How Smart Filing simplifies starting a business
Redesigning Smart Filing’s platform to make business formation effortless for entrepreneurs and easier to manage for admins.
When the team at Smart Filing reached out to me, they had a clear goal in mind: make starting a business feel less like paperwork and more like progress. They were building a product to help entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams form their LLCs and corporations without the usual legal headaches or confusing government forms.
They had the vision. I helped shape the experience.
Together, we designed a platform that walks users through forming their businesses step-by-step. From choosing the right structure to getting an EIN and ordering business licenses, every part of the process was designed to be seamless and stress-free.
2 Months
Smart Filing LLC
November 30, 2024
Overview
Setting the Stage
Smart Filing was already in motion with their mission to make business registration accessible and intuitive. But the process still felt overwhelming for users who weren’t familiar with terms like "Registered Agent" or "Operating Agreement."
The team needed a product experience that was both friendly and functional. They wanted a dashboard that could handle different business types, admin-side tools for tracking applications, and an interface that could guide users in plain language without skipping important legal steps.
The Vision
We imagined a world where anyone could form a company on their lunch break. Where small business owners didn’t need to hire a lawyer just to get started. The goal was to:
- Break down complex tasks into simple steps
- Make the dashboard clean, helpful, and mobile-friendly
- Equip admins with the right tools to manage submissions and status updates
- Provide automation where it mattered, but always give the user control
The Challenges Tackled
- Multiple Entity Types: Designing flexible flows for LLCs, corporations, churches, and trusts
- User Education: Helping users understand each step without legal jargon
- Admin Experience: Creating a system for internal team members to review, update, and manage documents
- Evolving Scope: From EINs to licensing research to FedEx delivery options — the product kept growing
My Approach
We started by mapping out the full journey for someone forming a business. What questions did they have? Where did they get stuck? What could be automated?
We broke it down into clear steps:
- Entity Type Selection
- Company Info
- Filing Time
- Members & Addresses
- Registered Agent
- EIN Request
- Licensing Add-ons
- Review & Payment
Then, I designed out a low-fidelity wireframes, turning them into interactive prototypes and real UI screens. We tested, got feedback, and refined. Each screen was designed with clarity in mind — simple copy, intuitive layouts, and smart defaults.
Some of my favorite screens
Reflections
Working on Smart Filing reminded me that great design isn’t always flashy — sometimes it’s about making something complicated feel doable. This project pushed me to balance compliance with simplicity, and to always think about the human behind the screen.
I’m proud of how we took something that usually feels bureaucratic and turned it into a product that’s approachable, trustworthy, and actually kind of fun to use.
And seeing users go from "I have an idea" to "I officially have a business"? That’s the kind of impact that makes it all worth it.
