Role
Lead Designer
Industry
LegalTech
Background
Clio is the leading legal practice management software provider in North America. Once a year, Clio leverages their rich data from tens of thousands of legal professionals across the US to release the Legal Trends Report.
For the audience, the report offers unique insights into law firm efficiencies, hourly rate comparison, key metrics, suggestions for success, and insights on the most pressing issues faced within the legal industry. For Clio, the report is an important marketing and lead generation tool.
Prior to 2019, the yearly design initiative behind the report had an output of a downloadable PDF hosted on the Clio website. When the 2019 initiative kicked off the plan was to approach the project as every other year.
My initial research uncovered that there was a lack in data from the previous campaigns to inform iterations to the report year to year. I put forward a successful business case for more resources for the initiative to address this gap by developing a microsite alongside the PDF report.
The Problem
The Clio team was unable to make data informed decisions about how to iterate on the Legal Trends Report as it was impossible to track how readers were engaging with the report in the PDF format.
Tasks
Information Design
Data Visualisation
Brand Design
UX Design
UI Design
Wire-framing
User Research
A/B Testing
Data Visualisation
Brand Design
UX Design
UI Design
Wire-framing
User Research
A/B Testing
Goals
• Facilitate means of data collection
• Increase engagement with the report
• Create simplified system for future internal use
• Drive lead generation via content marketing
• Increase the perceived value Clio brings to the industry
• Strengthen credibility and trustworthiness of the brand
• Increase engagement with the report
• Create simplified system for future internal use
• Drive lead generation via content marketing
• Increase the perceived value Clio brings to the industry
• Strengthen credibility and trustworthiness of the brand
The Opportunity
How might we evolve the 2019 Legal Trends Report into an impactful online experience for the reader whilst collecting relevant data, enabling the reports continued success, year after year?
Guiding Principles
Empower
Allow the readers to take the reins when it comes to how they digest the report.
Allow the readers to take the reins when it comes to how they digest the report.
Transparency
Give the user the tools to easily navigate their experience.
Give the user the tools to easily navigate their experience.
Data Based Decisions
Collect user data so that the team can make informed decisions when iterating on the report each year.
Collect user data so that the team can make informed decisions when iterating on the report each year.
Create a Framework
Design the report in a way that saves time and effort for the team in the coming years.
Design the report in a way that saves time and effort for the team in the coming years.
The Process
Stakeholder Interviews
I worked to establish the 'why' behind the previous design the report format, and we came together as a team to align on the new direction. We determined where the holes were in our knowledge, and how could we avoid the unknown, going forward.
I worked to establish the 'why' behind the previous design the report format, and we came together as a team to align on the new direction. We determined where the holes were in our knowledge, and how could we avoid the unknown, going forward.
Research
Delving into researching other successful online experiences, I wanted to establish a picture of what success looked like to Clio, and how could we achieve that now, and continue to do so in future years.
Delving into researching other successful online experiences, I wanted to establish a picture of what success looked like to Clio, and how could we achieve that now, and continue to do so in future years.
Brand Development
I produced three variations for the brand design, focusing in on different aspects of the content to inform my choices. The overwhelming response from the team was in favour of the direction that focused in on the idea that our readers were on a journey to change their practice from good to great.
I produced three variations for the brand design, focusing in on different aspects of the content to inform my choices. The overwhelming response from the team was in favour of the direction that focused in on the idea that our readers were on a journey to change their practice from good to great.
Testing & Iterating
After gaining a collection of fascinating customer insights, we pivoted slightly, realising the value that many customers still placed in being able to print the report.
After gaining a collection of fascinating customer insights, we pivoted slightly, realising the value that many customers still placed in being able to print the report.
Observation
Once the report was live, the wider team was able to collect user engagement data for the very first time. This opened up new informed ways for us to approach the initiative in the coming years.
Once the report was live, the wider team was able to collect user engagement data for the very first time. This opened up new informed ways for us to approach the initiative in the coming years.
User Insight
As lawyers are famously short on time, testing proved that giving the user as much control over how they digested the report was the key to them staying engaged.
Allowing the user to know where they were within the report at all times was something that proved to have significant value, so I introduced the functionality that allowed the reader to jump back and forth between sections, by always having the clickable contents available on the left hand side of the page.
User Insight
While those within the legal industry were becoming more tech savvy, and most appreciated being able to read the report online, there was still a large enough market of those who specifically requested a printable version.
In the past, the PDF version had been a time consuming piece to produce. Through testing the 2019 online report with a handful of customers, we found that a number of them were still very keen to be able to download and potentially print the online version.
As a means of bridging the gap between the old and the new, we simplified the PDF format for ease of production, and we included it as an option, with the plan to phase it out over the coming years.
Results
• Considerable increase in report views and downloads.
• Increased lead generation.
• Ability to collect data for future content and design improvements.
• Future Legal Trends Reports were designed using the same framework, saving time.
• Increased lead generation.
• Ability to collect data for future content and design improvements.
• Future Legal Trends Reports were designed using the same framework, saving time.
To comply with my contractual agreement, I can't share all the details of this project. If you'd like to see the full case study, please get in contact via my email; renee.devalle@gmail.com
