Client Access Portal
The client portal is an internal tool designed for a law firm to streamline how clients and lawyers collaborate. It centralizes onboarding, meeting scheduling, and document sharing to simplify workflows and improve communication.
Scope
Workflow & UX redesign
Year
2024
Timeline
6 months
Tools
Figma, Adobe, Miro
Role
UX Designer
Scope: Research, UX, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Visual Design, Design System.
Impact: Unified Design System, Evaluated MVP → defined roadmap → shipped
UX Designer
Scope: Research, UX, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Visual Design, Design System.
Impact: Unified Design System,
Evaluated MVP → defined roadmap → shipped
Challenge
How might we reduce confusion during client onboarding, reduce dependency on manual meeting coordination despite tool usage, and streamline access to essential documents for smoother workflows?
Challenge
How might we reduce confusion during client onboarding, reduce dependency on manual meeting coordination despite tool usage, and streamline access to essential documents for smoother workflows?
Challenge
Despite strong adoption, the client portal’s workflows still had gaps and lingering manual processes that slowed client interactions.
Despite strong adoption, the client portal’s workflows still had gaps and lingering manual processes that slowed client interactions.
The initial MVP of the client portal showed strong early success, clients were eager to adopt it and completed tasks more quickly. However, further testing revealed key usability challenges:
The initial MVP of the client portal showed strong early success, clients were eager to adopt it and completed tasks more quickly. However, further testing revealed key usability challenges:
#1
#1
Onboarding Confusion Slowed Setup
Onboarding Confusion Slowed Setup
New clients struggled to navigate the portal during setup, causing delays in getting started.
#2
#2
Users Abandoned Meeting Flow
Users Abandoned Meeting Flow
Even with an internal meeting scheduler, users often abandoned scheduling mid‑flow and resorted to manual coordination.
#3
#3
Document Follow-Up Emails
Document Follow-Up Emails
Clients repeatedly emailed lawyers asking for help with accessing or sharing documents.
#1
Onboarding Confusion Slowed Setup
New clients struggled to navigate the portal during setup, causing delays in getting started.
#2
Users Abandoned Meeting Flow
Even with an internal meeting scheduler, users often abandoned scheduling mid‑flow and resorted to manual coordination.
#3
Document Follow-Up Emails
Clients repeatedly emailed lawyers asking for help with accessing or sharing documents.
Impact
Improved client workflows, adoption, and satisfaction through targeted UX redesign.
Improvements led to smoother onboarding with fewer support requests, higher meeting scheduling completion rates, and faster, more reliable document access. Client satisfaction and portal engagement increased, while reducing manual effort of legal staff adoption.
Improvements led to smoother onboarding with fewer support requests, higher meeting scheduling completion rates, and faster, more reliable document access. Client satisfaction and portal engagement increased, while reducing manual effort of legal staff adoption.
-30%
-30%
-30%
Onboarding Support Reduced
Onboarding Support Reduced
Onboarding Support Reduced
Significant drop in onboarding‑related support requests, indicating smoother client setup
Significant drop in onboarding‑related support requests, indicating smoother client setup
Significant drop in onboarding‑related support requests, indicating smoother client setup
+1.5x
+1.5x
Meeting Scheduling Completion Increased
Meeting Scheduling Completion Increased
Meeting Scheduling Completion Increased
Increased completion rates for meeting scheduling within the portal (reduced drop‑off)
Increased completion rates for meeting scheduling within the portal (reduced drop‑off)
Increased completion rates for meeting scheduling within the portal (reduced drop‑off)
-25%
-25%
-25%
Fewer Client Follow-Up Emails
Fewer Client Follow-Up Emails
Fewer Client Follow-Up Emails
Faster, more reliable document access, resulting in fewer client follow‑up emails
Faster, more reliable document access, resulting in fewer client follow‑up emails
Faster, more reliable document access, resulting in fewer client follow‑up emails
UX Barriers
Problems discovered - broken workflow and usability barriers.
The portal’s core design weaknesses created barriers: onboarding lacked clear checkpoints, scheduling was unintuitive and incomplete, and document management lacked organization, each contributing to a frustrating user experience.
The portal’s core design weaknesses created barriers: onboarding lacked clear checkpoints, scheduling was unintuitive and incomplete, and document management lacked organization, each contributing to a frustrating user experience.
The portal’s core design weaknesses created barriers: onboarding lacked clear checkpoints, scheduling was unintuitive and incomplete, and document management lacked organization, each contributing to a frustrating user experience.
Design Solution
Unify the experience with one model
Across onboarding, scheduling, and document management, users faced a fragmented journey. Each task felt disconnected, forcing them to relearn navigation patterns and sift through unnecessary information. Our goal was to create a single, consistent mental model that worked across all interactions.
Across onboarding, scheduling, and document management, users faced a fragmented journey. Each task felt disconnected, forcing them to relearn navigation patterns and sift through unnecessary information. Our goal was to create a single, consistent mental model that worked across all interactions.
Confirm early, defer the rest - Reduce mistakes by verifying email first; collect non-critical info later.
Originally, onboarding crammed account creation and profile setup into one linear form, leading to activation errors and slow starts. I investigated common failure points and, through competitive analysis, identified two fixes: verify early and defer non-critical inputs.
