If you’ve ever winced at the thought of yet another internal stakeholder ghosting your beautifully drafted contract… you’re not alone. The problem isn’t your legal skills. It’s the disconnect between legal content and business usability. The way we communicate legal advice – in documents, processes, templates, training – is often where things fall apart. That’s where legal design comes in.

Legal design isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a practical, user-focused approach to solving the biggest problem in-house lawyers face day-to-day: how to make legal stuff work in the real world. Let’s break it down.  

‍What is legal design?

At its core, legal design is about creating legal tools that are easy to understand, act on and apply. It blends legal expertise with design thinking – a method used by product designers, engineers and innovators – to make contracts, policies and processes more accessible and effective.

It’s grounded in three big questions: Who is using this document or tool? Why are they using it – and what outcome do they need? How can we design it to support that goal?

Rather than starting with precedent or boilerplate, legal design starts with people. It challenges us to rethink the format, flow and even function of our legal work, based on real user needs. That might mean turning a policy into an interactive flowchart. Or building a self-service NDA tool. Or simplifying a contract so it actually gets read, signed – and used.

And it’s more than theory. Global brands like Ubisoft, Deutsche Bahn and BNP Paribas are embedding legal design into their legal ops strategies. Even regulators are raising the bar on clarity and usability – just look at GDPR’s plain language requirement or the EU’s consumer information mandates. In other words: this is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s the new standard.

Why legal design is catching on

For starters, the pace of business has changed – but legal processes haven’t. When you’re being asked to turn around influencer agreements in 24 hours, a 50-page contract with six rounds of mark-up simply won’t cut it.

Legal design offers a better way. By putting usability front and centre, it shortens turnaround times, improves comprehension, and reduces back-and-forth with the business.

But speed isn’t the only driver. Here’s what else is pushing legal design into the mainstream:

• Regulatory pressure: From GDPR to insurance disclosures, plain language and transparency are no longer optional.
• Legal tech limitations: Many tools automate outdated templates rather than rethinking the substance. Legal design gets to the heart of the content problem.
• Digital-first expectations: Internal clients are used to slick UX everywhere else. Legal shouldn’t be the exception.
• Frustration with the status quo: Let’s face it – no one’s reading your 20-page terms. Legal design helps you fix that.

And most importantly? It works. Research by McKinsey shows that design-led companies outperform their competitors on both revenue and shareholder returns – a trend that holds true across sectors, from medical tech to retail banking. In legal terms, design-led teams get better outcomes faster, with fewer complaints and more engagement.

What does good legal design actually look like?

There’s no one-size-fits-all template – and that’s the point. Good legal design is about crafting the right solution for the right context. That might be:

• A redesigned contract that internal teams can complete themselves, without legal input.
• A self-serve tool for low-risk NDAs, built with intuitive UX and visual cues.
• A code of conduct that people not only read but apply – because it’s relevant, digestible and even engaging.
• A training module that’s short, smart and scenario-based, not a legal lecture in disguise.

But it’s not just about the final product. The design process itself can be transformative. By involving users in co-creation, legal teams get real feedback on what’s working (and what isn’t), and build stronger relationships with the business. You stop being the department of ‘no’ and become a trusted enabler.

How to get started (without getting overwhelmed)

We get it – legal design can feel like a big leap, especially when you’re juggling a thousand things already. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. You can start small, smart and strategic.

Here’s how.

1. Pick your moment – Start with a document or process that is high-volume or high-friction (think NDAs, privacy notices, standard terms), has a clear audience, and could be made more self-service or user-friendly. This gives you the best chance of a quick win.
2. Understand your users – Before redesigning anything, speak to the people who use it. What do they struggle with? What questions do they always ask? What frustrates them? This is gold dust.
3. Prototype, test, iterate – Create a ‘good enough’ first draft – something you can test in a workshop. Don’t wait for perfection. Legal design thrives on iteration.
4. Bring in other brains – Diversity of thought is key. Partner with designers, ops pros or product thinkers where you can. Even a quick brainstorm with your comms team can spark big improvements.
5. Measure what matters – Before you start, define success. It might be fewer escalations, faster signature times, or improved user feedback. Use that to demonstrate impact – and build your case for more.

Legal design in practice: the pay-offs

Legal design doesn’t just make your documents prettier. It makes your work work better – for the business, for your users, and for your team.

The results?

• Contracts that get used, not just signed and filed away.
• Processes that scale, with less hand-holding.
• Legal teams that feel empowered, not buried in busywork.
• Stakeholders who actually engage with what you’ve created.

And that pays off – not just in terms of efficiency, but in influence. Legal stops being a bottleneck and becomes a business driver.

The bottom line

If you’re tired of legal being misunderstood, misused or ignored, legal design might be the shift you’ve been waiting for. It’s not about dumbing down the law – it’s about opening it up. Making it usable, accessible and – dare we say – even enjoyable.

It’s time to reimagine legal content not as a risk buffer, but as a business tool. And like any good tool, it should be fit for purpose.