Role
UI Designer & Strategist
Industry
LegalTech
Background
Clio, as the premier provider of legal practice management software in North America, offers a comprehensive end-to-end solution for law firms seeking growth and efficiency.
The majority of Clio's new leads originate from the website, making it a critical interface to convey the innovative and contemporary brand identity of both Clio and its products. However, as 2018 drew to a close, it became evident that the website had grown outdated and no longer aligned with the evolving image of the company and its product offerings.
The Challenge
As Clio rapidly expanded its product portfolio and introduced new features, a pressing challenge emerged—the website infrastructure was not scaling effectively. This resulted in considerable time spent on creating ad-hoc landing pages that didn't align with the brand identity. Consequently, Clio's online presence appeared inconsistent, reflecting a disjointed image.
Clio had primarily catered to solo practitioners, small, and mid-sized law firms, solidifying its reputation in this segment. However, recognising the potential for continued growth, Clio aspired to extend its reach into the large firm market, necessitating a transformation in its approach and online presence.
The website experienced a decline in traffic, posing a significant challenge for the marketing team, which required a substantial increase in lead generation to meet its targets. In response, a decision was made to invest in targeted SEO content. However, a critical issue emerged—the existing brand identity, tone, and messaging no longer accurately represented the evolved company that Clio had become over the past decade. This incongruence risked miscommunications in Clio's identity and values to potential leads and clients.
Tasks
UI Design
Web Design
Design Research
Branding & Identity
Interviewing
A/B Testing
Icon Development
Web Design
Design Research
Branding & Identity
Interviewing
A/B Testing
Icon Development
Goals
Promote New Products and Expand Market Leadership: Introduce Clio's latest products and enhance its leadership in emerging categories.
Articulate Clio's Narrative and Reinforce Market Leadership: Communicate Clio's unique story and affirm its status as a leading player in legal practice management.
Establish Thought Leadership in Legal Practice: Position Clio as a thought leader in legal practice by advocating "client-centered lawyering."
Target Large Firms and Expand Customer Base: Develop targeted marketing to large firms to grow Clio's business customer base.
The Opportunity
How might we strategically transform clio.com to authentically portray Clio's remarkable growth and market leadership, all while crafting a more robust and scalable system?
Guiding Principles
Inclusive User-Centered Approach
Prioritise a user-centered approach that caters to every user, regardless of firm size, creating a personalised and engaging experience, especially for larger firms.
Prioritise a user-centered approach that caters to every user, regardless of firm size, creating a personalised and engaging experience, especially for larger firms.
Empowering User Experience
Foster an empowering user experience that instills confidence in users, helping them elevate their business with the support of Clio.
Foster an empowering user experience that instills confidence in users, helping them elevate their business with the support of Clio.
Effortless Simplicity and Clarity
Strive for a website experience on clio.com that effortlessly guides users while ensuring clarity and enjoyment throughout their journey.
Strive for a website experience on clio.com that effortlessly guides users while ensuring clarity and enjoyment throughout their journey.
Personality & Presence
Clio should feel like the users ‘trusted advisor’, as if Clio is reliable enough to be their their personal assistant.
Clio should feel like the users ‘trusted advisor’, as if Clio is reliable enough to be their their personal assistant.
The Process
Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
The project kicked off with close collaboration among a diverse team, including an external UX designer, content strategists, product marketers, and engineers. This collaborative effort aimed to ensure alignment with business goals and establish a shared vision of success.
The project kicked off with close collaboration among a diverse team, including an external UX designer, content strategists, product marketers, and engineers. This collaborative effort aimed to ensure alignment with business goals and establish a shared vision of success.
Brand Audit and Update
We kicked off our process by conducting a comprehensive brand audit, followed by necessary updates. This crucial step was undertaken to articulate Clio's unique value proposition within the market and lay the groundwork for future website scalability.
We kicked off our process by conducting a comprehensive brand audit, followed by necessary updates. This crucial step was undertaken to articulate Clio's unique value proposition within the market and lay the groundwork for future website scalability.
User Research and Insights
We conducted in-depth user research, comprising interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather valuable insights into user preferences and pain points. Additionally, we engaged with customer success teams and conducted a thorough analysis of feedback forms to further enhance our understanding.
We conducted in-depth user research, comprising interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather valuable insights into user preferences and pain points. Additionally, we engaged with customer success teams and conducted a thorough analysis of feedback forms to further enhance our understanding.
Wireframe Development and Prototyping
As we advanced into wireframe development and prototyping in collaboration with the UX designer, accessibility remained a top priority. Prototypes were meticulously crafted and rigorously tested with a dedicated focus on ensuring an accessible user experience. This included consideration for users with disabilities, making certain that all aspects of the design met accessibility standards and guidelines.
As we advanced into wireframe development and prototyping in collaboration with the UX designer, accessibility remained a top priority. Prototypes were meticulously crafted and rigorously tested with a dedicated focus on ensuring an accessible user experience. This included consideration for users with disabilities, making certain that all aspects of the design met accessibility standards and guidelines.
Content Strategy and SEO Optimisation
We collaborated closely with marketing specialists to develop a robust content strategy. This strategy defined content structure, tone, and messaging, all tailored to align seamlessly with our brand identity. Simultaneously, we integrated powerful SEO strategies, conducting thorough keyword research and implementing precise on-page optimisation techniques.
We collaborated closely with marketing specialists to develop a robust content strategy. This strategy defined content structure, tone, and messaging, all tailored to align seamlessly with our brand identity. Simultaneously, we integrated powerful SEO strategies, conducting thorough keyword research and implementing precise on-page optimisation techniques.
Value-Centric Website Redesign
Our team placed a strong emphasis on effectively communicating value, particularly highlighting new products and features. This strategic approach served to differentiate Clio from competitors and significantly enhance user comprehension.
Our team placed a strong emphasis on effectively communicating value, particularly highlighting new products and features. This strategic approach served to differentiate Clio from competitors and significantly enhance user comprehension.
Launch, Monitoring, and Iteration
Following the website redesign, we executed the launch and closely monitored website performance and user behaviour. We initiated post-launch activities, including targeted marketing campaigns, and continuously iterated our strategies based on data-driven insights.
Following the website redesign, we executed the launch and closely monitored website performance and user behaviour. We initiated post-launch activities, including targeted marketing campaigns, and continuously iterated our strategies based on data-driven insights.
User Insight
In our prior website design, the header menu primarily emphasized solutions tailored to law firms, categorized under "clients," "work," and "business." However, during the interview process, we discovered that these categories caused confusion among our users. They were far more interested in understanding the breadth of products Clio offered and the range of firm sizes that Clio catered to.
This revelation highlighted the need to reevaluate our navigation structure and prioritise clarity in guiding users to explore our product range and the suitability of Clio for their specific firm size and needs.
Results
Following the launch of the revamped and scalable Clio website, we observed an impressive 18% surge in the conversion rate during the initial three months.
Additionally, there was a substantial uptick in lead generation and heightened engagement with the website. We also experienced a notable increase in the sales of both new and original products.
Notably, the time investment required for creating new pages saw significant reductions across all departments, spanning content, design, and engineering. This transformation fostered a more robust sense of alignment and collaboration among our teams, positioning us for more effective future projects.
To comply with my contractual obligations, I am unable to disclose all project details. For access to the complete case study, kindly reach out via email at renee.devalle@gmail.com
