Choate focuses on only 5 practice areas, has an exceptionally high partner-to-associate ratio, and operates out of a single office in Boston, Massachusetts. They use the phrase “Built different” to describe their unique offering — and tasked Thinkso with finding a way to confidently and creatively reflect it in the design of their new website. We developed the content strategy and editorial for the site, art directed a library of custom photography, and collaborated with developer RubensteinTech to make it function seamlessly.
“Thinkso made sure that the distinct personality of our firm was reflected in the editorial tone and visual design of the new site. We were given plenty of opportunity to provide input and feedback—and always felt listened to.” Matt Weaver, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, Choate Hall & Stewart
The “Built different” tagline is stated boldly and clearly across the top of the homepage, coupled with a photograph of Choate attorneys interacting within the distinctive interior of their Boston office. Upon scrolling, the unique story of Choate is told, accompanied by a diverse selection of imagery.
A “mobile first” approach was taken for the design of the Choate site—ensuring that it functions on a range of phones and tablet devices.
Unexpectedly, the main nav is located along the left side of the page. Each section is accessed through a simple takeover page designed to highlight key content and efficiently move the user to the information they’re seeking.
An effort was made to push key information to the top of the page as well as to provide jump links, content drawers, and other devices to easily access content farther below.
We devised an effective system for creating attorney portraits that gives the firm the ability to do much of the work in-house—adding new attorneys whenever they need to. A selection of stock backgrounds were created, and detailed photo and cropping guidelines were provided to ensure quality and consistency.
We introduced Choate to veteran photographer Joe Mikos who created a cache of images that features the firm’s people in their work environments—celebrating their culture of hard work high above Boston Harbor.