Bringing the family spirit to a digital era.
Role: Experience Architect, Visual Designer & UX Researcher
Team: Bibi Bilodeau (Project Manager) & Santiago A. Reyes (Content Auditor & Strategist)
Duration: January - April 2022
Tools: Adobe XD
Problem Definition
How might we optimize the firm's website to increase interaction with their audience?
Context
Malicki Sanchez Law (MSL) is an established firm founded in 1959 by Stefan A. Malicki. Today, the institution is being run by his son, Marek Malicki, and his family. The website redesign project is part of the Interactive Media Management program at Centennial College where my team was tasked to conduct extensive user research which then informs our narrative strategic recommendations. The client wanted a “refresh” of the website and this project proved to be a very steep learning curve because everyone on the team had no prior experience in interactive media.
Proposed Solution
After conducting thorough research and speaking with the client extensively, we found that their clients come to them because their parents and grandparents have been coming to the firm when they seek legal help. What drew them to Malicki Sanchez Law is the familial atmosphere that they experience when they come into the physical space. Knowing that this is the firm’s unique value proposition, we decided to base our interactive strategy based on the theme of family.
In addition to translating their physical atmosphere to an online platform, we also proposed to outline the process users will go through if they decide to hire MSL to take care of their legal needs.
The Users
MSL provides legal advice in many areas except for criminal law. Many of their clients are bilingual and come from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Since legal advice is a service that can be demanded by anyone, we then turned the question from who are they to how do we interact with them? By answering the latter question, we were able to narrow down the user to someone who is worried or concerned about a big change they are currently experiencing in life. Regardless of whether the change is positive or negative, they need a patient guide who is willing and capable of answering any questions that they might have. The user does not have a lot of time to navigate every page to find the answers to their questions.
Unique Value Proposition
Our strategy is to let users know that the firm is here for them and that they are in good hands. By bringing the family spirit to the website through visuals, tone, and voice, users will feel relieved. Seeking legal help can be very daunting for many clients, so by using language that one would use with a family member, the clients will feel more at ease.
Narrative Strategy Theme
The Process
Research & Ideation
Our team conducted in-depth research which included user surveys, interviews, competitive landscape analysis, a current state and SWOT analysis. We had regular meetings with our clients as well to discuss our research findings and their business goals. At this stage we uncovered that our client already has great quality content, we just have to make sure that their users see it right away.
In this digital age, images are crucial in communicating a brand’s identity. We noticed that the images on the website did not represent how great our client is, so I incorporated sample images of a team that is both professional and evoke a family vibe into the prototype. The client can consider the sample images as inspiration for their next photoshoot.
Design
I collaborated with my teammates to create the sitemap and structure the contents in the most effective order. Once we have the client’s approval on the sitemap, I went into wireframing and designing the low-fidelity prototype. After validating the design with our users, I finalized the high-fidelity prototype.
Testing
This phase and the design phase go hand in hand. Every deliverable completed in the design phase were always tested. Because I have a user-centric design approach, I want to validate all my designs. As the creator, I have no problem with using the product, but if I don’t test it, the same cannot be said for my users. I want my users, regardless of their technology literacy, to have an enjoyable experience and the only way I can measure it as of now is to diligently test every iteration.
Conclusion
This project was extremely challenging, but I think we have created something we can be very proud of. I followed up with the client after the completion of this project to seek their feedback and I am very happy to hear that they will be implementing our strategy very soon. Like with any interactive product, I believe it is never finished because users' needs change and the product has to adapt to that. Now that I am a better problem solver, prototyper and experience architect, I can see what I could have done better. But given the circumstances we had to work with during this project, I can confidently say that this is the very best we could do.