Venturethree’s “trustworthy and authoritative” branding for a payment app

Venturethree has created the branding and positioning of Earnd which features a look and tone of voice that suggests “trust, character and control”.

Earnd is a financial app that allows people access to their salary as they earn it, instead of in a monthly payment. Owned by finance company Greensill, it “aims to make finance fairer for all” by allowing employees access to their salary on a rolling basis rather than as a monthly installment.

“Control at its heart”

The design team at Venturethree tells Design Week that the brand “was created with control at its heart”.

The ‘e’ switch symbol sits at the “heart of the brand and demonstrates instant access to your earnings”. This is then applied throughout the identity, as “more intricate levels of control become apparent in the longer shapes and gradients” in further visuals.

The switch symbol also “represents the shift from outdated, delayed payment systems and cycles of the past, towards a real-time pay revolution”.

A tone of voice that “needed to grab attention”

Venturethree explains that the tone of voice “needed to grab attention”. “The concept of real-time pay is new and revelatory, so simple words and staccato constructions give the brand the power to punch through,” the studio says.

Again, a layered approach was taken. “There’s also scope for more considerate long-form, with softer flowing construction in places that need a more careful touch,” Venturethree says. It also had to speak to both business and their employers.

Design details

The colour palette is “ownable” and “confident”, revolving around a green tone, which “links back to the Greensill masterbrand”. 

The logotype is a bespoke version of the typeface Moderat, which is a “good combination of trustworthy, but with character”. The steps in the ‘y’ and ‘g’ characters are unique, but do not “compromise the gravitas of the brand”.