Systematic literature review of legal design: Concepts, processes, and methods

Abstract

Abstract The emergence of legal design has recently raised considerable interest from both design and legal communities. The present study is based on a systematic review of the legal design in peer-reviewed publications from 2001 to 2021, to identify current knowledge of its concepts, processes, and methods in the literature. Our analysis found that legal design and design thinking are conceptually comparable as both possess a human-centred approach to innovation. However, due to the inherent nature of law and the legal system, legal design and design thinking processes and methods differ in practice. Notably, proactiveness and stakeholder-centred thinking are key concepts of legal design. Legal design emphasises interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to accommodate diverse stakeholders with competing priorities and to improve communication. Finally, drawing on the literature review, we conclude by reflecting on our analysis and raising further research questions for design practitioners and researchers.