Rubato
Rubato
RUBATO
Freelance from 2019 to 2020, then in 2023 (then employed at Digital garden)
Rubato is a French solution designed for law firms, enabling them to “work on their daily profitability.” This software empowers lawyers to enhance their efficiency, streamline management tasks, and ultimately improve their financial performance. With Rubato, you can focus on your legal expertise without being bogged down by daily administrative burdens.
_ source : Jean-Philippe Cornet, co-fondateur de Rubato
In 2019, I had the opportunity to meet Jean-Philippe Cornet. At the time, we were both co-workers at La Cantine Numérique. He entrusted me with the design and creation of the first MVP for his project: Rubato.
On this project, I collaborated with the Rubato team twice: first in 2019, and then again in 2023.
INTERVENTION
UNDERSTAND & DEFINE
Qualitative research :
- User interviews
Mindmapping
Workshop facilitation
UX / UI DESIGN
Conception :
- Wireframes
User testing
Graphic layout of the MVP
TEAM (in 2023)
Guillaume Jehanno, UX designer
WebApp
Law
« We, judicial magistrates […] have decided today to sound the alarm. […] The significant discrepancy between our desire to deliver quality justice and the reality of our daily work robs our profession of meaning and causes immense suffering. »
_ source : Le Monde, 2021
Far from thinking of changing this harsh reality and drawing from initial professional experiences in the legal field, Jean-Philippe first observed: while these experts are indeed trained in law, what about project management? How do they manage their time, given their myriad responsibilities—answering calls, handling administrative obligations tied to the cases they handle, and providing support to distressed individuals? It is (among other reasons) with the intention of assisting this profession that Jean-Philippe created Rubato.
CHALLENGE (2019)
How can we create an easy-to-use tool that provides visibility to lawyers in managing their cases and schedules, ultimately reducing their mental load?
MISSION
Immerse, Observe, and Understand:
Dive into the environment of lawyers and their assistants.
Observe their workflows, challenges, and pain points.
User Journey Design and Initial Wireframes:
Create user journey maps and outline the initial wireframes.
Define the flow of interactions and key screens.
Proof of Concept (Low Fidelity):
Develop a low-fidelity prototype to test core functionalities.
Validate the concept with potential users.
UI Iteration for MVP Launch:
Enhance the user interface (UI) based on feedback.
Prepare the first MVP for launch.
UNDERSTAND & DEFINE
_ Immersion and exploration of various types of lawyers (e.g., independent practitioners and/or those working within a law firm) and stakeholders
_ Qualitative research (in-person interviews)
_ Creation of personas Synthesis of gathered insights.
CONCEIVE / PROTOTYPE / TEST / PRIORITIZE / DESIGN
_ User flow & wireframes of the POC (Proof Of Concept)
_ User testing
_ Modification et optimization of wireframes
_ UI design of the MVP
_ User Tests
_ Finalization of screens for Asset Delivery to the Technical Team
CLIENT CASE 2020
Passionate about the project, I embark on writing a client case study detailing my intervention and continue my research. To access it, click here (NB : it’s in French, sorry for the inconvenience) 👉
_ Documented research and interview with the founder of Fleur d’avocat
_ Project details & synthesis.
MISSION 2023
A few years later, the Rubato team and the application interface had evolved. The three founders—Jean-Philippe Cornet, Caroline Lacherez, and Pascal Lemoine—reached out to me for assistance with the upcoming application enhancements. At that time, I was the Creative Director at Digital Garden, and I was supported by a young UX Designer, Guillaume Jehanno. Our clients consulted us with several goals in mind: they wanted to optimize the application, refine time management, and provide users with a better understanding of their profitability.
UNDERSTAND & DEFINE
_ Qualitative Research (remote interviews)
_ Synthesis of the collected insights
DIVERGE & DECIDE
_ Animation of a User story mapping Workshop
_ Prioritization & definition of a roadmap
_ Supervision of the design work by Guillaume Jehanno (UX designer)
KEY LEARNINGS
Throughout this mission, I discovered the challenges faced by a profession that constantly races against time, grapples with heavy mental loads, and consequently experiences omnipresent daily stress. Since then, I’ve remained deeply affected by documentaries, podcasts, or shows that observe the same phenomenon: lawyers are “professionals […] suffocated by work overload” [source : France Inter]
Few clients have been with me for so many years, and I’m delighted that my path crossed with those of Jean-Philippe, Caroline, and Pascal. What joy it is to witness the progress of a tool whose foundations we laid! To hear user feedback after several years and to intervene once again to enhance what we’ve created.
Since my initial assignment, certain features now allow for customization. In the Sequences section, a library of templates is now available. It seems to be well-received by its audience. Thanks to the trust of this trio, I had the opportunity to explore a profession I previously only knew through media and TV series. Working with a team that values a user-centered approach has been rewarding. Entrepreneurs don’t always find it easy to heed third-party advice or seek external consultants, but in my view, their openness to listening and self-reflection is fertile ground for effective and innovative collaboration.
If you’re curious and would like to learn more about the Rubato project or our collaboration, don’t hesitate to reach out to them : rubato.fr
Client testimonies
_ source : LinkedIn, available on Rubato’s page