SEZER SELVİ
Legal design isn’t something most people stumble upon accidentally; it takes a combination of curiosity, frustration, and a desire to improve the legal field. For many of us involved with the Legal Design Journal, the journey began with a question: “Can we make law more accessible and useful through design?” For me, it lingered in my mind since my first year of law school. It made me search for a way to do so, which led me to legal design. It clicked instantly – this was what I had been searching for. Though entering the field was challenging, and given the need for multidisciplinary thinking, seeing the impact of legal design and its potential to help so many people motivated me to dive deeper. It stayed with me, like a spark waiting to catch fire.
The need for a journal in legal design has been expressed from time to time over the years. However, actions have not been taken until now. The fact that this has changed was announced first at the Legal Design Summit 2023 in Helsinki. I attended the summit as a volunteer, still a newbie in awe of the incredible work being done in the field by the people in the room. I was already excited to be at the Summit, but seeing the collective excitement in the room when Prof Michael Doherty announced the creation of the Legal Design Journal took things on another level.
When Michael announced, on behalf of the journal development team, that a Legal Design Journal was coming, I could see the sparks in everyone’s eyes, feel the love for the idea, and hear the whispers of “Finally!” It was as if the entire room had been holding its breath since the session.
The Legal Design Journal was born out of a collective need to create a dedicated platform where legal design could finally find a home. The concept was simple yet profound: to establish a space where ideas, methods, and approaches within legal design could be shared, studied, and celebrated. The journal is more than just a collection of papers; it’s a response to a growing movement that blends law and design thinking, offering practical and innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing legal issues.
The team behind this journal is united by their passion for legal design, but our paths to this moment couldn’t be more diverse. Many of us found our spark from early experiences with legal design, where they encountered a vibrant but scattered field. For example; one of our team members found inspiration in design sprints aimed at solving personal finance challenges and began to explore how these concepts could revolutionize legal practices.For another, it started after collaborating with designers from Stanford’s d.school. As for me, it was my search for innovation in the legal field that led me to legal design. I was not satisfied with the current functionality and complexity of the legal system in Turkey. It was not a bright discovery to see that, but the absence of people taking action to change it was disheartening. My search for those who are taking action led me to some great organizations like Legal Design Turkey, ELTA, Legal Design Summit, and now Legal Design Journal.
One thing that unites everyone behind the Legal Design Journal is the belief that law, as it stands, often falls short of its potential. As one team member put it, “Law doesn’t fulfill its potential as a common good—design can help unlock that potential.” This journal is another way to amplify that potential, it’s a way to make law more than a series of complicated rules but a tool for justice and progress.
Each of our stories is unique. Mine is about a curious sophomore who needed more than just the strait-laced application of law. I joined the Summit, contributed to the journal, and met some wonderful people in the legal design community. These experiences have become an integral part of my journey. To be honest, it was one of the things that made me believe that I could pursue a career in customer experience (CX) design. So, thanks everyone!
Despite the differences in our stories, we all share the same vision: to make legal design a well-established and widely accepted discipline. The Legal Design Journal is the first of its kind, offering a reliable, dedicated source of information that focuses solely on legal design. With its birth, we hope to see this field grow—not only in academia but in professional practice as well.
We are committed to ensuring that the journal is accessible, relevant, and inspiring. Our goal is not just to document the progress of legal design but to actively shape its future. We believe that by fostering collaboration and sharing insights, the Legal Design Journal can spark imaginative thinking across legal fields and inspire the next generation of legal professionals.
