Services
Brand Strategy, Visual Identity
Sector
Fintech
The Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) is a network of financial service providers working to bring more responsible programs and services to underserved communities. Their mission spans a wide range of programs, all aimed at building sustainable, long-term financial health for the families and markets they serve. The challenge was communicating that breadth without losing the organization’s personality. CFSI takes on serious issues, but they do it with a sense of fun and a genuine commitment to equity and inclusion, qualities the existing brand didn’t reflect.
Brand Vision
Substance developed a comprehensive iconography system built to carry the full range of CFSI’s services and programs without flattening any of it. Each icon represents a specific value or quality, designed to work independently as a signifier or together as a collage that speaks to the larger CFSI mission. The system gave CFSI a visual language flexible enough to explain complex financial concepts in a way that felt approachable, even lively, rather than dense or clinical.
The identity extended across signage, print materials, apparel, report covers, and a full website redesign, giving CFSI a consistent, recognizable presence everywhere the organization shows up, from a stage backdrop at a national conference to the cover of a research report.
The rebrand gave CFSI a visual system built for scale, one that could flex across dozens of programs and touchpoints while staying instantly recognizable as CFSI. The iconography turned complex financial equity work into something clients, partners, and funders could grasp at a glance, reinforcing CFSI’s role as a serious player in financial innovation without losing the accessibility at the heart of their mission.
