Banking is the only category of services that touches and influences a consumer’s entire life. In Brazil, digital natives—a high-potential group that accounts for 30% of the economically active population—see banking as a necessary evil and a reactive service. In fact, 71% of millennials would rather go to a dentist than to a bank. Bradesco—one of the largest banks in Brazil, with more than 75 million customers—wanted to increase its penetration into this market and was willing to embrace an entirely new proposition, an innovative business model, and a reimagined branding and design process.

Available for iOS and Android, ‘next’ is Bradesco’s new financial platform offering products, services, smart budgeting tools, customized graphics, and personalized experiences targeted to young customers under the “Make It Happen” concept. Our goal was to create a digital banking experience that helps customers unleash their full financial potential. Over the 2-year building journey, our teams collaborated with client teams in an agile model to craft a full-service banking ecosystem. The platform is powered by machine learning systems and powerful algorithms to deliver a proactive experience that evolves with every interaction. By understanding and learning individual financial habits, ‘next’ can predict future states and deliver a customized experience that guides customers to make better daily financial decisions. Because the brand would live primarily behind interfaces, we designed an identity that can be touched and experienced, that is responsive and functional. The logo itself becomes a simple and instant visualization of the customer’s financial health, helping to track progress against goals. We expanded this identity to create a natural, fun, energetic, and intuitive design system that feels rare among banking apps. The distinctive brand language, so embedded into the experience, feels familiar after just a few interactions. Every user journey happens through the integration of technology, data intelligence, and design. The full ecosystem touches the customer with a consistent purpose, consistent branding, and a consistent experience at every touchpoint: apps and services, customer service (powered by IBM Watson), ATMs (60,000 units), partnerships, notifications, activations, connected physical spaces, storytelling, social media, website, and CRM programs.