Design thinking is a concept that can be tempting to ignore when you work in law. While the “thinking” part likely speaks to you, “design” could sound like the domain of creative professionals. Before you write it off—and with that, close yourself off to opportunity—consider this: Are you sure you don’t work in a creative field?

You may already be using design thinking without realizing it. Let’s say that you’re working with a client for whom English is a second language. Say that your client wants to buy 23 parcels of land that are owned by nine different owners, and proposes to enter into nine different land contracts, each of which carries its own purchase price, earnest money requirements (i.e., how much money goes on deposit and when does it become nonrefundable), due diligence periods, deal milestones and closing dates. How are you going to get (literally) “on the same page” as your client about all of those key contract points?