Application forms are the official entry point into the legal process. I designed, tested and implemented a strategic approach to forms for VCAT.
Benchmark Usability Study
Co-design and Ideation
UX Design and Prototyping
Concept Product Testing
UI and Form Design System
VCAT is the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. VCAT resolves disputes and makes decisions. I really enjoyed working at VCAT, and I've particularly enjoyed working in government roles - there's an added responsibility to ensure the voice of the customer is represented in product and service considerations.
When I arrived at VCAT the application forms were poor from a UX and usability perspective, they didn't integrate with out-dated case-management technology, they resulted in adjournments and missed-hearings, were costly to build and maintain and provided a poor customer experience not only for the people coming to court, but the legal, registry and customer service teams too.
I orchestrated data sources and conducted desk research to review what work had already been completed. I conducted UX audits, reviewed previous work and conducted several usability studies to benchmark the current experience. Some of the biggest issues with the current experience were: poor navigation, comprehension of language and legal processes, usability, integration into case management, time taken to complete the form, ability to save work, and more.
Getting the teams and people who's work contributes to the form experience together and working as a group was challenging, but this was the work that was required to bring together all of the diverse perspectives to help generate some of the best ideas and approaches to improving the form experience.
I took a design system approach to designing and developing forms for VCAT. This meant that I designed a design system as part of the work, and scaling the experience was the strategy from the outset.
We tested and refined the concepts several times. We tested with consumers as well as legal professionals who were high frequency customers.
As part of the forms work, we established a cross-functional forms product team. This was required in-order to design, build and maintain the forms as a digital product. It also meant that the IP relating to the forms stayed in the building.
You are reviewing a high-level overview of this project and can view some examples of work and artefacts that were developed during this initiative. For a detailed case-study of this work, please reach out!
"Mark played a significant leadership role in transforming digital products and services at VCAT. He’s comfortable working at all levels, from shaping organisational, research and CX design strategy, to ideation, co-design and high fidelity UI. Mark is rigorous on the tools, thoughtful and considered in his approach and able to demonstrate value to users and the business quickly. That’s why he achieved the buy-in and confidence of initially resistant senior stakeholders. He’s a generous collaborator and a great partner in uplifting capability and driving better ways of working."
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