Legal Design

Like many specialized academic journals, the Legal Design Journal allows professionals to focus their writing on evolving legal design concepts, methodologies, and illustrating innovative viewpoints or studies that advance these ideas. It is a place where the basics are already understood and readers are looking for more.

In order for legal design to mature and grow as a concept, it needed a home for writing and publication. The Legal Design Journal is that home.

Have you ever looked at a document, any document, and felt overwhelmed by the amount of information coming at you? For example, think about the last time you emptied your mailbox of fliers. Did you toss out those fliers before giving them a second glance? You didn’t hesitate on the flier and you certainly didn’t realize that Swiss cheese was reasonably priced, even though you are out of cheese. You instinctively know bad visual hierarchy.

Visual hierarchy isn’t about aesthetics or creating something that’s pretty to look at. It is about substance and meaning.

Creating a well-organized, thoughtful, clear and concise document that resonates takes effort, time, and makes a bigger impact on the reader.

In my newest article in SLAW, I give lawyers the secret sauce – three tips used by Design professionals that will help lawyers create good visual hierarchy when drafting documents.

Both private and in-house counsel will appreciate this blog on AIRBUS’ NDA evolution.

Throughout my career, I’ve reviewed and negotiated several NDAs, particularly for start-ups eager to protect their IP but cautious when negotiating with larger, more experienced business partners.

On the corporate side, I’ve also seen legal and procurement teams use overly complex and restrictive NDAs—sometimes out of habit, sometimes as a legal security blanket, and sometimes simply because that’s the language they’ve “always used”, or it was embedded in their procurement system. However, overly rigid NDAs can deter potential innovation partners.

While an NDA may seem like just another contract, it’s often the foundation of a business relationship and deserves thoughtful drafting.

Empathy is like getting to know someone on a first date. You have to ask the right questions, listen to their responses and understand their needs and wants.

If you don’t take the time to understand the other person, they’ll never tell their mother about you and it’s unlikely you will get another date.

Designing the law is the same way. It is not possible to design something useable that meets the needs of the client or the user unless you take the time to get to know the person you’re designing that ‘thing’ for.