PROJECT SUMMARY

The project focuses on redesigning and implementing a low-effort but high-impact solution that modernizes the editing experience, supports better usability across devices, and aligns with user needs identified during research.
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As part of this enhancement, the project also included the integration of an AI document assistant. This AI-powered feature will help users by providing intelligent suggestions, content generation support, and context-based editing assistance, further streamlining legal document creation and editing.

THE OBJECTIVES

It aims to enhance the usability of the current text editor which was driven by feedback gathered during user interviews, which highlighted several areas for improvement in the existing editor.
Increase in usability score from <40 to >80.
Accelerate task completion for eSign and Notary sessions.
Drive measurable revenue impact.

LOCATION

Edmonton (Canada)

COMPANY

LawDepot

MY ROLE

Product Designer in a team of 5 members

DURATION

July 2023 - August 2025

OLD EDITOR

NEW EDITOR

DEFINING MOMENTS

The problem/ opportunity

THE PROBLEM

Limited accessibility to formatting options, making it difficult for users to quickly find and apply text styling and editing tools.
Inadequate table and inline editing functionality, restricting users from efficiently managing and formatting tabular data.
Outdated editor experience, with Editor 1.0 lacking key features and performance improvements available in the newer version.
Poor responsiveness on smaller screens, leading to reduced usability and frustration for mobile and tablet users.
Limited support for intelligent features, preventing users from leveraging AI-based assistance or automation in their document creation process.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Upgrade to Advanced Editor 2.0, introducing an improved, modern framework with enhanced performance and usability.
Streamlined access to formatting tools, creating a more efficient, intuitive editing workflow and enhanced mobile responsiveness.
Improved table and inline editing capabilities, allowing for more dynamic and user-friendly management of structured content.
Strategic CTAs to guide users toward upgrades, Notary and eSign flows.
Integration of an AI document assistant, providing real-time suggestions, content generation, and smarter editing support.

My design strategy

Step 1

Discovery / Empathize

Understanding more about the problem space, considering potential solutions and learning about the users and the business goals.

Step 2

User Journey

Diving deep into the user journey and exploring user stories, personas and user decision making.

Step 3

Design Exploration

Diverging wide and exploring a range of possible solutions. Testing, iterating, discussing, gaining feedback and working through the problem.

Step 4

Research / Early Testing

Collecting user feedback through A/B, usability and concept testing to help validate solutions and identify any opportunities for refinement.

Step 5

Design Refinement

Refining a chosen direction and polishing the design in preparing for engineering handoff. Ensuring rationale is clearly documented.

Step 6

Handoff & Monitoring

Working closely with engineering and product to ensure a successful handoff. The work isn’t done! We monitor the product’s performance.

RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY

User research

We began with a mixed-methods research approach:

Usability Testing with Old Editor (Editor 1.0):
Conducted hands-on testing sessions where users perform common content editing tasks.
User Interviews and Surveys:
We interviewed frequent and occasional editor users to understand their workflows, pain points, and preferred editing tools.
Competitive Benchmarking:
Analyzed other modern editors (e.g., Notion, Google Docs, Medium, TinyMCE) to identify which usability and AI-driven features users find most valuable.
Contextual Inquiry / Field Observation:
We observed users in their actual work environments to uncover hidden challenges such as device constraints, accessibility needs, or collaboration habits.
Prototype Testing (With Advanced Editor 2.0 and AI Document Assistant Integration):
We created interactive prototypes with upgraded and AI-integrated features. Conducted A/B testing to compare the old vs. new experiences in terms of speed, ease of use, and satisfaction.

Key Insights:

Formatting Workflow:
Users often struggle to locate or apply formatting quickly; they prefer visible, easily accessible editing options.
Mobile Usability:
Editors must adapt seamlessly to small screens, allowing touch-friendly interactions and responsive layouts.
Table Editing Expectations:
Users need more intuitive controls for resizing, merging, and formatting tables without using complex menus.
Performance and Stability:
Editor reliability and smooth performance are essential, particularly for large documents or collaborative work.
AI Assistance Value:
Many users see value in real-time suggestions (grammar, tone enhancement, or content generation) but still want control over final edits
AI Document Assistant Feature Utility & Prioritization:
Risk Check → Explain → Recommendations → Summarize → FAQ/Chat

EXPLORATIONS

Competitor analysis

Here’s a Competitive Analysis of key AI-enabled legal document platforms, covering their core functionalities.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming sessions were done to generate ideas on the upgrade from Editor 1.0 to Editor 2.0 and AI integration.

MOCKUPS

Initial explorations

initial mockups were created and presented to the team.

MOCKUPS

Final responsive designs

The final responsive designs aims to deliver a clean, modern, and adaptive editing experience that remains fully functional and visually coherent across all devices — desktop, tablet, and mobile. The focus is on improving usability, accessibility, and workflow efficiency while integrating the new AI document assistant seamlessly within the editor interface.

Tooltips for accessibility

Integrating accessible tooltips ensures that the upgraded editor and AI assistant are usable, inclusive, and informative.

Inline editing

With inline editing implemented, users can directly modify text, images, tables, and AI-generated suggestions in place, ensuring a fluid, responsive, and intelligent editing experience.

Dropdowns

Enhanced dropdowns created a faster, more intuitive editing experience that scales gracefully across devices.

Mobile designs

On mobile, the editor becomes a focused work surface:

Simple, uninterrupted mobile friendly design.
Context‑aware bottom menus for editing and AI help.
Accessible, finger‑sized controls.
Smooth, high‑performance experience in small viewports.

AI document assistant

Final designs were created for AI document assistant after multiple rounds of iterations.

WRAPPING UP

The impact

THE IMPACT

Six-figure lift in revenue within the first quarter post-launch.
SUS usability score increased from <40 to >80.
eSign initiations rose by 39%.
Bounce rate dropped by 35%.
Notary initiations rose by 43%

Going forward

LESSONS LEARNED

The Editor. 2.0 responsive redesign project highlighted the value of simplicity, consistency, and contextual actions across all screen sizes. Designing mobile‑first improved hierarchy, touch usability, and clarity in interface priorities. Implementing inline editing and accessible tooltips created a smoother, more inclusive experience for all users.

Integrating the AI assistant contextually increased efficiency and user trust without disrupting control. Overall, the project proved that balanced focus on responsiveness, accessibility, and intelligent assistance leads to a cohesive, future‑ready editor experience.

NEXT STEPS

The next steps focus on refining the editor through continued user testing to validate accessibility, mobile interactions, and AI usability in real scenarios. Feedback from diverse users will guide iterative improvements to tooltips, dropdowns, and inline editing behaviors.

The team will prioritize performance optimizations and fine-tune adaptive layouts to ensure smooth transitions across devices. Documentation and developer handoff will be updated to reflect refined design patterns and accessibility standards. Finally, testing and analytics will support a data-informed rollout of enhanced AI features in future versions.

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