Though you might not have thought about it yet or don't believe you need to — the look, or the design, of how you present your practice is critical to building your business. It is an important business investment. But it’s hard to know when new design is needed for your law firm when you’re the one running the business every day. That’s why thoughtful, proactive planning and appropriate resources can pay long-lasting dividends. In fact, it’s an important element to business success.
What is design?
Think of design as the visual identity of your brand. Design is how you visually express your practice to the public. It’s usually the first impression clients will have of you and your business. That’s why it’s crucial to be intentional about the design of your brand.
Paul Rand, the celebrated graphic designer who created logos for IBM, UPS, and ABC, among others, reminds us “design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” Your visual identity is already communicating things about you and your practice to current and potential clients from the get-go.
Design includes your logo, but goes far beyond this. It involves all aspects of your visual representation like color scheme, images, layout, font choice, and other graphical design elements. This can be reflected on everything from your website to your letterhead, business cards, promotional material, and any documents shared with clients or the public.
You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. Design as your visual identity speaks volumes. So your design should help tell your story. It conveys important things about you and your practice.
How do I get started?
Since design is such a vital aspect of your brand, we recommend hiring a professional to help. Now’s not the time to cut corners. This is an important investment and demands expert involvement.
Dr. Ralph Speth, CEO of Jaguar, cautions us that, “If you think good design is too expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.” In the long run, poorly conceived and executed design strategies can detract from business.
When building a house, you’d consult an expert engineer to create the foundation. Without this, the structure would suffer over time and never live up to its full potential. In the same way, as you build your practice, you deserve professional guidance, since design is one of the cornerstones to your brand.
What do I do with it?
Once you’ve worked with a professional to craft your design strategy and visual representation of your brand, what’s next? Here are four action points:
Be consistent: Have a plan or guide for how you will use your design. This can guide everyone in your organization. It’s easy to get sidetracked, so put a plan in place to keep you on target and be consistent.
Own it: Embrace your design strategy as an expression of your identity. This is part of your brand and how you and your practice are presented to the world. Come up with a design that you’re proud of and stand by it.
Protect it: Your design represents you to the public. Don’t take it lightly. This means legally protecting the rights to your brand identity and design if need be. It also means giving good thought to the design and making sure it reflects your professionalism and integrity.
Use it: Design is a key way for you to “speak” about your brand. So don’t be silent. Your design plan should include concrete ways to represent your identity on your marketing materials, website, and other areas. You’ve made the great investment—it’s time to reap those returns.
Follow these steps and you will have taken a big leap forward for the image and reputation of your law practice. Learn more about how WealthCounsel’s practice building and legal marketing resources can help you create your design to grow your law practice.
