The Challenge
The primary goal of the USAID Justice Activity in Kosovo is to bolster the country’s justice system and foster innovation to instill public confidence in the rule of law. Emphasizing a people-centered justice approach, the project brings together civil society organizations, judges, public information officers, and court administrators to enhance public access to and comprehension of the justice system.
The project that we worked on with USAID was to address the issues surrounding two underutilized websites aimed at meeting user needs and habits. The challenge was clear: Can we leverage Design Thinking workshops to revamp website engagement and transform the digital journey map to better cater to the needs of the people it serves?
Client
Industry
NGO
Services
Design Thinking
User-Centric Prototypes to Enhance Access to Justice
The challenge for the Free Legal Aid Agency (FLAA) was to address the difficulty faced by its target users, many of whom were not tech-savvy, in finding and navigating the website to access relevant information. To tackle this issue, a comprehensive focus group was conducted to gain deep insights into the pain points experienced by the users.
Leveraging these findings, participants proceeded with the empathize phase, leading to the creation of prototypes featuring user-friendly features. These prototypes were then rigorously tested with the focus group to ensure their effectiveness.
After the workshop, the USAID received a clear roadmap, detailing the necessary steps for implementing the solution. The objective is to enhance web traffic, ultimately improving access to justice in Kosovo and empowering the agency’s beneficiaries.
From Inclusive Design to Transparent Solutions
The Design Thinking Workshop for the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) aimed to address a significant challenge: improving the website’s user experience for all stakeholders. Representatives from KJC and various stakeholders gathered for a 2-day workshop, bringing together their expertise and insights.
Participants meticulously identified critical areas for improvement, promising to enhance daily interactions for stakeholders and streamline navigation for new visitors. The workshop’s main focus was addressing the challenge of lag and lack of information, particularly concerning the timely updating of court dates and decisions and the complexities associated with back-end processes for applying for a Criminal Status Certificate.
The collaborative nature of the workshop ensured that all relevant stakeholders had a voice in shaping the future of the KJC website. The solutions developed during the workshop aim to create a more user-centric and efficient platform by fostering inclusivity and transparency within the judicial system.
With these two workshops, we achieved the following:
- Improved Justice Services: Enhancing citizen access through procedural justice, expanded legal aid services, and optimized court administration. The initiative aims to understand citizens’ needs better, ensure fairness, and increase awareness of legal rights and court procedures.
- Improved Understanding and Engagement: Fostering community involvement and collaboration to address justice-related challenges and deliver legal services effectively. Utilizing practitioner fora and resources, the project encourages feedback from court users and information sharing to enhance justice provision.
- Innovative Justice Solutions: Establishing the Justice Innovation Incubator to tackle justice institutions’ challenges through people-centered innovations. These innovations target user-friendliness, affordability, accessibility, and trust in the justice system.
