
Practising Law Institute (PLI) —Creating a best-in-class mobile app experience for legal education
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
6 Product Designers
3 Product Managers
2 Software Developers
DURATION
3 Months
(Summer 2022)
my role
My involvement encompassed three design sprints, focusing primarily on refining the homepage, enhancing the media player functionality, and advancing the design system.
CHALLENGE
Create a best-in-class mobile app experience for legal education

Content Recommendations
Improve onboarding and personalization based on interests and credit needs

Media Player
Improve credit redemption experience

Browse & Search
Improve way-finding across the entire catalog of content
SOLUTION

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.

Seamless Media Viewing
With the improved video controls, credit submissions are 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.

Gaining Perspective
Conducting a comprehensive exploration of various strategic approaches and investigating the product's offerings and features.
Discovery
In order to formulate UX principles for shaping the app's user experience, we engaged in a brainstorming session, setting aside considerations of feasibility and viability. Some of the prompts we explored included:
How might we add personalization (passive recommendation) and customization (active selection) to surface the right content?
How might we engage and provide guidance to users as they navigate the content, ensuring they have a clear sense of their location and a feeling of control?
Competitive Audit
As PLI content is characterized by its informative and accomplishment-oriented nature, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of other platforms in these categories, focusing on fulfilling three primary user needs: finding, flowing, and finishing.
Finding: elevating content that is useful, relevant, and interesting
Flowing: ensuring seamlessness and ease throughout
Finishing: guiding users through each content segment toward clear next steps


SOLUTION



Exploring Frameworks
We thoroughly examined a range of strategic methods and integrated the second and third frameworks that align with the product's primary objectives: guiding users to access the appropriate content (for credits, meeting deadlines) and facilitating effortless transitions between different content types and formats (from web to app, Live to On-demand).

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?

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?

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?
Outlining the Structure
We meticulously designed the information architecture (IA) to facilitate easy content discovery while minimizing unnecessary steps and cognitive load for users.

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.



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

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

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

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

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.
Building Design System
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.








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.










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.




Results & Impact
Overall, the Plog app had a significant impact on the plogging community and received positive feedback. Users saw immediate value in connecting with nearby ploggers, were able to navigate through the app easily, and clearly understood where to recycle the collected items.

Keeping our planet clean
by inspiring and connecting ploggers
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Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Feedback
Feedback on personalization, usability, and overall design
Ryan Stevens
Lawyer
Ashley Krause
Accountant
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.
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.
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.
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
Name Surname
Position, Company name