Manuel Fabrizi

The value of consistency

by

The rebranding of a law firm is a moment of identity synthesis, strategic alignment, and redefinition of its relationship with clients and the market. In the case of Improda, entrusted to Inarea, the process stems from an internal evolution of the firm and develops into a broader reflection on communication, consistency, and trust.We discuss this with Alberto Improda, founder of Improda Studio Legale, a firm active for over thirty years and now structured as a multidisciplinary group serving businesses. What needs led you to the rebranding? The need stemmed from a very concrete step: at the beginning of 2025, we expanded the partnership by bringing in professionals who had been working with us for years. It was a moment of natural growth, but also a symbolic one, and we felt the need to visually represent this new phase. Alongside this, there was a more structural need: over the years, the firm had evolved into a complex group, complementing its legal practice with business advisory services. However, this growth had taken place unevenly, with different visual identities. The rebranding therefore became an opportunity to create a unified and coherent image for entities that, while working together, presented themselves in a misaligned way. Rebranding is a process of synthesis: what did you learn from revisiting your identity? It was far more complex than I had imagined. I initially thought it would be a purely technical intervention, but it turned into a true process of introspection. The dialogue—both internal and with Inarea’s professionals—led us to articulate values and visions that we had never fully clarified before. Differences in perspective also emerged: on one side, more traditional approaches; on the other, more innovative views. The goal was not to find a compromise, but an authentic synthesis. The final outcome—a master brand capable of bringing together legal practice and advisory services—reflects this awareness: we are a single entity, with different yet integrated competencies. How important is it to manage a law firm’s image in a coherent and strategic way? It is essential. The rebranding helped us not only present ourselves more effectively, but also work more efficiently. Previously, when a client required services beyond strictly legal ones, the transition to our advisory company could create uncertainty. Today, thanks to a unified identity, this transition feels natural. At the same time, we chose to rely on professionals for managing our communication, particularly on social media. Here as well, the key word is consistency: gradual growth, without shortcuts, in full respect of the firm’s reputation. What does it mean to build trust in a law firm through branding? Trust is central—it always has been in the legal profession, and today it is also a key element of branding. Trust is built through consistency: if a brand makes a promise, it must uphold it over time. This is what makes a firm credible in the eyes of its clients. Looking at recent cases, it is clear how the perception of consistency—or inconsistency—can make a decisive difference. For a law firm, this means aligning communication, values, and professional conduct. The brand is not a superficial layer; it is the visible expression of what the firm truly is.

Law Firm: the silent revolution

by

The evolution of law firms is unfolding rapidly and profoundly through the integration of new organizational models, technological innovation, and increasingly complex market dynamics. In this context, branding becomes a strategic tool to redefine the identity and positioning of law firms. We discuss this with Mario Suglia, for a cross-disciplinary perspective spanning law and the design of relationships. What have law firms evolved into today? Today, lawyers are increasingly acting as advisors—proactive figures able to anticipate scenarios and guide clients through strategic legal decisions. This shift in role is accompanied by a decisive factor: technology. Through the systematic integration of tools such as artificial intelligence, law firms are becoming “service platforms” where people and technologies coexist, reshaping processes and capabilities. At the same time, multidisciplinarity is growing. Lawyers are no longer “isolated” professionals; depending on the area of work, they engage and collaborate with other disciplines—from tax to business advisory. This hybridization naturally leads to aggregation: firms tend to merge and evolve into complex organizations, often structured as corporate entities (STAs—lawyer companies), in order to respond to increasing market complexity. Today, it is difficult to imagine a solo practitioner remaining competitive. The collective dimension becomes a strategic asset, enabling integrated expertise and greater organizational strength. How does this evolution connect with branding dynamics? The key shift is from the individual—where each professional now has their own personal brand—to the group, the firm, and therefore corporate branding. Traditionally, the focus has been on the individual lawyer. Today, especially in corporate contexts, the emphasis is increasingly on the firm itself. This reflects a change in client expectations: not so much a search for individual excellence, but for structures capable of managing complexity. A law firm’s brand thus becomes the synthesis of a promise: the ability to be reliable, competent, and consistent over time. In this phase of significant transition, it is essential to define the right balance between the master brand—the firm—and the surnames of the individual lawyers who compose it. It is the primary, collective brand that generates trust and builds reputation. This marks a deep cultural shift, still unfolding but ultimately irreversible. How important is naming for a law firm today? This aspect, too, is undergoing a crucial shift, marking—also symbolically—the move beyond the traditional model tied to the founders’ surnames. Increasingly, firms are choosing names or acronyms that are independent from individuals and capable of expressing a distinct, enduring identity. This does not mean diminishing the value of founders or individuals, but rather redefining their role within a broader system. The name thus becomes an element of synthesis and vision: it must be recognizable, distinctive, and aligned with the firm’s positioning. It is a delicate balance, especially in this transitional phase where elements of personal and corporate branding still coexist. What are the tools of brand identity for law firms today? Branding now has a multidimensional nature. It is no longer limited to the logo or visual identity, but extends across multiple sensory and relational levels. The visual dimension—and its expression in digital environments, from the website to online communication—remains fundamental, yet new sensory languages are emerging.For example, olfactory branding is becoming increasingly relevant for law firms, shaping physical spaces as a distinctive element of brand recognition. Similarly, brand languages translated into interior design contribute to building a coherent experience. In addition, firms can leverage sound—through sonic logos and musical themes—as a distinctive marker.More broadly, branding takes form through consistent moments of interaction that build relationships and reinforce the perception of the law firm.In essence, design helps make the law more usable, useful, and understandable. Law firms, as active players in its application, are becoming increasingly aware of this in the way they build relationships with their clients.

