Practical Implementation: Redesigning a Document

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After studying the foundations of legal design and design thinking methodology, I moved on to practical implementation. At this stage, I reworked the Erasmus+ grant agreement to make it more user-friendly for students, while maintaining all legal accuracy. My main goal was to reduce the amount of legal jargon, improve readability, and encourage real engagement with the contract.

I started by conducting a small survey to understand how students interacted with the original agreement. The results were clear: most students skipped reading it entirely because of the dense, technical language. This insight became a critical moment in my learning process, it confirmed that user-centered design is not optional, but necessary when legal documents are intended for non-specialists. Based on the initial agreement, I focused on simplifying the text and improving its accessibility without changing its content. Complex terms such as “articles” were replaced with more intuitive terms such as “chapters.” General chapter titles were introduced to group related information, such as funds, follow-up actions, and payment processes. Where possible, bulleted lists were added to make the content more readable and organized. These changes reflect recommendations in plain language literature that suggest structuring legal texts according to cognitive logic rather than traditional legal form.

The original first page, which contained dense text, has been replaced with a table that clearly displays information about participants and the organizations that referred them. This small structural adjustment allows readers to quickly find the information they need. I also replaced the traditional table of contents with a “chapter map” to simplify navigation. This visual map allows students to efficiently scan the document and find the sections they need without reading the entire text. The key provisions, especially those concerning the termination of the contract, were highlighted in red. This serves as a visual warning system that draws attention to important legal obligations, which corresponds to the emphasis on using visual hierarchy to transmit risk information and important information in legal design. Simple icons were introduced for the main sections, which improved visual suggestions and accelerated navigation. A timeline was added to explain the payment process, replacing the paragraphs of the dense text. Such a visual representation makes it easier to track the payment sequence, reducing the cognitive load.

Also, I developed a brochure for the sending organization to distribute among students. This brochure included frequently asked questions, a list of participants’ responsibilities, refined termination scenarios, and served as a brief reference guide. Its goal was to make the necessary information available without requiring students to read the full contract immediately. To confirm these changes, I shared a revised contract, prototype, and brochure with a group of students. They provided feedback, made small comments, and conducted discussions covering key topics: legal formalization principles, initial contract shortcomings, and ease of using new materials. This feedback process is crucial in legal design as it allows for iterative improvements and ensures the alignment of the final product with user needs.

At this stage of learning, I noticed that I was gradually moving from theory to the practice of legal design. I highlighted three main results. First, I began to better understand that user experience is an important criterion for document evaluation. Previously, I only looked at the legal accuracy, now I see how clear and convenient the document is for a person without a legal education. Secondly, I began to critically evaluate the usual legal formulations. I realized that the clarity of the text for the user does not diminish its legal accuracy, and that sometimes familiar formulas interfere with understanding. Thirdly, I realized how important feedback from users is. Even small adjustments and refinements made considering how people actually perceive a document can significantly improve its comprehension and usability.

Although I’m not an expert yet, I see that I’ve made progress. I moved from just understanding the concept to trying it in practice. This project showed that legal design helps make complex documents more understandable and convenient for people. I realized that legal design isn’t just a decoration or an extra exercise. This is a method that requires attention to accuracy, clarity, and convenience. The project showed that these things can exist together: a document can be both legally correct and understandable to people. Overall, this experience helped me understand that a lawyer’s job is not just to follow the law, but also to think about how people can truly understand and use the documents they encounter.

Thank you for your attention to this series of blogs. I hope my practical experience with legal design will prove useful for students and aspiring specialists!