Legal Services Corporation
The Civil Court Data Series Initiative Content Series
The Legal Services Corporation’s Civil Court Data Initiative needed more than reports and statistics to spread awareness about the broken U.S. Civil Court System. We convinced them that animation was the solution to turn heaps of data into bite-sized stories of a legal system that is difficult to navigate, overburdened with cases, and puts people who can’t afford a lawyer at a disadvantage. To effectively create an ongoing suite of social content, we developed a robust design system that doesn’t just communicate—it engages with emotional storytelling.
Select Videos
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1 / 7
Justice Gap Introduction
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2 / 7
Do Better with Debt
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3 / 7
Debt Story
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4 / 7
Impact of Eviction
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5 / 7
Eviction Risk & Rent Burden
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6 / 7
Adult Guardianship
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7 / 7
Veteran Legal Issues
The Approach
We developed this design system with a critical goal: transform complex legal experiences into compelling, accessible narratives that resonate with viewers. The approach prioritized emotional depth and human experience. Hand-drawn brushstrokes and carefully selected textures were not merely aesthetic choices, but deliberate storytelling tools that convey the nuanced and often overwhelming journeys of individuals navigating our civil legal system. Colors represent specific themes. Various characters reflect diversity of experience. Drawn locations, resources, and individual moments transition in ways that symbolize the reality of facing these challenges alone.
The Foundation
In developing the CCDI’s first content series to communicate what it is and does, we needed to build a foundational video design system that defines their brand identity through a recognizable visual style. This comprehensive framework provides a structured approach to creating, managing, and maintaining video content across different platforms.
The core of the system is a library of reusable video elements and templates that ensures consistent visual communication. By reducing time spent on repetitive design decisions, the video design system enables quick content creation across teams while maintaining a cohesive visual identity.
With the strategy defined, LSC is now equipped to cultivate their social presence and build an engaged audience.
The Storyboards
Excerpts from storyboards for videos about Divorce, Eviction Risk & Rent Burden, and Serial Eviction. Together, they display how the custom design system created for the organization was implemented alongside data imagery to create digestible visual representations for overarching issues and topics.
The Impact
By creating a design system that prioritized emotional intelligence in the visual storytelling, LSC’s content transforms how people understand civil legal challenges. Not simply informational, these videos are carefully crafted to invite viewers to develop an emotional and empathetic reaction.
Credits
Creative Director Alex Herder
Producer & Writer Katrina Deptula
Art Direction John Martinez, Hannah Saidiner
Storyboards John Martinez, Hannah Saidiner
Animation John Martinez
VO Mike Capbarat, Katrina Deptula, Maci Roberts, Kelly Goolsby
Sound Design John Martinez, Hannah Saidiner