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Practising Law Institute (PLI) —Creating a best-in-class mobile app experience for legal education

OVERVIEW

In the summer of 2022, I worked as a design intern for Work & Co, a digital product design company. I collaborated with the designers, PMs, and developers of Work & Co to serve the Practising Law Institute, a non-profit, continuing legal education organization. Our objective was to redesign and develop an online education platform for lawyers. We showcased our shared vision of a reimagined digital experience through smart content recommendations, seamless media viewing, and a refreshed user interface.

EXPERIENCE

Work & Co
Design Internship

TEAM

1 Design Intern (me)
6 Product Designers
3 Product Managers
2 Software Developers

DURATION

3 Months
(Summer 2022)

MY CONTRIBUTIONS

During the detailed design phase, I contributed to 3 design sprints
and mainly worked on the homepage, media player, and design system.

THE CHALLENGE

Create a best-in-class mobile app experience for legal education

THE CHALLENGE

Create a best-in-class mobile app experience for legal education

Content Recommendations

Improve onboarding and personalization based on interests and credit needs

Seamless Media Viewing

Improve credit redemption experience

Browse & Search

Improve way-finding across the entire catalog of content

THE DISCOVERY

Gaining Perspective on Ploggers

The discovery phase of my research helped me identify project milestones, review competing platforms, and determine user needs and concerns. From this, I derived two main archetypes who might engage with a plogging platform: those who formerly plogged alone but now seek a community to plog with, and those who simply want more guidance on recycling. By analyzing these two user types, I developed my platform to best suit the needs of my prospective consumer base.

MEET NEW FRIENDS

Want to find and connect with nearby ploggers to enjoy the activity together

RECEIVE RECYCLING ADVICE

Want guidance on how and where to recycle the litter they collect

01

Immersive / Tailored / Customizable

What if the app focused credit seeking into a series of goals around different credit types, to help the Member finish their requirements?

02

Guided / Utility / Seamless

What if the app could offer playlists to guide a Member through all their credit requirements, and keep them in the flow of earning CLE credit?

03

Engaging / Fresh / Academic

What if the app surfaced personalized editorial content, helping Members browse, find an interesting segment, and learn with credit seeking as a byproduct?

homepage

Home Content Logic

Our goal was to improve onboarding and personalization based on interests and credit needs.

Automated Personalized Content

Home is auto populated depending on the profile/user behavior data availability. Always prioritize the related recommended module versions when the profile data is available to provide a more personalized experience.

Curated Content

When profile/user behavior data is not available, show broader recommendations to users. Use these modules to promote PLI programs.

media player

Seamless Media Viewing

Our task was to increase user engagement and provide seamless media viewing by improving the media player.

option a

Displaying program queue on timeline bar

Pros

  • Prioritizes credits

Cons

  • A bit cramped on timeline bar, transcript icon gets a little small
  • Transcript still might not be clear to users as a way to change the view of the video player
option B

Keeping queue on media player

Pros

  • Transcript is clearer as a toggle and feels like a control to the whole video
  • Program segments are still on the media player
  • Settings are grouped together

Cons

  • Credits are a little bit harder to find because they are not on top
  • Video toggle and video is duplicate functionality
option C

Moving queue to overflow menu

Pros

  • Prioritizes credits
  • Transcript feels clearer as a toggle
  • All program details are grouped together in overflow
  • Settings are grouped together

Cons

  • Video toggle in transcript mode is a bit redundant with video thumbnail
  • CC are slightly harder to find, but it is still a common placement for video players
final version

Media Player

Based on the user testing and internal discussion, we finalized the media player that best solved the credit issue.

First priority

Modules that require profile data to provide smart recommendations about non-completed, non-watched, and live content.

Second priority

Modules that require profile data to provide smart content recommendations.

Third priority

Modules that don't require profile data.  When the profile data is available, show the personalized versions of the modules.

DESIGN SYSTEM

Building Design System & Prototype Library

To add consistency to the overall product and make it easier to collaborate, I crafted visual elements and components that adapt and flow with responsive design system. I also constructed prototype library for developer handoff.

DETAILED DESIGN

Automated Personalized Content

To improve personalization based on interests and credit needs, the homepage is auto-populated depending on the profile/user behavior data availability.

iPhone 13 mockup
iPhone 13 mockup
iPhone 13 mockup
iPhone 13 mockup
iPhone 13 mockup

Seamless Media Viewing

With the improved video controls, credit submissions are now easily accessible to users at any point in a segment or program.

Intuitive Browse & Search

Users can efficiently search and locate content that meets their specific requirements and preferences.

iPhone 13 mockup
iPhone 13 mockup

Keeping our planet clean
by inspiring and connecting ploggers

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User Testimonials

Feedback on personalization, usability, and overall design

"This experience is taking a lot of the bells and whistles of the website, and condensing it to be very easy to get to what I needed - download, ease of access, ease of use. This made a huge impression on me."

Ryan Stevens

Lawyer

"I like that it auto-generates content and suggests things you'd be interested in. If I have to go in and get ethics credits, finding content I need and would be interested in is right there so I don't have to do a bunch of searches."

Ashley Krause

Accountant

"Design looks sleek, looks really nice. I like the simplicity, the black and white. It's more sleek and modern looking than the existing design."

Steve Jackman

Lawyer

Reflections

It was a transformative learning experience, joining Work & Co and collaborating with the PLI Team. Being surrounded by so many talented designers and receiving feedback through exchanging opinions and listening to how other designers critique each other broadened my perspective of the inner workings of the industry. Alongside this, I was also able to continue building my technical design skills and grow as a product designer.

Communication and collaboration

Working within a large team, communication was key to our collective success. I contributed to daily team meetings and weekly client meetings and was able to glean key insights into presenting design to clients who may not be well versed in the discipline.

Getting down to business

As a designer, I admit to having fallen into the trap of considering products only from the design side, obsessing over my own vision of experience and visuals. By working in industry, I came to terms with the fact that designer considerations are secondary to the realities of business. The task is not to create the perfect product according to my own standards, but to do so for the client according to their time and budgetary constraints. Though ego-battering, this experience has led me to become a far finer designer than I had been previously and I am grateful for it.

Dummy Dummy

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MY CONTRIBUTIONS

During the detailed design phase, I contributed to 3 design sprints and mainly worked on the homepage, media player, and design system.

  • Worked on the homepage structure and logic

  • Created a seamless media player experience

  • Built design system, and prototype library for developer handoff

During the detailed design phase, I contributed to 3 design sprints
and mainly worked on the homepage, media player, and design system.

  • Worked on the homepage structure and logic

  • Created a seamless media player experience

  • Built design system, and prototype library for developer handoff

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Customer testimonials

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Name Surname

Position, Company name

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."

Name Surname

Position, Company name