Sam Biddick

Projects

Select projects from my academic, policy, and information science work, highlighting the skills and experience I’ve built along the way.

DAGA Political Lookahead: Key Races and State Analysis

Prepared for
Democratic Attorneys General Association
Focus
Upcoming state attorney general races
Methods
Polling analysis, candidate research, strategic briefing

For this project, I developed a comprehensive political lookahead for the Democratic Attorneys General Association, focusing on upcoming state attorney general races across the country. I analyzed key electoral statistics, candidate profiles, fundraising trends, and major statewide issues shaping each race.

The project involved synthesizing polling data, identifying strategic vulnerabilities and opportunities, and creating clear, actionable summaries for senior political staff. This work strengthened my ability to interpret political data, evaluate statewide dynamics, and communicate complex information in a concise, strategic format.

What I learned

  • Strengthened my ability to analyze polling, fundraising, and electoral data to identify meaningful political trends.
  • Gained experience evaluating statewide issues and understanding how they shape attorney general races.
  • Improved my skills in synthesizing complex information into clear, strategic briefings for political staff.
  • Learned how to assess candidate positioning, vulnerabilities, and opportunities within competitive state environments.
Map titled States of Focus: incumbent protection in Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin; open seats to protect in Nevada, Colorado and Michigan; a pickup opportunity in Kansas; wait and see in Iowa
States of focus, grouped by strategic priority: incumbent protection, open seats to protect, pickup opportunities, and races to watch.

Spotify UX Case Study: Designing “Gym Mode”

Course
LIS 470, UW–Madison
Focus
Redesigning Spotify’s workout-music experience
Methods
User research, contextual interviews, Figma prototyping, usability testing

A concept project developed while I was enrolled in LIS 470 at UW–Madison, aimed at redesigning the workout-music experience on Spotify. We identified that existing playlists don’t adjust to users’ shifting energy, intensity, or workout style, so we created a “Gym Mode” that adapts music dynamically, lets users set workout intensity, choose a vibe (such as “EDM Adrenaline” or “Indie Energy”), and provide post-workout feedback to refine their playlists over time.

Through user research, contextual interviews, prototyping in Figma, and usability testing, I led user-insight gathering and helped shape the design, gaining real-world experience in human-centered design, rapid prototyping, and user testing.

What I learned

  • Learned how to conduct user interviews and turn insights into actionable design decisions.
  • Gained experience building wireframes and interactive prototypes in Figma.
  • Strengthened skills in usability testing, iteration, and user-centered problem solving.
  • Improved my ability to communicate design choices clearly and effectively.
Gym Mode concept screen: an intensity slider above four vibe tiles, Punk Push, EDM Adrenaline, Hip-Hop Heat and Indie Energy
The Gym Mode concept: set an intensity, then choose a vibe.

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