We have been tasked to conduct some case studies on different brands of our choice, these case studies focused around elements relevant to our own bank brand.
A brand that uses colour in a way I would like to is All Trails. They are a trail finder and tracker, suggesting the best hiking routes and tracking your progress along the hike. I have used All Trails in the past and found it to be an enjoyable experience. All Trails utilise the green that can be found along these trails to help shape their own identity. I think the use of the monochromatic greens is what really stands out to me with All Trails. Not only is it focused on the nature of the content that will be on display but it also reflects the environment in which the brand will be used. This monochromatic green can be interpreted to represent the varying landscapes and fauna one might come across on a hike. The specific contrast shown below within the logomark and the background is so appealing, the bright almost neon pastel green against the brooding deeper green background creates such a pleasant pop. To me this pop is a signal that hiking has gone digital. Beyond the monochromatic greens All Trails use a range of greys, whites and blacks appropriately, particularly within their UI. They also manage to include a complimentary red within the UI that adds a much needed accent to what could become a rather repetitive palette.
Depop is a platform for people to sell their unwanted clothes and slowly other things, such as cameras and books. With a generation of folk becoming more environmentally concerned than ever, not to mention economically, Depop feels like a no brainer, it is sustainable and much cheaper than exploitative off shore labour marked up 1000%. It is exactly this thinking that allows Depop to tap into the younger generation, more and more people are becoming less concerned with the name attached to their clothing but rather what their clothes say themselves. Depop pushes users to run a whole storefront from their bedroom, placing an emphasis on the individual that I think speaks toward my own target users.
Revolut are a contemporary “bank” although the bank part is still yet to be certified they have garnered over 50 million users. Revolut would be a direct competitor to my own bank, choosing to be a digital first bank, hedging their bets toward a fully digital economy. Not too many brands take up space in this sphere purely because the competition is so tough. Revoluts USP to separate themselves from other digital bank offering similar services is that they leverage this mobility to make them a fully global bank, specialising in currency conversion, crypto and even investing amongst other general banking processes. Not only are they modern as a digital bank but I feel they have the most modern approach on the market, opting to use relatively trending imagery to help shape their identity, being tapped in to contemporary culture is a huge reason as to why Revolut have over 50 millions users..
Waze is an app that provides real time directions, often using user input to report crashes, police stops on other traffic scenarios. Waze’s goal is not to provide directions but to aid in your journey, to be a helpful guide. That is how I view my bank when reflecting on its values. Due to the economic instability we currently face, a helping hand can go a long way for those that have never been offered one. Waze is exactly that, whilst some of these occurences or even hotspots for such accidents or roadworks may be second nature to some not everyone has the experience to know this in. This sentiment is clearly shared by others as the app is built off the backs of other users lending this helping hand by providing real time information and reporting these incidents along their own journeys.
