2021 Web Design Trends for Law Firms
How can your firm instantly communicate that you are on top of the latest developments impacting your clients? Easy. Update your site with the latest design trends. Keeping your site fresh visually shows people that you are constantly looking ahead to what’s next.
Squarespace recently released its predictions for the top web design trends for 2021. Let’s take a look at how law firms can use these to instantly boost credibility.
Prediction 1: Geometric and Organic Shapes
Expect to see dynamic abstractions and pairings of geometric and organic shapes in 2021. This may appear in several places, such as logos, cut-out images, and call-to-action graphics. Squares and rectangles can convey a sense of authority and structure, whereas rounded shapes and circles can communicate more dynamism, movement, and harmony.
Structure and Depth
Give your stock photography an update for 2021. Add structure and depth with a layer of color in a square or rectangle.
How to use it for your firm
You can likely find low-hanging fruit in your firm bios. If you are using circles for your head shots, update those to rectangles or squares. Pill-shaped “contact” buttons, which were very popular circa 2018, can be swapped for rectangles.
For a deeper dive, consider how you could add visual depth by incorporating an angle of color behind a photograph. Review your stock photography while you’re at it to update your look. Aim to find photos that are authentic to your brand story, and also complement your brand colors.
Prediction 2: Organic Grids
Grids have been used on the web since the 90s. 2021 will see a different approach to grids with an organic blending of elements on a page. Like sites from the 90s, grids that look too much like spreadsheets will be perceived as boring. Organic grids create the structure needed for skimming, which engages your prospects and keeps them interested. Consider asymmetrical grids, overlapping elements, and photo collages.
How to use it for your firm
Photos presented in a four-column grid layout for our clients at Paganelli Law Group.
Photo collages will be the easiest way for your firm to update its look with this trend. Like mosaics that were popular in 2010, these will be compelling if you use pictures of your team.
Taking this concept back to basics, look at your site overall and see if it has a consistent column structure. Look at ways to create more harmony in the design through consistency. Then, you can find ways to “break the rules” with asymmetry that won’t break your linear thought process. For example, in a three column layout, find places where you can stretch content across columns 1 and 2, perhaps with a single image.
Prediction 3: Custom Illustrations
Custom Illustrations
We created this custom illustration using the client’s logo elements as inspiration. This immediately conveys sophistication and credibility.
With stock photography becoming more readily available at reduced costs, your site will need more than “gavel” photos to look cutting-edge. Custom imagery will rise in 2021 as more businesses seek to differentiate themselves. Look for illustrations to take the lead over custom photography, at least until it’s safe to resume photo shoots in-person.
How to use it for your firm
Customization is what will set your firm apart. A custom “step and repeat” can take your brand to the next level. Plus, you can use this creative asset across the web, on social media, and in your print collateral.
If it’s safe to conduct a photo shoot in your area, I strongly encourage you to do so. This is about more than head shots. Ask your photographer to gather photos of you and your partners and employees working around a conference table together. Get shots of key partners standing to make presentations to a group. These custom photos will become your stock selection for 2021.
Trends for 2021 and Beyond
Continued Emphasis on Mobile
We know that Google has rewarded mobile-friendly sites for years now. Squarespace sites are mobile-friendly, automatically. That’s one of the main reasons I advise clients to consider Squarespace for their website needs.
Regardless of which platform you use for your firm, when it’s time to incorporate your custom photography or illustrations, be sure to balance image resolution with file size. Higher resolution images look better on HD and Retina screens but you don’t want any one web page to be more than 5 MB. 1 MB is the safest size for cellular connections.
Integrated Functionality
Your firm’s website is the central hub for content that drives business development. When you look at the functionality you need in a site, consider what you plan to integrate.
We are most often using integrations that support:
Email marketing: Integrate your newsletter sign-up forms directly with your email provider to create automated onboarding campaigns. Take it a step further and offer your best content behind a contact form that you can integrate with your email provider on an automated drip campaign.
Client portals: Using the trend guidance, create compelling landing pages for client portals. Make it easy for clients to access your web-based tools, trackers and dashboards.
Scheduling: Reduce time spent on setting meetings by integrating a scheduling tool within your website. Look at options that also integrate with your firm’s calendar system, such as Outlook, to prevent double booking.
How We Can Help
Consultation: Our team can help with consultation on how to improve your website. You can engage us to develop concrete recommendations with actionable next steps that you can take to your developer.
Copy Development: We are content marketers focused on driving revenue. We can update the copy across your site to generate referrals, bring in leads and support business development.
Design and Build: If your firm is ready for a site overhaul, we can help. Check out some samples of our work.
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