Problems and Purpose
Justice Connect developed the Help Seeker Intake Tool to improve access to legal help. Many people in Australia experience legal problems but do not get assistance. About half of those with legal needs never access support.
The organisation faced several problems with its intake system. These included high volumes of ineligible enquiries, heavy reliance on phone intake, inconsistent processes across teams, and difficulty scaling services.
The purpose of the project was to design a more efficient and user centred intake system. The tool aimed to help people find the right service, assess eligibility early, and allow applications at any time. It also aimed to reduce pressure on staff and improve consistency.
Background History and Context
The work was part of Justice Connect’s Gateway Project, which began in 2017. The project aimed to improve how people find and access legal services and how the organisation manages demand and supply.
The project was supported by a grant from the Google Impact Challenge in 2016. Justice Connect then conducted a year of design research and testing with users.
The Help Seeker Intake Tool was one of several products developed. Others included tools for referrers, a pro bono portal, and self help resources. The intake tool was released in stages in 2018 and evaluated through this interim report.
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
The project was led by Justice Connect.
Funding and support came from a mix of sources. These included Google.org, The Myer Foundation, the Victorian Legal Services Board, and the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety.
Design and research support came from partners such as Today Design. Community organisations such as cohealth, Launch Housing, Fitzroy Legal Service, and the Federal Court helped connect with participants.
Internal teams, including the Justice Connect Innovation Team, led the design and delivery.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
Participants were recruited through partner organisations and direct outreach. Recruitment focused on people who had recent experience seeking legal help.
For design workshops, participants came from diverse backgrounds and often experienced multiple forms of disadvantage.
For in person testing, researchers approached people in waiting rooms of partner services and invited them to participate. Participation was voluntary and independent of the services they were receiving.
Online survey participants were people who had used the tool and agreed to follow up contact.
Our selection process for people who had lived experience of legal problems
Justice Connect prioritised people with direct experience of legal problems. This included people who had recently sought legal help.
Recruitment aimed to include people facing complex and intersecting issues. Examples included people experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, low income, or language barriers.
Researchers used ethical processes. Participants received clear information, gave consent, and could withdraw at any time. Some participants received honorariums.
This approach aimed to ensure the tool reflected real experiences and needs.
Methods and Tools Used
Methods included:
- Workshops with staff and help seekers
- Journey mapping and storytelling
- Prototype testing with users
- Staff design critiques
- In-person testing in community settings
- Online surveys and feedback tools
- Data analytics from platforms such as Google Analytics and Hotjar
Ethical research practices were embedded throughout. These included consent processes and attention to participant wellbeing.
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
The process followed several stages. These included research, design, prototyping, testing, release, and evaluation.
Workshops with help seekers explored how people identify legal problems and seek help. Participants shared experiences, mapped journeys, and gave feedback on concepts.
Staff workshops focused on mapping internal processes and identifying inefficiencies. Staff then reviewed and refined design concepts.
Prototype testing allowed users to interact with early versions of the tool. Feedback shaped the final design.
After release, the team gathered data from real users and continued testing with both staff and help seekers.
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
The project marked Justice Connect’s first formal use of human centred design. This shaped both the process and outcomes.
The project brought together different audiences in stages. These included help seekers, staff, designers, and lawyers. The phased approach helped manage power differences between groups. It allowed each group to contribute safely before being brought together in shared design work.
Participant input directly influenced the design. Testing with users informed the wording of questions, screen flows, and overall tool structure. Feedback from people with lived experience led to clearer language and more usable interactions.
Participatory design methods supported ongoing iteration and collaboration. More than 60 prototypes were developed and tested across the early phases. These prototypes helped refine language, interactions, and processes. They also helped balance user needs with the requirements of legal workflows.
The project showed the value of interdisciplinary collaboration. A design researcher with user experience skills and lived experience worked closely with a lawyer. This partnership helped bridge user needs and legal requirements and was critical to the success of the project.
The co location of the project team at Justice Connect supported organisation wide engagement. Activities such as service blueprinting, workshops, and feedback sessions helped staff understand the complexity of different services. This increased shared ownership of the tool and surfaced issues that were not visible within individual teams.
Outcomes today
The Gateway launched in 2018 as a world‑first, end‑to‑end digital pathway to justice. Co‑design participants shaped clearer language, simpler decision points and more supportive interactions, significantly reducing barriers for people without lawyers. Intake time dropped by 44%, freeing staff to focus on complex matters. Online assistance doubled, and more than 17,000 people have used the tool to check eligibility for free legal help.
The accompanying Pro Bono Portal expanded internationally, now used by 588 law firms across six countries. In 2023, Justice Connect and the University of Melbourne developed an AI model diagnosing legal issues with 88% accuracy, further improving early access to justice.
Over 2,800 people and community organisations have been connected to pro bono legal assistance since the Pro Bono Portal’s launch in 2019, with and estimated contribution of 73,000 pro bono hours via the platform to date.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
The tool itself improved service access and efficiency. Use of the online intake channel increased, even without promotion. Many users preferred online application. Staff reported reductions in time spent on intake and greater consistency in triage outcomes.
At the same time, the project highlighted limits. Online tools did not work for all users, particularly those with low digital access or complex needs. This reinforced the need for multiple access pathways.
Overall, the project demonstrated that participatory design can improve both the quality of a digital service and the internal alignment of an organisation.
See Also
- Legal Needs Surveys in Australia
- About Justice Connect's Pro Bono Portal
- Home of Your Own - a tool for women and children facing family violence to understand their rights and options as renters
- Dear Landlord - a tool for renters to challenge or negotiate a rent increase.
References
Justice Connect. Help Seeker Intake Tool Interim Evaluation. May 2019.
External Links
Justice Connect innovation page
Notes
Contributor Positionality Statements
Jo Szczepańska was the Co-design lead partnering with Kate Fazio of Justice Connect to run this work. Jo is a white, Polish, first-generation settler, very fortunate to now live, work and play on the lands of the Wurrundjerri peoples of the Kulin Nations in Naarm (Melbourne) in so-called Australia. Some identities that informed their worldview include being a migrant, refugee and experiencing barriers to access services. They are trained in Social Design and Human-Centred Design, and believe everyone is a creative problem-solver.
