The vertical debit card design reflecting “how people bank today”

Banking start-up Tide has revealed the portrait card design as part of a wider rebrand by consultancy Article.

Start-up banking service Tide has rebranded, unveiling a new logo and a redesigned, “vertical” debit card.

The company was founded in 2017, and offers online banking services and loans to small businesses. It currently has more than 30,000 customers in the UK.

Created by Tide’s in-house design team, the card ditches the traditional landscape format used by most banks for a portrait version instead.

The design aims to reflect how people actually use cards today, says Tide head of design Caitlin Rich, such as by inserting them into ATMs to withdraw cash, slotting them into terminals when paying in shops and restaurants and keeping them in the back of their smartphones.

The card has the user’s name and details on the back, with the aim of making the front look more “clean”, says Tide. The company adds that this feature also improves security as personal data is more hidden and therefore harder to copy.

The front of the card features Tide’s new logo, a circular symbol with a small, raised swell. Designed by Article, the logo takes inspiration from the Old Saxon version of the company’s name, tīd, which means time and nods to the company’s mission to make banking quicker for its customers.

Dark blue has been chosen as the brand’s core colour, with the aim of looking “refined” and “understated”, says Rich.

“We’ve never designed in a blue this deep – a blue that’s warm and distinctive. It’s nothing like the corporate colours we’re used to, but it’s also nothing like the loud colours or design quirks that newer brands shout with,” Rich adds.

Tide’s new identity has rolled out across all touchpoints.

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Comments
  • Dexter Hartley March 21, 2018 at 8:49 am

    Bold, and I do like the vertical aspect, but this is a fail.
    The name of the card issuer is at the bottom and would be hidden when placed in a phone case wallet, and the chip would be exposed. Rotate the card through 180 degrees and have the name at the top for a win.

  • Roger Fuller March 21, 2018 at 9:23 am

    Like all the best ideas, this is SO simple! Why has nobody thought of it before? Well, OK, neither did I – but I wish I had!

  • Lee Davies March 21, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    I’ve been with Tide for around 6 months. It’s a fantastic experience. And this refresh completes the circle. Great stuff. Nice job to all involved.

    Only shame I have to cancel my card to get a new vertical one

  • Tom Redfern March 21, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    I like the branding exercise, but the visual representation of the card isn’t correct. If you look at your bank card, the card number, your name and account details are all blind embossed into the card, leaving the back with depressions. The visuals above here show the front of the card as being smooth. I’m not sure this is possible using current card technology. I love the idea of a vertical card though.

  • Torqueback March 26, 2018 at 4:06 pm

    Vertical is the way to go, especially for something used in machines. Which is why the new Venezualan currencuies look so smart.

  • Ross Hall April 12, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    Neat design. Only issue I have with it is the CVV is on the same side of the card as the card number / expiry date. One photo is all you need to clone these cards.

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