Founded in 2011, Wise has long sought to challenge the financial status quo. Previously known as TransferWise (it dropped the first part of its name in 2021), the foreign exchange fintech allows people and businesses to move money between countries as well as spending money abroad.

Today, over 16 million people and businesses use Wise, saving them £1.5 billion compared to traditional banking fees last year alone. As it continues to make it easier and cheaper for more people in more places to use their money, the fintech decided its branding needed to better reflect its work.

Wise approached branding agency Ragged Edge to create its new visual identity. Rooted in the idea ‘The World’s Money’, the branding sees its existing wordmark and Fast Flag icon subtly recrafted for better legibility.

The agency decided to move away from the blue hue that has become a fintech convention over the last decade. Instead, green is now the core brand colour, in a nod to Wise’s previous green hued card.

A clear and confident tone of voice has been developed to be understood instantly by anyone in any language, while a new bespoke typeface, Wise Sans, incorporates letterforms inspired by scripts from across the globe.

The identity also introduces a new distinctive asset, described by Ragged Edge as a set of “graphic tapestries”, which fuses colour, imagery and texture to form a striking background for how the brand shows up both on and offline.

Fittingly for a brand that is in the business of moving money, motion plays a big part in the identity. New motion principles are designed to feel fluid across everything from product to communications.

The design system is intended to be one of the most accessible in the world, supporting over 146 languages. Every design decision, including testing over 200 colour options, was made to exceed the standard requirements of WCAG 3.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

Secondary typeface Inter is an open-source font, which includes a comprehensive set of currency symbols for the whole world to use. Meanwhile, Wise’s entire library of iconography and illustrations were recreated from scratch and tested to ensure they’d be understood the world over.

Given the scale of the project, Ragged Edge and Wise decided to adapt the traditional client-agency relationship, functioning as one team throughout the process. The agency’s creative director, Luke Woodhouse, says: “It ensured the results will flow through every part of the business and product, for the maximum possible impact.”

raggededge.com