Bail Bridge
Children's Court
Bail Knowledge & Report Station
Team Member
Ria Gan
Duoduo Liu
Tangmuzi Hu
My Role
Concept Design
UX research
User testing
UI Design
Project Time
3 months
Tools
Figma
Miro
Canva
Design Brief
When juveniles are arrested or charged by the police and face bail issues, it is found that most youth do not understand the contents, regulations and related rights of bail, leading to an increase in breach rates. Meanwhile, including the reading, hearing disability, or mental disorders (e.g., ADHD, ASD), affect young people's understanding of bail. Therefore, we will
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increase youths’ comprehensive understanding of bail by avoiding any potential barriers
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improve conveying information and communication between police and young people, to reduce the possibility of breaching the bail.
Design Approach
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Defining the problem
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Conduct background research/discover
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Sympathising and identifying gaps
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HMW and Brainstorming
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Research on existing products
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Initial prototyping
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Feedback and iterations
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Selection
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Implement and deliver
Background Research
We integrated primary qualitative research through stakeholder engagements and site visits with quantitative data from secondary sources like government reports. This balanced approach helped us address the project's sensitive nature and privacy concerns, enhancing our understanding of the challenges and problems related to bail.
Primary qualitative research
Stakeholder Engagements
Site Visits
Secondary quantitative & qualitative research
Government Reports
News
Academic Studies
Context Mapping
We use context mapping to clarify the relationship between all possible stakeholders and define the problem. Then, we interviewed the stakeholders to make sure all their needs.
Important Findings from Research
Many Bail Conditions Are Not Explained and Without Help
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Bail laws or bail forms for young people are the same as for adults
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Bail conditions for juveniles are often more complex and strict than for adults
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Lack of explanations and support
Few young people knew the conditions they actually had
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Number of Conditions
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Number of Perceived Conditions
Good Communication is Needed
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79% of the types of breached bail is technical breach. Technical breaches are like failing to report or breaching curfew.
79%
TECHNICAL BREACH
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The disability rates are very high among juveniles. Most juveniles have mental issues or intellectual disabilities that prevent them from absorbing the content well and inadvertently breached the bail.
1 in 6
80%
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
LOW LANGUAGE SKILLS
83%
MENTAL DISORDERS
so...
HOW MIGHT WE...
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HMW redesign the bail acknowledgement form so that young people can better understand, remember, and comply with the content and conditions?
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HMW help young people reduce breaches of bail conditions?
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HMW give enough support and better establish communication between young people and police or Court?
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HMW ensure that young people fully understand their bail conditions regardless of their educational background or disabilities?
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HMW provide a solution to relief police on explaining the conditions?
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HMW design a tool to assist police and ensure the effectiveness of their work?
Brainstorming Solutions
Journey Map
We created a journey map of young people who need to report to the police while on bail, allowing us to clarify and identify opportunities and difficulties, and develop the ideas and solutions to achieve our concept goal.
Hand-writing Areas
Staff can print out “Bail conditions you need to know” cheat sheet and fill in adjustable information manually for young people
Jargon Explained
Added explaining words section to help better understand of bail conditions for young people
Simple and consistent language use
The simple language and short sentence on cheat sheet to avoid confusion and enhance navigability
New Added "Reach Out for Help" Section
Provide young people the contact details the potentially need help from
Helpful Visual Aids
Even kids with literacy issues can understand the meaning by looking at the icons and images
Hand-writing Areas
Staff can print out “Bail conditions you need to know” cheat sheet and fill in adjustable information manually for young people
Jargon Explained
Added explaining words section to help better understand of bail conditions for young people
New Added "Reach Out for Help" Section
Provide young people the contact details the potentially need help from
Helpful Visual Aids
Even kids with literacy issues can understand the meaning by looking at the icons and images
Hand-writing Areas
Staff can print out “Bail conditions you need to know” cheat sheet and fill in adjustable information manually for young people
Simple and consistent language use
The simple language and short sentence on cheat sheet to avoid confusion and enhance navigability
Simple and consistent language use
The simple language and short sentence on cheat sheet to avoid confusion and enhance navigability
Form Idea
Bail cheat sheet
The original form has been redesigned with easier wording, re-organised information, and text-heavy parts transitioned into tables. The "Bail Conditions You Need to Know" cheat sheet extracts and highlights essential information to make it easier for young people to grasp.
System Idea
Bail report system
Our redesigned bail reporting system integrates an educational quiz component into the routine bail reporting process at police stations. This new system is designed to improve young people's understanding of their bail conditions and foster better communication between young people and police. This reporting process may takes 2-3 minutes.
How it works ?
Identification (1&2)
Upon arrival at the police station, young people provide their identification card and are recognized by the police using a tablet system.
Blue Slip & Quiz Card (5&6)
After completing the quiz, a blue slip is printed, detailing the young person's next court date and a summary of the day's quiz question and answer, regardless of their initial response. Additionally, the young person can pick a physical question card that mirrors the virtual quiz format, which they can take home for further review.
Before First Report
YP(Jack) was granted the bail and signed the bail acknowledgement form, and a police gave him a bail's hint brochure. After reading, he knew his first reporting time.
Quiz (3&4)
The youth answers a True/False question related to the bail conditions on a tablet. The quiz is designed to be educational rather than challenging, with visual aids and a colour-coded system to help locate answers on an accompanying wall poster.
Depending on the quiz result, a short answer explanation video plays to reinforce the memory of key points (learning, explaining the correct answers). Police officers receive prompts on their tablet to encourage positive interaction with the youth, such as offering hints or compliments.
New Bail Report System Value
Broader Systemic Improvements
Implementing these redesigns could serve as a model for broader systemic changes in how legal information is communicated to vulnerable young populations. Making the legal process more interactive and have better communication between all stakeholders, benefiting the entire justice system.
Standardised Reporting Procedures
Our site visits to Day Street, Glebe (Leichhardt) police stations highlighted slight inconsistencies in the bail reporting process depending on the officer and location. Our redesigned system introduces a standardised reporting procedure that ensures every young person experiences a uniform process, regardless of where they report. The system's intuitive design and consistent prompts for police to engage positively make the process easier to adopt and reduce the need for extensive training. This standardisation enhances the user experience for young defendants, making their interactions with the justice system more predictable and less intimidating.
Strengthened Police-Youth Relations
By integrating prompts for positive reinforcement and communication into the police interface of the reporting system, the redesign facilitates more constructive interactions between police officers and young defendants. This can help build trust and improve the overall atmosphere of legal engagements, which are often stressful for young people.
Improved Engagement and Educational Opportunities
The interactive quiz feature incorporated into the bail reporting process turns routine procedures into learning opportunities. This educational approach helps young people internalise the rules and regulations they need to follow, potentially reducing recidivism by fostering a deeper understanding of the consequences of their actions.
