Waikato Business News September/October 2018

“The most useful part of Designwell’s
approach was the fact that they went
beyond colours and logos,” says partner
Matthew Peploe. “They took us through
a much wider process, looking at our values
and our direction, and it gave us the time
and purpose to reassess those thoroughly.”
Joan was impressed with the depth of the
process – “Designwell talked us through
the impact that design can have on the
culture of a firm, the impression it can give
to clients, for staff, and for new employees
coming in,” she says.
Part of what Designwell focused on was
talking to many people in the Harkness
Henry team to get a real feel for culture,
the physical and non-physical aspects
of the brand, says Joan.
“This process gave us the chance
to really look at ourselves as a
company – what are the things
that we value? Are they still
relevant? What kind of firm are
we? And as a company, are we
properly living out those values,
or do we need to redefine them?”
For the most part, it simply grounded them
as a company. There were no big revelations
in the process, but more a refining and
honing of their purpose and position.
As Matthew states, “It made us conscious
of things that had otherwise been
subconscious.”
The Harkness Henry team came back to
four key values:
• The experts – The skills and knowledge
in their team are vital in achieving
the best for clients.
• A team that cares – Client relationship
is key for the team at Harkness Henry.
• A trusted wise counsel – They strongly
value their rich heritage and the trust
and loyalty it has built over the years.
• Agile and responsive – Not restrained
by their history, Harkness Henry is more
than ever thorough, accurate and always
one step ahead.
“These values have been held at the heart of
our business for a long time, but this process
simply allowed us to hone them, and of
course put them on paper so to speak. This
was what we want to be known for, now and
in the future – they’re fundamental to all we
do,” Sarah says.
They’re big statements, but how do you
convey this in a logo or a few words on a
website? This is not a simple task.
But after working closely with the team
to extract the ‘essence’ of the Harkness
Henry brand, the Designwell team were
well cued, and developed three distinct
options which summed up the company
visually as well as verbally.
The logic behind all that right brain creative
thinking really gave depth to the designs
that Designwell presented to the Harkness
Henry team.
“It was a relatively straightforward process,”
says Joan, “We worked through the
designs together and chose the option we
like the best – and tried to resist the urge to
alter things!”
“Just as we’re experts in law, Designwell are
skilled in design, and have purpose in doing
things a certain way – leave the details to
the experts we say!”
“It’s a look that’s sleek, simple
and approachable. Yes we’re a
professional law firm, but we
hope we’ve dusted off any old
fashioned legal constraints and
avoided any corporate ‘sheen’ in
the new look,”
Designwell’s approach with the photography
was to celebrate what the Harkness Henry
team does for their clients out in the real
world. Overall the design feels fresh and
relevant, yet still retains the essence
of their trusted heritage.
As they’ve moved through the particular
aspects of the rebrand, Joan says,
“We made a conscious effort to state our
values and what we stand for outright in
wording, rather than just expecting our
clients to intrinsically pick them up.”
With the new look and feel launching this
week, the honesty and authenticity of the
brand is very evident across all elements,
and as Sarah hopes, that’s a reassuring
sign in a profession that can be thought
of as the polar opposite.
Developing a brand redesign and rolling
it all out can be a lengthy process – and this
has been no exception. But, as Joan says,
it’s been a very enjoyable and valuable
process for the team – “It’s an outward
expression of our inward culture and values”.
You can take a look at the new website at
www.harknesshenry.co.nz