1946 – 2026: Eighty years young. Happy birthday, Vespa!

by

On April 23, 1946, the patent for the Vespa was filed—the scooter that would go on to become a global symbol of Italian design and lifestyle. The project was commissioned by Enrico Piaggio with the aim of supporting affordable individual mobility in a country devastated by the war. Corradino D’Ascanio, a brilliant aeronautical engineer who had previously developed a helicopter prototype and patented the variable-pitch propeller, approached the challenge by setting aside conventional motorcycle design principles (typically derived from bicycle frames). Instead, he drew on his aeronautical expertise and on surplus components that had become unusable. Until then, in fact, Piaggio had produced military aircraft, ships, and railway carriages. Thus, the starter motor of radial aircraft engines became the propulsion unit of the new scooter. Similarly, the small wheels with a single side-mounted suspension system were derived from aircraft landing gear. The true innovation lay in the frame—a monocoque body structure that gave the Vespa its distinctive shape and introduced entirely new user-oriented solutions. The riding position was designed around a “natural” seated posture and did not require the rider to straddle the fuel tank, as on motorcycles. Mechanical parts were enclosed within the bodywork (as in cars), and the front shield protected the rider’s legs from mud—and even in the event of a fall. In short, it was a revolution: a vehicle designed for ease of use, accessible even to women, as it could be comfortably ridden while wearing a skirt. The tribute to the Vespa, created by Inarea, dates back to 1997, marking the return of the scooter’s historic name after the “Cosa” phase introduced in 1988. It consists of 16 images—compositions created by assembling coherent everyday objects to reconstruct the iconic silhouette. The visual grammar is characteristic of Inarea, where “humble” elements of daily life are combined to generate new forms—in this case, the Vespa myth. These interpretations were met with immediate acclaim, leading Piaggio to turn them into a calendar distributed worldwide, titled “The Vespa 1998 Calendar.” They are still on display at the Museo Piaggio. Happy birthday, Vespa—eighty years young.

Associations in a Fluid Era

by

Amid a profound transformation of intermediary bodies, representative associations—from trade unions to employers’ organizations—are now redefining their role. In this context, Inarea has consistently supported—and interpreted—the evolution of brand identity in the sector, from one of the earliest emblematic cases, CGIL in 1984, to the recent rebranding of Confcommercio. It can be said that today representative associations need to rethink their role. Antonio Romano, why is brand identity becoming central for these organizations? Because we live in an age of disintermediation and of the “liquid society” theorized by Zygmunt Bauman. Major contemporary players such as platforms like Google and Amazon have redefined direct relationships with people, hollowing out the traditional role of intermediary bodies. This does not mean that the need for representation has disappeared, but rather that it has transformed: it is as if we have moved from representation to representation as expression. In this shift, the brand becomes a fundamental—almost defensive—tool, as it enables organizations to be visible and to make collective values relevant within a fragmented and individualistic system. How important is it to recognize yourself in a name? Very much. A name is the first element of identity, but it must be consistent with what it represents. If an organization needs half an hour to be explained, then there’s a problem. A brand, by definition, is something that does not require explanation. In a context where people belong to multiple communities—often fluid and temporary—immediate recognition becomes essential. Today, community is the real glue between people and associations, even more than the services themselves. What brings people together is the ability to express a shared purpose, a set of common goals.If an association can understand itself as a community—not just as a service structure—then it can become attractive again. The point is no longer “what do I do,” but “why do I exist.” The CGIL project was pioneering in this respect. It anticipated several design principles that have since become fundamental. In the 1980s, we introduced a monolithic brand architecture system. The red square—still a defining element of the logo today—became the symbolic and identity container of the Confederation, capable of bringing together a wide range of sectors and local entities. It was a response to a fragmentation that was already evident at the time. Today, this principle is even more relevant: converging under a shared sign is more effective than multiplying identities that ultimately become weak. The more you fragment, the more you lose recognizability. Our work has always been about building systems that can hold differences together—enhancing what unites them and, in doing so, creating strong identities. A principle that we also find in more recent projects, such as the one for Confcommercio. Confcommercio represents six different areas—commerce, tourism, services, transport, professions, and culture—yet its name still evokes only one. The rebranding therefore pursued a dual objective: on the one hand, to overcome misunderstandings; on the other, to build a more inclusive identity. For this reason, we worked on the name “ConfCom,” which conveys the idea of community and network. It was not just a formal intervention, but one that reshaped how the organization presents and positions itself—embracing the plurality of the sectors it represents without implicit hierarchies, and highlighting connections and interdependencies. The innovative aspect also lies in the introduction of a more flexible and modular language, designed to adapt to different contexts, touchpoints, and audiences. The rebranding reflects a broader shift in the role of representation: no longer solely a protective function, but a platform for connection and a catalyst for relationships. When does rebranding become necessary? When the brand is no longer aligned with the time it lives in. Organizations accumulate layers, bureaucracies, and misunderstandings. At a certain point, it becomes necessary to stop and ask: are we still contemporary?Rebranding is a bit like moving house—disruptive at first, but necessary to build new habits. Above all, it is a measure of change, not its cause.

Projects  

Subscribe to our newsletter