A trial team might reasonably start a meeting with their litigation graphics consultants by saying, “We’re looking to you to help us design the best litigation graphics possible for this case.” It's a reasonable sounding goal to be sure. But what does it mean really?

I think this means a lot of things. Ultimately, it must mean those trial presentation graphics will help win the case. Nothing else matters more.

So, when you are talking to your trial graphics consultants, consider what you really intend to communicate about your goals. Here are nine things that I think define the best litigation graphics and how to get to them for your case.
 

1. Eliminate the Mediocre Litigation Graphics: In my last article, I wrote about how the team with the most litigation graphics will not necessarily emerge the winner. The winner will be the team that refines its PowerPoint deck sufficiently to only show the best litigation graphics. See also 10 Reasons The Litigation Graphics You DO NOT Use Are Important.
   
   
2. Your Notes Are Not Your Trial Presentation: All too often, litigators start building their trial presentation by creating text slides in PowerPoint. Typically, many bullet point style slides are left over that hamper persuasion and recall. See Still Think Persuasion is About Talking While Showing Bullet Points? and Don't Use PowerPoint as a Crutch in Trial or Anywhere
   
   
3. We're Not Talking About Just Documents: Some people believe that when they've hired a hot-seat operator, they've hired a litigation graphics consultant. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, they have not. They've hired a technology expert with excellent courtroom experience. However, this person is almost certainly not trained in the persuasion sciences. See Why Trial Tech ≠ Litigation Graphics
   
   
4. Beauty is Not the Goal: Most litigation graphics firms focus on form over function. I appreciate great design better than most people, but the best graphics are the ones that are the most persuasive, not the most beautiful. See Litigation Graphics: It's Not a Beauty Contest
   
   
5. Don't Read Your Slides: If you're reading your slides, I know that you haven’t arrived at your best litigation graphics. See Why Reading Your Litigation PowerPoint Slides Hurts Jurors
   
   
6. Integrating Your Litigation Graphics With What You Say: Most jurors will remember how they felt during your trial presentation more than what you actually said or what was in the trial graphics. However, it is the combination of all of these that is most powerful. Considering how to combine what is said and what is shown well in advance of trial leads to the most wins. See 12 Ways to SUCCESSFULLY Combine Oral and Visual Presentations
   
   
7. Starting Early: I understand that clients want to hold off spending money on trial prep until they absolutely have to, but most clients hold off far too long. Here are our reasons why you should start earlier, not later.  See How Long Before Trial Should I Begin Preparing My Trial Graphics? and The 13 Biggest Reasons to Avoid Last-Minute Trial Preparation
   
   
8. Test the Graphics! It is jury consulting malpractice to test a case via a mock trial and not test litigation graphics at the same time. If you see a firm doing that, it's reason alone to switch teams. See Why You Should Pressure-Test Your Trial Graphics Well Before Trial
   
   
9. The Best Deliver the Best: You might want to ensure you're getting the best litigation graphics by working with a firm that has been voted best litigation graphics consultants. A2L has won this accolade many times. 

Other free A2L resources related to litigation graphics, trial technology, hot seat operators, and testing litigation graphics in a mock trial include:

• 12 Reasons Litigation Graphics are More Complicated Than You Think
• Litigation Graphics: It's Not a Beauty Contest
• 11 Ways to Start Right With Your Litigation Graphics Team
• 7 Reasons Litigation Graphics Consultants are Essential Even When Clients Have In-House Expertise
• Why Lawyers and Litigation Graphic Artists Need to Work Together
• 5 Tips for Using TrialDirector and Trial Technicians Effectively
• FREE DOWNLOAD: Storytelling for Litigators: Building a Great Narrative for Judge & Jury
• FREE WEBINAR: Storytelling as a Persuasion Tool
• 17 Reasons Why Litigation Consultants Are Better at Graphics Than Law Firms
• FREE DOWNLOAD: Complimentary Complex Civil Litigation E-Book Download
• FREE DOWNLOAD: A Litigator's Guide: How To Find and Use Trial Technicians and Trial Technology
• 21 Reasons a Litigator Is Your Best Litigation Graphics Consultant
• My Case Is Not Visual – So Why Do I Need Litigation Graphics?
• FREE DOWNLOAD: Using & Creating Litigation Graphics to Persuade - An E-Book for Litigators and Litigation Support Professionals
• 12 Ways to SUCCESSFULLY Combine Oral and Visual Presentations
• 16 PowerPoint Litigation Graphics You Won't Believe Are PowerPoint
• The 14 Most Preventable Trial Preparation Mistakes
• 12 Reasons Litigation Graphics are More Complicated Than You Think
• Why Litigation Graphics at Mock Trials Make Sense
• Law360 Interviews A2L Consulting's Founder/CEO Ken Lopez