The Challenge: Organizing Complexity into Clarity

Law firms manage an overwhelming volume of information—documents, financials, contacts, and timelines. This administrative burden often distracts attorneys from their primary role: providing sound legal counsel.

Our goal was to create a streamlined, intuitive case management experience that allows legal professionals to access the most critical information instantly.

The challenge was to transform complex case data into a transparent, structured system while ensuring:

• Consistency – Key data categories needed uniform placement across matters for quick reference.

• Narrative Flow – Information should tell a story, with notes, contacts, documents, and key dates naturally guiding decision-making.

• Thoughtful Interactions – Small usability improvements should reduce friction and enhance efficiency.

• Accessibility – The system had to be intuitive and usable by all legal professionals.

• Scalability – A long-term, structured approach would ensure design consistency across the platform.

The result was a redesigned Matter Page that provided attorneys with a centralized, organized view of their case data—reducing time spent searching and increasing time spent strategizing.

The Approach: Understanding the User’s Mental Model

We conducted extensive user research with corporate and external attorneys and legal support staff to design a system aligned with real-world legal workflows.

Key Research Methods

• Card Sorting Exercises – Attorneys and staff categorized legal data into meaningful groups, shaping the hierarchy of the Matter Page.

• Journey Mapping – We visualized key interactions to ensure the interface reflected how attorneys naturally work.

• User Interviews – First-hand feedback helped prioritize pain points and define a more intuitive workflow.

Key Findings

• 79% of users preferred a clear separation between case-related and administrative data.

• 82% of attorneys wanted a single source of truth for case status to eliminate redundant searches.

• 91% of users prioritized “Key Dates” over general calendar views for managing deadlines.

These insights guided our design decisions, ensuring that the Matter Page structure aligned with attorneys’ thinking and working styles.

The Solution: A Case Management System Built for Efficiency

With research-driven priorities in place, we designed a Matter Page that centralized key case information in a clear, structured format.

Key Design Features

• Centralized Case Information – A single source of truth for case status, eliminating redundant searches.

• Clear Data Hierarchy – Information was grouped into structured categories, reducing cognitive load.

• Quick-Access Key Dates – A dedicated deadline section, replacing the clutter of general calendar views.

• Streamlined Search & Navigation: Attorneys can instantly find critical details such as contact information, billable hours, and document status.

• Mobile-First Design – Ensured seamless usability across devices, eliminating the need for a separate mobile app.

The Outcome: Measurable Gains in Efficiency & User Adoption

Results from Usability Testing

To validate our approach, we built a high-fidelity interactive prototype and tasked attorneys with real-world actions:

• Locate the timeline for the Exclusivity Agreement and determine its completion date.

• Identify who is working on a critical document.

• Find billable hours associated with a case.

• Locate Kendra Olson’s contact information.

• Change the priority of a Due Diligence document.

The results confirmed the impact of a structured, intuitive interface:

• User task success rate improved by 62%, significantly reducing time spent searching for case data.

• Case preparation time decreased by 48%, allowing attorneys to focus on legal strategy instead of administrative tasks.

• User satisfaction scores increased by 36%, with users praising the streamlined design and reduced friction.

Long-Term Adoption & Impact

After launch, the system quickly became a core tool for legal teams:

• 89% of users adopted the new system within three months, citing ease of use and improved data accessibility.

• Search time for key case data was reduced by 54%, enabling attorneys to retrieve critical information almost instantly.

• Unnecessary clicks were eliminated, and case status updates and financial tracking were streamlined.

• The hierarchy was refined to focus on key dates rather than general scheduling, aligning with user priorities.

Lessons Learned: What Worked & What Didn’t

What Worked

• A research-backed structure ensured attorneys could find what they needed with minimal friction.

• Prioritizing key dates over general scheduling significantly improved time management for legal teams.

• A mobile-first design provided seamless accessibility, eliminating the need for a separate app.

What Didn’t Work (and What We’d Do Differently)

• Some early iterations placed too much emphasis on customization, leading to complexity rather than efficiency. Simplifying the default layout significantly improved this.

• While the new system improved organization, some users still relied on old habits. Additional onboarding support could have accelerated full adoption.

Why It Matters: A Smarter, More Efficient Legal Workflow

This project proved that great design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about function. By understanding attorneys’ mental models and workflows, we created a case management system that eliminated inefficiencies, reduced frustration, and helped legal teams focus on what matters most: providing legal counsel.

With measurable gains in efficiency, adoption, and user satisfaction, the redesigned Matter Page became more than just a feature—it became an essential tool in modern legal practice.