Photo: Apaar Tuli, 2020.

Voting results

HELSINKI DESIGN WEEK
11–13.9.2020

Visitors to the Helsinki Design Week’s main exhibition at the newly renovated Olympics Stadium got a chance to participate in the Value Shop. Over a period of 3 days, almost 3 700 votes on various societal topics were cast by nearly 400 individuals or groups. Many more visited to view and discuss the installation without using our voting application. From those who voted, each visitor voted on around 9 topics on average, although one enthusiastic person voted on all available products.

Exhibition visitors could cast their votes using their own smartphones through our web application. The votes were registered through mock ‘purchasing’ of products by scanning the unique QR code printed on the product label. The anonymized votes were counted with our cloud-based software. Once visitors were done voting, they could also print themselves a mock receipt of their ‘purchases’, listing their chosen values. The aggregate voting results were also displayed in real-time on a large dashboard display at the shop. Visitors were able to see how their choices influenced the overall sentiment.

Even though many of the results matched expectations, the voting also revealed some interesting topics that showed strong polarisation amongst the visitors, as well as choices that showed nearly unanimous support from all. Here are some of the most interesting results from the Value Shop:

Value Shop visitors voting and looking at the dashboard for real time voting results.
Top 10 of most popular choices at Value Shop 11–13.9.2020.
Top seller – Liquorice: Black lives matter (64,6%) vs. All lives matter (35,4%). Also 3rd most polarising product.
Top seller – Beluga Lentils: More cultural diversity around me (96,8%) vs. Less foreigners in my city (3,2%).
Top seller – Organic Eggs: Every woman has a right to abortion (98,7%) vs. Abortion should be illegal (1,3%).
Lowest seller – Herbal Liquer: Higher taxes for the rich (66,7%) vs. Lower inheritance and capital tax (33,3%).
Lowest seller – Sriracha Sauce: Jail the worst criminals for life (72,7%) vs. Worst criminals should be executed (27,3%).
Lowest seller – Green Tea: 5G Cell towers to improve infrastructure (88%) vs. Stop 5G as it spreads cancer and coronavirus (12%).
Most polarising – Smetana: Russia is our friend (50,6%) vs. NATO will protect us (49,4%).
Most polarising – Roasted Garlic: Private funding to build Tallinn tunnel (61,9%) vs. Build Tallinn tunner with public funding (38,1%).
Strong Support – Rock Salt: Any two loving humans can marry each other (95,1%) vs. Marriage is between a man and a woman (4,9%).
Strong Support – Fig Jam: Equal salaries of men and women (95,1%) vs. Women are paid fairly already (4,9%).
Strong Support – Mixed Salad: Healthcare available for everyone (97,9%) vs. Private healthcare for my family (2,1%).
Full Support – Ice Cream: Climate change needs government action (100%) vs. Climate change is a scam (0%).
Full Support – White Wine: Alcohol should be sold in private shops (100%) vs. Government should control alcohol sales (0%).