Rethinking Complex Agreements – With a Legal Design Approach

When most people hear “design”, they picture logos or visual layouts. But legal design isn’t about just formatting. It’s about making legal documents clear, functional, and user-friendly, especially when they’re complex.

Clarity is especially important when it comes to complex contracts, so let’s take a look at examples of how applying design principles can help draft such agreements.

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🏗️ Construction Contracts: The Perfect Storm of Complexity

Construction contracts involve developers, contractors, architects, insurers, and more. They’re full of risk-sharing, technical obligations, and strict deadlines – and often end up long, dense, and difficult to navigate.

That’s where legal design makes a difference in contract drafting. Please see the example below demonstrating how we used legal design principles to redesign a selected clause from a construction agreement.

🔄 Before & After: One Clause, Two Experiences

Franchise agreements can also be mentioned as an example – they are among the most complex contracts in commercial law. They include detailed provisions, specific payment arrangements, brand usage rules, obligations to adhere to standards, and often extend to 40 pages or more. Below, we offer an example of a specific clause to demonstrate how we can help transform such agreements using the legal design approach.

🔄 Before & After: One Clause, Two Experiences

💬 You Might Ask…

Can lawyers really write like this? Is this legally binding?

Yes, and that’s the challenge – and the craft – of legal design. The example above is simplified, of course – but in practice, our job is to ensure that the entire contract is both legally sound and user-friendly. A well-designed document improves usability without sacrificing legal precision.

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✍️ Drafting with Design in Mind

Here’s what goes into contracts design:

✅ Clarifying structure

✅ Enhancing navigation

✅ Visualizing key processes

✅ Highlighting duties, deadlines, and risks

✅ Adapting legal content for actual users – not just lawyers

🛠 Managing Execution: Beyond the Signature

A well-designed contract isn’t just easier to read – it’s easier to implement.

✅ Project managers can find key dates and obligations quickly

✅ Teams can reduce errors and confusion

✅ Disputes can be prevented by improving understanding

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🎯 Final Thought

Complex contracts need to be designed for usability. In high-risk industries like construction, clarity isn't optional – it’s essential. That's where applying design principles to contract drafting can help.

Thanks for reading!

If you are curious about this topic, let's talk!

Evita Priedite

Attorney at Law

contact@legaldesign.lv

LegalDesign.lv

⚖️ Disclaimer

This article is intended for informational purposes only. The information provided does not take into account the specifics of any individual situation and should not be considered legal advice. We recommend contacting our legal team to receive a solution tailored to your circumstances.