Michigan Legal Help says user testing showed language and design changes were both necessary
Summary
Nora Ryan of Michigan Legal Help described rounds of testing that found simplifying language alone was not enough; the project paired plain-language translations with user-centered design to help people understand what forms mean and what actions they must take.
Nora Ryan, program director of Michigan Legal Help and vice chair of the Justice for All Commission, described the site's role and the user-testing that informed the redesign.
"The website is used by millions of people each year, and its form tools help people fill out over 500000 court forms each year," Ryan said. She described multi-round testing with members of the public that showed users understood simpler words but still struggled to interpret what sets of words meant in context and what actions they needed to take.
Ryan said the project worked with plain-language experts and then with design strategists to implement user-centered design that guides users through forms, highlights critical deadlines and creates writing space for required responses. She called the paired approach "co-design" and said experts sat with a broad set of users and court staff to iterate on solutions.
The redesign is intended to reduce rejected filings, reduce the burden on clerks and help litigants access remedies such as payment plans, protective orders or court dates.
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