Bankly is a fintech company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It launched operations in 2017 and has developed the most inclusive, last-mile digital financial products for Nigeria’s 47.4M financially underserved adults. Bankly is revolutionizing the flow of money by building robust and scalable payment rails for cash through a wide network of direct and partner agents, digitizing cash while reducing the incidence of fraud, theft, and losses prevalent with cash savings.

After securing $2 million in seed funding, the company planned to scale its business and grow its 35,000-customer base in cash-dependent communities. Embarking on a rebrand project was crucial to help set it on course to achieve its mission.

Beyond the core goal of bringing the unbanked into the digital economy through "digitization of cash," Bankly is also committed to building communities, relationships, and connections. Informed by these core values and goals, I built the new identity around the concept of a portal, referred to as the “Bankly Portal.” The portal serves as a digitization gateway that transforms physical cash into a more reliable digital form.

“Money moves faster when it’s digital.”

The second guiding principle of the identity is “connection,” represented by the simple idea of an “intersection.” For an intersection to occur, there has to be a connection between two or more entities. Creating infrastructure that makes banking simpler and more accessible for the unbanked inherently enhances connections between people.

“Connection” being the core of the Bankly design system constantly reinforces the values of the brand in the minds of its customers. The flat illustrations and icons depict the intersection of basic shapes to create meaningful symbolism.

Bankly’s vibrancy, strength, and simplicity are also reflected in its color palette. It draws from a combination of bold and earthy tones observed in nature — land, sea, sky, and vegetation. The previous shade of blue was enhanced to a bolder tone, creating the strong visual presence needed to embody their new identity.

Blue communicates: intelligence, unity, depth, trust, loyalty, transparency, and confidence.

The new mark visually interprets the ideologies that form Bankly’s core values and serves as the foundation on which the new design system is built.