Written by Yannick Bakker – Legal Designer & Legal Counsel

Legal Design: What If Legal Departments Are Falling Behind?

A Fresh Perspective, a Closed Door

You walk through an office where everything revolves around energy and brand experience. Marketing is experimenting with new campaigns, sales is celebrating fresh leads, and HR is promoting an inclusive company culture. And then you reach the legal department. No neon signs, no creative brainstorms—more a place where documents stack up like a never-cleared archive.

It’s understandable that legal departments work differently than marketing or sales. But in a world where businesses fine-tune their communication down to the last detail, it’s striking when contracts and terms remain static and outdated. Why does ‘Legal’ in 2025 still sometimes feel like a closed room, while the rest of the company works in open spaces?

“It’s Fine the Way It Is,” Right?

In-house counsel are well aware that legal communication could be more accessible. The principles of Legal Design—clear language, visual hierarchy, user-friendly formatting—are not new. Yet practice often lags behind. “It’s fine the way it is,” is a common response.

And yes, on the surface, it is fine. Contracts get signed, terms are accepted, and there’s no immediate crisis. But the real question is: how well is it actually working? How many clients sign without understanding the content? How many colleagues disengage from internal legal documents because they’re too inaccessible? If you don’t measure it, you won’t know.

Time to Test: A/B for Legal

Marketing and communications leave little to chance. They test everything: which title converts better? Which layout holds attention? Legal teams, on the other hand, often rely on assumptions.

Now imagine applying the same logic to contracts: two versions, one traditional, one designed using Legal Design principles. Then measure:

  • Which version is read and understood more quickly?

  • Which version results in fewer questions?

  • Which version inspires more trust?

The results might reveal that legal documents are not just about being legally correct—they’re also about being effective.

A Missed Opportunity for Trust

Legal communication is often the first formal interaction with a company. You can invest heavily in a seamless brand experience, but if the first contractual step feels like a bureaucratic hurdle, there’s a disconnect.

Clear legal communication is an opportunity to build trust. Clients feel respected, employees understand what to do more quickly, and the legal team is seen as a proactive partner rather than a bottleneck. Aligned with House’s Legal for tomorrow vision, legal communication can be more than a necessary evil. It can be a powerful tool to strengthen relationships.

Opening the Door

In-house counsel don’t need to become designers or marketers. But the days of Legal standing apart from the business are over. It’s not about changing the legal content, but about how we present it. Small steps—A/B testing, user-friendly layouts, less jargon—can make a world of difference.

A legal department that reinvents itself gains influence. Not by shouting louder about the importance of legal content, but by showing that it works. And it starts with a simple question: are we willing to measure if it could be better?

Conclusion

Legal Design helps legal departments stay relevant and effective in a world that values clarity and trust. It doesn’t require a revolution—just a willingness to test, adapt, and collaborate with the rest of the business.

In 2025, legal communication shouldn’t be an obstacle. It should be a strategic advantage: clear, powerful, and accessible. The door is open. Will you step through?

Want to learn more? Contact us: info@house-legal.nl