Someone once said, ‘great design is great business’. It’s a tremendous insight that we can see all around us especially with some of the most long-lasting brands around. If you just poke your head up from a brief, you’ll see this strategic imperative in play all around, from Starbucks coffee, to the IBM printer on your desk. In fact, IBM took this motto as their own early in the days when they began, changing with the times to morph into one of the brand powerhouses of all time. Coca Cola, Nike, Mont Blanc, and many, many others take it to heart that great design means great business, both in the ways they design their products and also in the ways they advertise those products, wrapping ordinary things in powerful feeling brands.
In the field of law marketing, superior graphic design plays a crucial role in building a brand and attracting potential clients. While the legal industry has traditionally relied on traditional marketing methods such as word-of-mouth referrals and print advertisements, excellent graphic design will elevate a law firm’s marketing strategy to the next level. Here are three reasons why great graphic design is great for business in the field of law marketing.
1. Great graphic design can help a law firm stand out in a crowded market.
With so many law firms competing for clients’ attention, it’s essential to have a visual identity that differentiates one firm from another. A well-designed logo, website, and marketing materials can convey a law firm’s professionalism, expertise, and values, making it more memorable and appealing to potential clients. A great example of this is the logo for the law firm Baker McKenzie, which uses a simple yet striking design that conveys the firm’s global reach and reputation for excellence.
For example, take a look at the logo of the law firm “Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &Flom LLP.” The logo is simple, yet elegant and professional, and it reflects the firm’s expertise and sophistication. The use of a serif font and bold blue color gives the logo a classic and timeless look. This logo is an excellent example of how a well-designed logo can help to create a strong brand image for a law firm.
2. Great graphic design can enhance a law firm’s credibility and trustworthiness.
A law firm’s marketing materials are often the first point of contact potential clients have with the firm, and they can make a lasting impression. A poorly designed website or brochure can make a law firm seem unprofessional or untrustworthy, while a well-designed one can inspire confidence in the firm’s abilities. By investing in high-quality graphic design you’re already on the path to differentiating your brand as so many others seem not to see or care – so many are satisfied with the basic shell of brand design that you can stand out by merely paying attention to the quality of your own.
Take a look at the marketing brochure of the law firm “Latham & Watkins LLP.” The brochure features high-quality images and graphics, and it uses a clean and modern design. The use of white space gives the brochure a sleek and professional look, and the use of a blue color palette reflects the firm’s expertise and reliability. The brochure is an excellent example of how great graphic design can help to create visually appealing marketing materials for a law firm.
3. Great graphic design is proven to improve sales.
No matter what field, most people make buying decisions unconsciously. Product packagers know this very well, which you can see if you visit your local grocery store and pay attention to the color and font and tagline prompts that products use to get people to prefer their brand over another. These same secrets are open to you even though you are a law firm. People respond to color, fonts, symmetry and asymmetry, iconography, slogans the same ways across all fields. This seems to have been lost on most law firm marketers as the majority of law firm websites, as an example, completely miss this lesson, with a promotional vehicle that is almost always doing very little to stimulate people’s unconscious buying biases.
Take a look at the website of the law firm “Baker McKenzie.” The website features a clean and modern design, and it is easy to navigate. The use of high-quality images and graphics helps to create a visually appealing website, and the responsive design ensures that the website looks great on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The website is an excellent example of how great graphic design can help to create a user-friendly website for a law firm.
As a modern law firm, you need to also take up the mantle that has embedded brands and brand names into the very culture for the last 100 years. Ignore great design at your peril; should you, your marketing efforts will become that much harder.
