For some U.S. court officials, the pandemic crystallized the benefits of providing tech-based access to courts. But before dedicating any budget to long-term initiatives, a panel of access-to-justice advocates noted such software will fail if users’ needs and user experience aren’t understood.

To be sure, user experience encompasses more than font and design considerations, noted University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law professor of practice and UX4Justice director Sarah Mauet. “UX stands for user experience, not just the design of a single program,” she explained. “It’s understanding all the touch points along the way that led someone to use a product and how that may affect the experience they have with it.”