Client
Paul Maguire
Services
Brand design, Digital design
Year
2023
Maguire Legal specialises in employment law and business consultancy. While the topic may seem dry for those not in the field, their legal advice involves people and their livelihoods, so their clients are coming to them with very real and human problems. This was the approach we took in their law firm logo design with a unique angle – Design that builds trust and assurance that they’re getting the right advice for their unique case. People need expertise to handle a situation that is beyond their ability to fix, so what Maguire Legal does requires a client’s confidence to provide resolution.
Maguire Legal specialises in Employment Law and Business Consultancy. While the topic may seem dry for those not in the field, their legal advice involves people and their livelihoods, so their clients are coming to them with very real and human problems. This was the approach we took in designing their branding with a unique angle – Design that builds trust and assurance that they’re getting the right advice for their unique case. People need expertise to handle a situation that is beyond their ability to fix, so what Maguire Legal does requires a client’s confidence to provide resolution.
While Maguire Legal is in the business of handling other people’s problems, they turned to Courtney Kim Studio for expert advice on their own branding. On assessment, Maguire Legal’s original brand was simply too dated, and lacked brand recognition. People were having difficulties remembering what Maguire Legal specialised in, and the outdated branding fell short of making an impression of credibility and authenticity. The owner of the firm also frequently spent hours of work, putting together digital assets with ‘great difficulty’, all the while missing any visual consistency with their own branding.
To uncover Maguire Legal’s real value, we made a deep dive into what it was they do exceptionally well.
What I liked most about Maguire Legal is their focus on people and the community. They truly cared about providing positive resolutions for their clients, and making sure they fostered a sense of confidence in being represented. That clients should feel seen and heard by a legal team who care.
To add to that, Maguire Legal had a focus on building a community network of businesses who operate on professional advice about fair employment practices. Not only to be compliant with national standards, but also to build the most circular system where employees’ livelihoods are supported in ways that enable them to contribute back to the companies they work with. We integrated the value that Maguire Legal was trying to build, to establish their brand strategies. We made Maguire Legal’s formerly complicated vision, into something that’s simple and clear – People First.
So here lies the communication problems that we resolved to bring Vision, Voice and Visual resolution
Maguire Legal is built and nurtured by its community of businesses, employers and employees. It focuses on creating value for its community, and often relies on their feedback, input and participation to shape its services and messages. With the brand’s inclusive, transparent, and authentic vision, Maguire Legal works to foster a sense of belonging and connection among its members (subscribers). This can lead to a high level of customer loyalty and a strong, positive reputation for the brand.
Legal matters are intimidating and full of lots of jargon. It’s enough to make your average person shake in their boots. We understood the importance of using down-to-earth language that not only highlights professionalism and expertise, but also creates a feeling of being approachable and offering reassurance. It’s about the confidence people look for in grounded and solid research based on years of experience, all the while treating clients with compassion and understanding. We called this tone of voice “Serious but Approachable”.
Maguire Legal’s aim with this rebrand was to create a visual appeal that factored in their modern approach to law. The key visual goal was to give a sense of calm, and a modern, professional look and feel.
We retained the original blue colours of the previous brand and toned them down to create a soothing shade that is neither too light nor too dark. We incorporated geometric patterns and black and white photography as supporting brand ingredients to give the brand a contemporary and modern feel.
To make Maguire Legal stand out from the rest of the market, we introduced a dark shade of charcoal and grey to contrast the brand against typical stark white backdrops of corporate legal practices in the competitive landscape. We found that the charcoal added a sense of comfort and calm, to contrast the ‘clinical whiteness’ of competing law firm branding, which may feel like a hospital room or Doctor’s office.
As part of our work together, I put together a comprehensive package for a professional legal service. This package of collateral would make sure their new modern image could be felt in everyday interactions with clients, as well as help create engaging content to help grow a sense of community. Creating a visually appealing and culturally fitting collection of stock images was crucial in establishing trust and building a strong relationship with their existing customers.
We designed the kind of business cards and letterheads that Maguire Legal would hand out with pride. A business card that should instantly stand out in your wallet with its eye-catching signature blue.
We also designed letterheads with ongoing cost in mind. The printing of letterheads in black and white would minimise the printing costs, and coloured paper for covers would allow the brand to make a memorable impact, all while sticking to a minimal budget.
Maguire Legal’s homepage would be the main face of the organisation to deliver their message to prospective clients, and we wanted that message to stand out. A dark background can have a significant visual effect and set you apart from the competition. To maintain a clean and professional appearance, the black background would only be used on the homepage, and all other static pages transition to a white background.
Community building is a main focus for Maguire Legal, and an invaluable asset worth investing in. So to equip them with sleek and professional looking social media and eNewsletter templates, we had the objective to dress-up the high-level legal resources they regularly create and share among their network of clients and businesses.
We kept digital assets consistent with the Calm / Grey tones, and utilised photographs and captions that give a genuine appearance. It conveys knowledge, news and community highlights.
We are ecstatic to see the positive changes brought forth by our good branding, in many ways that weren’t originally imagined. Maguire Legal’s branding refresh has given the business new life and clarity for their goals. The firm has now refurbished and stylised their office to reflect the colour tone and sleek modern look of their rebrand. It’s also been reported that their internal team culture has also experienced a positive boost in morale, now with clearer brand message focusing on approachability and high integrity. Maguire Legal’s rebranding project has unlocked different parts of the business to evolve and in turn produce better value for their firm and clients.
If you’re a professional service that needs a revamp to stand out from the sea of competitors, Contact us to start a conversation about your branding your law firm. We love discovering what makes your business so unique and creating a visual identity that fully represents everything you have to offer.
