Inspiration
According to the Center for Justice, as of 2011, nearly 300,000 WA licenses were suspended for failure to pay tickets. Many individuals continue to drive, unaware that their license has been suspended, which can result in misdemeanor criminal charges. These charges affect a youth’s ability to seal their record, get a job or rent a home. TeamChild wanted to help drivers navigate the complex process to get to the bottom of why their license was suspended and what steps they need to take to get their misdemeanor charges amended to a non-criminal infraction. They may not know how much they owe, in which county or how to pay the outstanding fees. This process is confusing for the average young driver. If we could help them in paying their fees, getting their license reinstated and avoid a conviction for driving without a license, these drivers would not have to wait an additional two years to seal their record due to a new conviction.
What it does
Reinstating Suspended Licenses (RSL) is a digital platform that guides drivers through the complex process of getting licenses reinstated. With basic information generated through the Department of Licensing website, our mobile friendly website directs drivers to local relicensing programs, provides information on requesting hearings, gives helpful tips about what to bring to court, and connects users to other regional resources. Unlike other resources, RSL is a hub for reinstatement information, so it can also help drivers identify procedures specific to the court in which they seek to reinstate.
How we built it
We began by researching the process by interviewing lawyers from TeamChild, finding online resources in the same way a teen would, and interviewing an individual at the Hackathon that faced this exact problem several years ago. From there, we created a user journey that helped us pinpoint the exact area we wanted to focus on--the moment when a driver is faced with criminal charges. We crafted a user flow that we then translated into wireframes for a responsive, mobile-friendly website that drivers can access any time, from any device. We then began fleshing out the wireframes out with headers and text.
Challenges we ran into
Our team is composed of one designer and four advocates, each of whom assisted for a half-day. Because of this lean design team, we struggled to design a high-fidelity product within the allotted time. However, we gained a thorough understanding of the issue and created a series of wireframes and a low-fidelity prototype, which we are excited to share!
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Given our small team size (1 designer + several lawyers) and the fact that our designer was very new to this topic and our lawyers were very new to the design process, we made incredible progress in understanding the legal system as well as the design steps. We are also proud of our deliverable, the low-fidelity prototype, which reflects our learnings and growth.
What we learned
We learned how incredibly complex the process is to reinstate one’s license. Even our lawyers had to research and learned new information about the process and the nuances involved, depending on the city, court, and background of the individual.
What's next for Reinstating Suspended Licenses
Our next step will be to populate the prototype with information such as the exact steps involved, the items to bring, the numbers to call, etc. We also plan to get feedback from our target audience, and from content specialists (lawyers who provide services to drivers looking to avoid criminal charges for a suspended license). Finally, we want to explore branding and marketing strategies to get this tool in front of our target audience. Currently, we plan to consult SEO experts and market through advocacy groups like TeamChild.
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