turn-by-turn system to ensure everyone can voice their opinions fairly. Viewers can send live emoji reactions (e.g., "Good point!", "Liar!") to the speaker, providing immediate feedback.

4. Game Modes & Strategic Fit for NAVER

To keep the debates engaging, the app features three distinct modes:

• Open Debate: An unrestricted discussion mode for lighter topics.
• Team Fight: A competitive mode that pits two teams against each other (e.g., "Should PSG keep Neymar Jr?"), with viewers voting to decide the winner.
• Deathmatch: A competitive mode where individual viewers debate one-on-one, and the last person standing wins.

The Business Case

Users gain Experience Points (XP) based on audience reactions, eventually earning coins to spend on avatar customizations (like a PSG jersey). As an internship proposal, this service was designed to align perfectly with NAVER's strategic strengths. By combining NAVER's expertise in audio content, real-time communication (like LINE), and character design, Politiques positions the company to successfully capture the French market's unique demand for user-generated debate content.