It’s Nothing Personal is a letter-exchange program in partnership with Rural Utah Project, an activist group working to empower underrepresented rural voters. Stemming from research on the links between isolation, political polarization, and voter turnout, the letter exchange aims to connect isolated rural residents with their neighbors through long-form handwritten conversations. Participants are provided with a package of paper goods to start their letters, including custom designed postcards, envelopes, stamps, and information pamphlets on the goals of the program and conversation guidelines to develop conversational intimacy between pen pals. The activist group was provided with the physical packages and a complete plan of execution, including a budget, timeline, and conversation guidelines for 6 months of the program.

This project was completed in three months during the Fall 2020 MDD Field Studio at the University of Utah.