Giving visual identity to an AI-powered retirement tool
CLIENT
WAIVZ
ROLE
Branding
Studio
Seventy5 Studio
Project Overview
ABOUT Waivz
WAIVZ is an AI-powered 401(k) retirement tool designed for advisors, recordkeepers, TPAs, and professionals in the retirement industry. Its three main products—including a chat feature that provides instant answers on 401(k) and retirement plans—aim to make the retirement industry more accessible and efficient.
THE CHALLENGE
- Create a logo and icon that remain highly recognizable and adaptable at minimal sizes.
- Develop a modern yet professional visual identity, avoiding overused AI and wave-inspired visuals.
- Establish a high-contrast color palette and typography system that reflects the bold, disruptive nature of the brand.
WHAT I LEARNED
- Designing a seamless connection between the icon and typography, ensuring the icon felt like an organic extension of the brand rather than an independent element.
- Developing a modular design approach, using simple geometric elements to construct flexible patterns and graphics.
- Blending bright, high-contrast colors to achieve an impactful, modern aesthetic without appearing playful or immature
Design process
1. Research & Strategy:
The process began with a client meeting where we defined the core attributes WAIVZ wanted to communicate:
- Bold
- Futuristic
- Innovative
- Disruptive
- At the forefront of technology
To ensure a unique positioning, I conducted competitive research on AI-driven brands, both within and outside the retirement industry, analyzing:
- Common design trends in typography, color palettes, and iconography.
- How established AI brands convey trust and innovation through their visual language.
2. Concept development:
Using insights from the research, I developed mood boards to explore possible brand directions, followed by paper sketches to refine the logo concept.
- The breakthrough idea came from using a single minimal shape to construct the entire logo:
- The A and V could be mirrored to form the W and I, creating a cohesive, modular structure.
- After defining the logo, I started developing the icon, ensuring it felt like a simplified extension of the brand, rather than a standalone mark.
Branding
3. Branding execution:
Once the logo and icon were finalized, I moved on to:
- Color Palette: Focused on creating a warm, bold, and vibrant look, blending high-contrast tones to avoid appearing overly playful.
- Textures & Patterns: Designed textures that visually represent the transition from confusion to clarity, reinforcing WAIVZ’s mission.
- Typography:
- Selected Unbounded for titles—a distinctive, unconventional typeface that embodies the disruptive nature of the brand.
- Paired it with Nunito Sans, a well-balanced sans-serif that enhances readability and provides contrast.
Impact
start-up growth
Released in February 2025 and gained over 100 subscriptions in the first month
Testimonial
