Enlightened thinking, engaging design
Client: Brodies LLP
Role: Brand, Art Direction, UX, UI
Work completed while at tda!
Brodies LLP is a Top 50 UK law firm and the largest based in Scotland, with offices across the UK and an expanding international presence. They advise businesses, organisations, and individuals on everything from corporate and finance to real estate, disputes, and family law.
They had recently launched a new website but wanted to take it further. Their goal for the next strategic cycle was to “be outstanding by standing out,” strengthening their market leadership, expanding their UK profile, attracting top talent, and showcasing their culture and values.
The brief
The website was central to their vision. It needed to generate leads, highlight innovative products, attract a diverse workforce, and become a hub for knowledge and insight, all while reflecting their ethos of “Enlightened Thinking” and values of courage, character, care, and collaboration.
As Creative Director, my role was to lead our team in translating these ambitions into a user-focused experience and distinctive visual identity. The brief focused on elevating design and usability, ensuring the site looked compelling and worked seamlessly for its audiences. From campaign storytelling to careers content that positioned Brodies as an employer of choice in the legal sector, we also streamlined the design system to create consistency and efficiency across the platform. The result was a clearer and more engaging showcase of Brodies’ services, products and people, strengthening the firm’s ability to stand out in a competitive market.
User focussed yet delightful interfaces
With over 4,000 pages of content, the Brodies site had to work for diverse users ranging from businesses to families. We introduced key features to make navigation simpler and more intuitive: a quick search for fast access, a newly developed mega menu to structure the site clearly, and an ‘Explore our Services’ component with categorised tabs. Subtle animations and design details added clarity and a touch of delight to the experience.
Streamlined cards and scalable Design
Cards are a core element of modern design systems, packaging content into clear, engaging units. At Brodies, the existing cards were plain and restrictive, and sourcing unique imagery for every piece of content wasn’t always possible.
We audited the patterns and created a flexible set of card styles for campaigns, services, insights and features. To cover content without imagery, we designed default graphics using variations of the Brodies lens, keeping the brand consistent and visually engaging. The new system improved usability, streamlined design and development, and ensured every card felt polished and on-brand.
Telling real stories to attract the best talent
Brodies set out to create one of the most engaging careers sections in the legal sector, a destination that would inspire top talent to join and grow with the firm. The aim was to be the employer of choice, attracting and retaining exceptional people across both legal and business services.
We reimagined the careers experience to be more user-friendly and tailored to different audiences, from trainees and newly qualified solicitors to experienced professionals. Flexible templates and components gave Brodies the tools to showcase their culture, values, rewards, benefits and interactive content.
Real colleagues were placed front and centre, with “day in the life” films and stories highlighting inclusivity, diversity and flexibility. The result was a careers section that not only communicated opportunities but also brought Brodies’ culture to life in a vibrant, human and inspiring way.
Enlightened Thinking
Brodies is driven by Enlightened Thinking and the way knowledge shapes the world around us. tda! combined creativity with technology to allow Brodies to share their insights and stories in a number of ways.
The insights section contains articles, guides, podcasts, videos and webinars. Over 6,000 insights are all searchable and tagged by the area of expertise, by media type and by the contributor. We also created functionality to enable users to book real life events and online academies through the website.
Results
Brodies achieved record revenues of over £100 million in 2022/23, with the new website playing a central role as the firm’s shop window and showcase. The careers section also delivered outstanding results, with page views increasing by 155% year-on-year, a clear sign of its success in inspiring and attracting top talent.