Making financing easier for solicitors

End-to-end project

UX design

Service design

Overview

To streamline the financing process for solicitors applying for their practicing certificates, finance broker Shire PF wanted to build a dedicated loan application platform. We had just just 6 weeks to go from discovery to design.

Despite tight deadlines and multiple technical dependencies, my lean UX approach combined with scope management enabled the delivery of a working product on time. The new platform eliminated process pain points and doubled the client's revenue.

Turning a time-intensive and manual process, into a delightful digital experience

Timeframe

Six weeks

Roles

UX + UI design; BA

Responsibilities

UX delivery; managing off-shore design team; leading scoping with clients; liaising with 3rd party providers

The challenge: a mandatory but manual business critical process

UK solicitor firms, must renew their licences annually with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), incurring significant per-solicitor fees. For mid- to large-sized firms, these costs create financial strain.

Shire PF, the client, specialised in brokering finance for professional practices (including law firms). They knew that their customers were not happy with the cumbersome, manual, and resource intensive process:
 

Applicants completed a lengthy SRA renewal application.
A separate, equally time-consuming financing application followed.
The process was slow, error-prone, and deterred users, limiting the client’s revenue potential.

The pain started when an admin assistant had to provide the same details again for the finance application, my client would lose business due to this error prone, repetitive, and manual process.

Developing an understanding of the problem space and vision

In-depth interviews helped me understand the client's grand vision and the technical constraints

The client's vision was to build a platform that would reduce or eliminate the manual aspects of practising certificate renewal process.

To understand the process and automation opportunities, I engaged in:

Mapping the existing renewal and financing processes to identify pain points
- Independently validated pain points through secondary research
Analysing API capabilities from the SRA (for renewal data) and the financer (for loan approvals).
- Identifying auto-approval thresholds for loans up to £40,000, based on specific data inputs.

There were two different customer segments, both would need a different approach

The client had informed us that they need a way to manage the higher value clients in person. The technical limitations meant that the product would not be able to auto-approve invoices over £25,000.

As a result, the system would primarily cater for the small firms, whilst facilitating an offline experience for the large firms.

Using scope management to pave a clear way for design (and development)

The client had a grand vision that did not fit within the 6 week time frame

The desire was to build a platform that would:

Use an applicant’s SRA application to auto-fill the finance application using the SRA's API
Assess and pre-approve loans via the financer’s APIs
Offer comparative financing options, like a price comparison site
Cater to firms of all sizes (individuals to large law firms)

I explained to the client that delivering price comparison and support for all firm sizes was a hurdle, both from a UX and technical standpoint. This would mean the financier had to build new APIs, taking control of the timeline out of our hands.

Workshopping to create alignment

I facilitated a MoSCoW prioritisation session, categorising features into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won’t-Have. By the end, we had arrived at a scope that:

Automated application forms using API data.
Pre-approved loans up to £25,000 (largest applicant group)
Enabled managing higher value clients would be offline
Created a scalable architecture for future expansion (e.g., to other industries).

High-level process map of the platform, following the MoSCoW workshop. I ensured a good experience for Shire's customers and also enabled the sales team to monitor and manage the process effectively.

How might we reduce the load on the user?

Eliminating the friction points that the user faced through the existing application process

The biggest challenge for the end user was the difference in the application forms. As per the client, it was difficult to switch contexts when going from SRA's application to the finance application.

By automatically filling finance application with the key details using the SRA API, we eliminated a major friction point.

I also ensured that the user would always have a full understanding of where they were in the process, and what they needed to do without having to leave the page.

Breaking the process down into smaller steps allowed me to reduce the load on the user as they went through the application.

We couldn't test the product with the end users. But, I had a plan to ensure we managed this risk as far as possible.

Due to the timescales, there was no time to build in any usability testing prior to the launch. I mitigated this risk by:

Creating a Figma prototype of the platform and setting up an internal testing and feedback loop
Extensively testing the APIs ensuring that the right data was being collected and pushed to enable the loan approvals
Ensured that the client could manually access all the application data for all applications, in addition to the automated CRM feed

Revenues doubled. Efficiency increased. More work secured.

Positive outcomes for the end user, my client, and my employer.

This project showcased my ability to deliver an impactful and user-centric solution under extreme time constraints.

By combining user-centric design, strategic prioritisation, and technical collaboration, I created a platform that transformed a cumbersome process into a seamless, revenue-doubling experience.

The success of this platform not only met the client’s immediate needs but also positioned them for future innovation, along with securing future work for my employer.