2021
Designing the Witness Experience in the Finnish Courts
Services
Service Design, User Research, Co-creation, UX Design, Prototyping, Testing, Launch.
Team
Service Designera, Lawyers, Judges, Court Clerks, Interpreters
Humanizing the Witness Experience in the Finnish Court System - Finland
Understand the System
The Witness Pain-points
Co-create with Legal Experts
Design & Prototype
Test & Implement
Overview
Although the Finnish legal system operates with strong democratic foundations, the experience of participating in it as a witness is often unclear, stressful, and fragmented. Witnesses frequently arrive without knowing their rights, their role, or what the day will look like. In partnership with the Finnish Court Administration (Tuomioistuinlaitos), our multidisciplinary team set out to deeply understand the lived experience of witnesses and design tools that would bring clarity, predictability, and emotional support into a traditionally rigid system. The project began as a research exploration and culminated in a real, implemented public-facing solution now used nationwide.
Understanding a System Resistant to Change
Entering the Court Through the Witness’s Eyes
We immersed ourselves in the reality of witnesses through interviews, on-site observations, and participation in court sessions. This helped us capture the emotional highs and lows of the experience, as well as the system-driven constraints that shape it. Using a snowball sampling method, we interviewed witnesses directly at the courts during their waiting periods—moments when emotions and memories were still fresh. Observing proceedings firsthand gave us an inside view of procedural complexity and the unintended intimidation built into the system. This phase revealed a fundamental truth: the legal system works for legal professionals, but not for the everyday people it serves.
Building Shared Understanding Across the Legal Community
Co-creating a Unified View of the Witness Journey
We brought together judges, lawyers, clerks, interpreters, and court representatives in a virtual co-creation workshop designed to bridge the gaps between their differing viewpoints and work cultures. After introducing participants to Miro, we guided them through a structured series of activities that surfaced hidden inconsistencies, revealed system-wide bottlenecks, and made visible the workarounds each profession relied on in isolation. Through open dialogue and shared mapping, the group collectively identified which challenges were universal across courts and which ones had the highest potential for meaningful change. As the session progressed, fragmented observations transformed into a coherent narrative. For the first time, every stakeholder could see the entire experience through the witness’s eyes. This collaborative effort culminated in the creation of the first cross-role witness journey map for the Finnish courts, a foundation that aligned legal professionals around a shared understanding of the problems and the opportunities for improvement.
Delivering Clarity, Confidence & Emotional Reassurance
From Prototype to Public Implementation
With the insights aligned and priorities clearly defined, we moved into designing a solution that could fit naturally within the legal system without adding operational burden. The outcome was a two-part communication experience, the Witness Journey Card and a multilingual explainer video crafted to support witnesses from the moment they receive their summons until the moment they leave the courtroom. The journey card, now included with the official summons letter, visually guides the witness through each stage of the process in simple, human language. It sets expectations, clarifies rights, and prepares the witness emotionally for what is often an overwhelming experience. A QR code connects users to a short animated video, translated into multiple languages, that explains the same journey with visuals and voiceover to ensure accessibility for diverse audiences. Following refinement and testing, the Finnish Courts formally adopted the enhanced version of this guidance. It is now publicly available on their official website, marking the transition of our prototype into a national resource supporting witnesses across Finland.
From Concept to National Rollout
A System-Level Shift in How Finland Supports Its Witnesses
The project evolved from an exploratory research initiative into a nationally recognized improvement to the Finnish legal system. By creating the first unified witness experience framework in Finland, the courts gained a clear and actionable understanding of the journey from the witness’s perspective—something that had never existed before. This framework now acts as a reference point for ongoing service improvements across jurisdictions. Early assessments indicate that witnesses are entering the courts feeling more prepared, more confident, and less anxious. The clarity provided through the journey card and explainer video reduces uncertainty and helps individuals understand their rights, responsibilities, and what to expect at every step. The introduction of consistent, accessible information has also created measurable operational benefits. Courts report fewer repetitive inquiries and less confusion at early touchpoints, contributing to an estimated 10–15% improvement in staff efficiency as resources can be redirected toward essential tasks instead of repeated explanations. Most importantly, the concept moved beyond a prototype and into official use. The Finnish Courts have now integrated the enhanced witness guidance—including the journey card and multilingual video—into their public communication channels. The material is published nationwide and supports witnesses across Finland, marking a meaningful shift toward more humane, transparent, and user-centered legal processes. Here is a link for the end solution.
#1
A first-ever national witness experience framework
The Finnish 2023 thesis examines witness experience and notes lack of coherent support, underpinning need for such a framework.
#2
Increased witness preparedness & reduced anxiety
Reduced pre-trial anxiety and improves sense of safety.
#3
Operational efficiency gains by reducing repetitive inquiries
Court-based support services reduce burden on court staff by proactively guiding witnesses.
#4
Public-facing solution adopted nationwide
Several jurisdictions (as reported in support service guidelines) implement similar informational/support tools.
// Prototype // And End Solution
Reflection
This project proved that even in highly structured, bureaucratic environments, human-centered design can unlock meaningful transformation. Working with the Finnish courts required deep sensitivity to legal constraints, information accuracy, and the emotional vulnerability of witnesses. The collaboration between service design and legal expertise was instrumental to the project’s success. If repeating this project, I would plan for even longer implementation cycles, as processes and approvals in legal institutions move slowly—but steadily when aligned with stakeholder trust. Seeing the solution implemented and used by real witnesses across Finland is a powerful reminder of why I do this work: design can make public systems more humane.
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