Originally, onboarding crammed account creation and profile setup into one linear form, leading to activation errors and slow starts. I investigated common failure points and, through competitive analysis, identified two fixes: verify early and defer non-critical inputs.
Originally, onboarding crammed account creation and profile setup into one linear form, leading to activation errors and slow starts. I investigated common failure points and, through competitive analysis, identified two fixes: verify early and defer non-critical inputs.
We refocused Step 1 solely on account creation: users enter an email, receive an activation link, return to set name and password, and land on the dashboard. This ensures valid accounts and removes early friction.
We refocused Step 1 solely on account creation: users enter an email, receive an activation link, return to set name and password, and land on the dashboard. This ensures valid accounts and removes early friction.
We refocused Step 1 solely on account creation: users enter an email, receive an activation link, return to set name and password, and land on the dashboard. This ensures valid accounts and removes early friction.
Early email verification prevents activation errors; users set credentials and land directly on the dashboard to keep momentum.
Early email verification prevents activation errors; users set credentials and land directly on the dashboard to keep momentum.
Stepwise Forms, Fewer Drop-offs - One decision per screen; meeting drop offs reduced ~1.5×.
Users were abandoning the meeting booking process mid-way. The issue wasn’t a lack of features, they quit because the single, overloaded form was hard to parse. The same pattern showed up anywhere we asked for lots of info.
Users were abandoning the meeting booking process mid-way. The issue wasn’t a lack of features, they quit because the single, overloaded form was hard to parse. The same pattern showed up anywhere we asked for lots of info.
Users were abandoning the meeting booking process mid-way. The issue wasn’t a lack of features, they quit because the single, overloaded form was hard to parse. The same pattern showed up anywhere we asked for lots of info.
I turned the booking flow into a guided, four-step journey with strong visual hierarchy and clear progress. Inline validation, required/optional cues, and succinct section headers keep attention on one decision at a time.
I turned the booking flow into a guided, four-step journey with strong visual hierarchy and clear progress. Inline validation, required/optional cues, and succinct section headers keep attention on one decision at a time.
Four-step flow with clear grouping, required markers, inline feedback, and a progress indicator—one choice per step.
Four-step flow with clear grouping, one choice per step.
Reusable components, applied portal-wide for consistency and speed.
Components, for consistency and speed.
This reduced cognitive load and cut mid-flow abandonment, leading to ~1.5× higher scheduling completion and fewer email back-and-forths. The same form structure is now reused across the product wherever we collect information.
This reduced cognitive load and cut mid-flow abandonment, leading to ~1.5× higher scheduling completion and fewer email back-and-forths. The same form structure is now reused across the product wherever we collect information.
Scannable Cards, Findable Files - Clear labels and metadata reduce follow-up emails
Clients kept emailing for help because files weren’t easy to find, scan, or trust. Cards had low contrast, weak hierarchy, and missing metadata; uploads lacked requirements, previews, and permission clarity.
Clients kept emailing for help because files weren’t easy to find, scan, or trust. Cards had low contrast, weak hierarchy, and missing metadata; uploads lacked requirements, previews, and permission clarity.
Clients kept emailing for help because files weren’t easy to find, scan, or trust. Cards had low contrast, weak hierarchy, and missing metadata; uploads lacked requirements, previews, and permission clarity.
Document views were rebuilt with a Card/List toggle and a clean info hierarchy. Each card shows the essentials at a glance -file name, case type, access, last updated, status, download. Uploads now keep requirements, previews, and permission controls in view.
Document views were rebuilt with a Card/List toggle and a clean info hierarchy. Each card shows the essentials at a glance -file name, case type, access, last updated, status, download. Uploads now keep requirements, previews, and permission controls in view.
Document views were rebuilt with a Card/List toggle and a clean info hierarchy. Each card shows the essentials at a glance -file name, case type, access, last updated, status, download. Uploads now keep requirements, previews, and permission controls in view.
I defined the metadata standards and visual hierarchy, then rolled the patterns (cards, chips, toggles, search) into the design system so the same readability holds everywhere.
I defined the metadata standards and visual hierarchy, then rolled the patterns (cards, chips, toggles, search) into the design system so the same readability holds everywhere.
I defined the metadata standards and visual hierarchy, then rolled the patterns (cards, chips, toggles, search) into the design system so the same readability holds everywhere.
Clear hierarchy and metadata with a fast Card/List toggle for quick scanning.
Design-system patterns (cards, status chips, permissions, search) for readable, consistent document UX portal-wide.
Files are easy to find and trust; uploads finish without guesswork. Follow-up emails dropped (~25%), and case work moves faster.
Clear labels and metadata made documents instantly findable; explicit upload and permission cues reduced uncertainty - leading to fewer follow-up emails (~25% decrease) and smoother case work for clients and staff.
Clear hierarchy and metadata with a fast Card/List toggle for quick scanning.
Design-system patterns for readable, consistent document UX portal-wide.
Four-step flow with clear grouping, one choice per step.
Components, for consistency and speed.
Files are easy to find and trust; uploads finish without guesswork. Follow-up emails dropped (~25%), and case work moves faster.
Clear labels and metadata made documents instantly findable; explicit upload and permission cues reduced uncertainty - leading to fewer follow-up emails (~25% decrease) and smoother case work for clients and staff.