The Contract: The Greatly Overlooked Aspect of the User Experience
Companies and organizations understand the value of simplicity. We see this every day in their communications and the digital interfaces they offer their customers.
Think about the best mobile apps: the navigation is intuitive, and the icons and messages are clear. We learn how to use them without even realizing it. We find what we’re looking for on our own.
But what about the contracts?
A Break in the User Experience
Let's start with an example: I'm shopping for a service online. The ads and online information lead me to believe that everything will be easy. A clean design, a friendly tone, answers to my questions… I feel welcome, and they promise to guide me every step of the way.
But when it came time to sign the contract… disaster struck. A wall of text in 8-point font. Sentences 40 words long. Legal jargon (deadly?) as far as the eye could see.
The impression of simplicity vanishes. The carefully constructed sense of closeness crumbles like a house of cards.
Why Are Contracts Still So Complicated?
There are several reasons for this:
Acquired helplessness. Contracts have become so complex that we can’t imagine them any other way. We get discouraged before we even start, thinking they’re bound to be incomprehensible. In fact, standard terms of use are so absurd thatpeople turn them into works of art!
The traditional view of contracts. Most organizations view contracts as risk management tools rather than a step in the user journey. As long as lawyers are on board, these organizations do not invest in tailoring contracts to their customers.
Working in silos. Departments within an organization tend to operate independently of one another. The legal team drafts contracts on its own, without involving the communications or user experience teams. This is even more true when external legal counsel handles the drafting.
The result: documents designed by and for legal professionals, which stand out from the rest of the communications.
Your contracts embody the voice of your organization
In reality, customers don’t distinguish between advertising, the website, the contract, and so on. As far as they’re concerned, it’s all the same voice speaking—that of your organization.
Even though it’s more than that, a contract is first and foremost a communication tool. And so, to a certain extent, it’s a marketing tool that contributes to a company’s brand image. That’s why a traditional contract strikes us as even more jarring if the company is striving for a modern image and a close relationship with its customers.
Rethink Your Contracts to Improve the User Experience
Think Like a legal designer. Make your contracts a positive step in the relationship:
Think of the contract as a step in the user journey. The contract should fit seamlessly into your customers’ experience. Take their needs into account. Consider the medium, format, style, and tone you use. When you get to the contract, does it feel like a different person is suddenly speaking to you? Or like someone is trying to hide something from you?
Simplify legal content. Reimagining contracts requires a thorough overhaul of the legal content. By combining the principles of clear communication and legal plain language, even the most dry and technical content can become accessible. There are countless examples: mortgages, loan agreements, insurance policies…
Combine expertise. At En Clair, we regularly host workshops with representatives from different departments. These workshops allow us to identify and reconcile conflicting interests—and win over the skeptics! A collaborative working committee can help you achieve these goals internally.
Keep in mind that every interaction matters: 65% of people believe that a positive experience with a brand has more influence than advertising. 32% would stop doing business with a brand they like after just one bad experience.
No one would risk losing a third of their customers with an unattractive website. Why do that with your contracts?
Learn More
Sign up for our training course, “The Art of Clear Communication and Information Design.”
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