Civica Web Application

A Comprehensive Case Study

UX/UI Design

Timeline: 3 months

Role: Fullstack Developer, UX/UI Designer, Researcher

Tools: React, Firebase, VSCode, Creative Cloud Suite, Google Suite

Description: Civica is a legal aid app providing accessible guidance for women, especially immigrants and marginalized groups. It offers step-by-step guides, legal resources, and connections to support services for issues like workplace exploitation, domestic violence, and rental harassment.

View Website Prototype

Problem

Legal aid is often costly and inaccessible for vulnerable women, such as immigrant caregivers and abuse survivors. Lacking resources and legal awareness, they face barriers to justice. Civica bridges this gap with accessible, user-friendly support.

Challenges

Designing Civica required addressing the following challenges

User-Centric Design: The app needed to be intuitive for users with varying levels of tech literacy.
Inclusive Content: Resources had to cater to diverse legal needs, including labor laws, domestic abuse, and immigration issues.
Trust and Accessibility: Building trust through design elements while maintaining simplicity for a non-intimidating experience.
Limited Budget: Developing a cost-efficient solution for users who could not afford traditional legal aid.

Solutions

The app's design prioritizes clarity, empathy, and accessibility

User Personas: Developed based on in-depth research, personas highlighted the specific needs of users like immigrant women or live-in caregivers.
Visual Design: A calming color palette, rounded UI elements, and clear typography were chosen to create a welcoming environment.
Step-by-Step Guides: Interactive, plain-language guides were implemented for common legal issues, with visual cues and tooltips to assist navigation.
Resource Connectivity: Links to regional helplines and women's rights organizations were seamlessly integrated into the app for immediate support.
Technology Stack: The front end was built using React Native for cross-platform functionality, ensuring the app was accessible on both iOS and Android.

Research

Cases

A collection of real-world legal challenges faced by women, particularly immigrants and marginalized groups. These cases highlight common issues like workplace exploitation, domestic violence, and rental harassment, demonstrating how Civica provides accessible guidance and resources.

Personas

Detailed user profiles representing Civica's target audience, including their demographics, pain points, and behaviors. These personas help shape Civica's features by ensuring the platform meets the real needs of women seeking legal assistance.

Competitive Analysis

A comparison of existing legal aid services, identifying gaps in affordability, accessibility, and usability. This research highlights Civica's unique approach to bridging the gap in legal support for women.

Survey Results

Data-driven insights from user research, focusing on the challenges women face when seeking legal help. The findings guided Civica's development to ensure it meets user needs effectively.

Usability Testing

Hands-on testing of Civica's interface and features to refine its usability. Feedback from real users helped improve navigation, clarity, and accessibility, ensuring a seamless experience.

Design Process

Color Palettes

First Iteration

Final Iteration

Typography

Wireframes

Low Fidelity Prototype

High Fidelity Prototype

Promotional Video

A compelling introduction to Civica, showcasing its mission, features, and impact. The video highlights real challenges women face, the gaps in existing legal aid services, and how Civica empowers users with accessible legal resources and support.

Key Takeaways

Understanding User Needs: Conducting research on legal challenges faced by women, particularly in workplace exploitation, domestic violence, and immigration issues, helped shape the app's features.
AI Integration for Legal Assistance: Implementing AI-driven guidance to assist users in understanding legal rights and next steps.
Accessibility & Usability: Prioritizing a simple, intuitive UI to ensure accessibility for all users, including those with limited tech experience.
Privacy & Security Considerations: Ensuring the document scanning and storage process adhered to data protection best practices.
Scalability & Future Growth: Designing Civica to accommodate future expansions, such as additional legal resources and multilingual support.