An overview of some of the thinking and work that went into the contract re-design of a telecommunications partner agreement (B2B contract). Proudly a finalist in the 2019 Clear Communication Awards https://clearcommunication.com.au/2019finalists/ To find out more... checkout Verity's presentation at the 2019 Legal Tech Fest on redsigning contracts for readability, usability, and trust https://www.checklistlegal.com/legaltechfest

1. A clearer deal for Telstra Dealers:
A new, user-centred channel partner agreement
July 2019

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We were inspired to try… visual elements

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✓ Use hi-res current logo, correct proportions.
✓ Align document
✓ Set the conversational tone for the document
✓ Digital first: hyperlink to online resources
✓ Sections stepped out (& clickable)
✓ Signatures up front because…
✓ 1) Science & 2) Ease of use

5. Copyright Telstra©

6. Copyright Telstra©

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✓ Easy alphabetical sorting
✓ Easy to scan
✓ Easy to update
✓ Automation friendly
✓ Meta tag friendly
✓ Conditional logic

8. Results (so far)

9. Notices
A party’s address for service is the address listed in the party
details at the front of this document unless the party has
notified the other parties of a new address. Notices under this
Agreement must be given in writing and sent by facsimile, or
post, or delivered to the address of the recipient or sent by
email to the email address listed in the party details at the front
of this document. A notice is deemed to be received:
1. if hand delivered, on delivery; and
2. if sent by prepaid post, three Business Days after the date
of posting; and
3. if sent by facsimile when the sender’s facsimile machine
prints confirmation that the number of pages in the notice
have been successfully transmitted; and
4. if sent by email when the sender’s computer system
generates a delivery receipt that the notice in full has been
successfully transmitted to the recipient.
Notices
A party giving notice under this Agreement must do so in
writing to the address in the Agreement Details, or such other
address notified.
Method of Notice When is Notice received?
🖐️
MAIL (HAND DELIVERY)
Left at recipient’s address
Date of delivery.
📮
MAIL (POST)
Sent by post to recipient’s
address
2 business days after date
of posting if sent by
registered post, 4 days if
sent otherwise.
📧
EMAIL
Sent to recipient’s email
address
If sender’s email system
does not receive a delivery
failure notification, the date
the email is sent.

10. Telstra Company X Company Y Company Z
Contract name Telstra Agreement X Agreement Y Agreement Z Agreement
Word Count 20,124 5,927 6,934 18,344
Pages 46 13 10 47
Words per sentence 25.9 28.5 33.2 26.6
Av reading time
(200 wpm)
1 hour 40 mins 29 mins 34 mins 1 hours 30 mins
Passive Sentences 18% 11% 20% 11%
Readability Grade Level 14.6 15.7 16.9 15.7
Difficult to find like for like comparisons due to tightly held documents.
Company Z seems to be the best comparison in terms of size and
complexity.

11. Telstra Company X Company Y Company Z
Contract name Telstra Agreement X Agreement Y Agreement Z Agreement
Word Count 14,972 5,927 6,934 18,344
Pages 29 13 10 47
Words per sentence 19.4 28.5 33.2 26.6
Av reading time
(200 wpm)
1 hour 15 mins 29 mins 34 mins 1 hours 30 mins
Passive Sentences 13% 11% 20% 11%
Readability Grade Level 11.5 15.7 16.9 15.7
Difficult to find like for like comparisons due to tightly held documents.
Company Z seems to be the best comparison in terms of size and
complexity.

12. Before After
Word Count 20,124 14,972
Pages 46 29
Words per
sentence
25.9 19.4
Reading time 1 hour 40 mins 1 hour 15 mins
Passive
Sentences
18% 13%
Readability
Grade Level
14.6 11.5
25% word reduction
37% page reduction
25% faster to read
From degree to high school

13. Copyright Telstra©
BEFORE
Original document & all schedules
AFTER
Updated doc & schedules

14. ?
‘…It's long...’
‘…It takes me so long to read and
understand the content in the
agreement’…:
‘…Old document… needs to be
modernised…’
‘Not realistic, we’re always ‘technically’
in breach’
“…it just feels easier…”
“…so easy to read and provides more
clarity than the older version…”
“…there are bits to this that I really like
but I still think it's a protype....
“…links are cool and they look like a
tile ... Perhaps too blocky...”

15. Embedding the change: Gamification of
training on new channel partner agreement

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19. Where next?

20. http://e
tc.ch/5
dbw
http://etc.ch/5dbw
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Challenges
 Confidential, internal document.
 Testing the test, getting the test right
 Changing organisation
 Testing both before and after = long time
 New re-design project kicked off!
 Diverse group of lawyers, clients, stakeholders
Methodology
✓ Diverse group of lawyers, clients, stakeholders over four market
segments (Consumer, Small Business, Enterprise, & International)
▪ Four internal legal teams, four internal business clients, four
groups of external stakeholders (plus a licensee association)
▪ Lots of feedback…. Lots!
✓ Testing the document, not you.
✓ Online or paper based, lawyers and non-lawyers
Research is still underway...

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Impressions & likability
✓ First impression
✓ Impression after completing tasks
✓ General feedback and comments
Task completion – accuracy & speed
✓ Is this document signed?
✓ How long is this document active?
✓ Are payments made?
✓ How could you end this relationship?
Perceptions of fulfilling contract purposes
✓ Records of rights and obligations
✓ Supports business relationship
✓ Gives operational guidance
✓ Brand and corporate values
User experience
✓ Non-submitted comments
✓ How users use contracts

22. Thank you