Simplii Financial
A digital bank redesigned to make money feel calmer
Simplii Financial had a powerful proposition: the ease and value of a no-fee digital bank, backed by the strength and security of CIBC. But as more digital-first banks entered the Canadian market, standing out became only part of the challenge. Consumers were increasingly overwhelmed by the complexity of managing their financial lives and were looking for brands that could help them feel more in control. Simplii needed to reinforce that it wasn't just convenient—it was a trusted partner that could provide confidence and peace of mind.
Their existing brand expression was bold, youthful, and disruptive—using saturated neon colors, graphic contrast, and irreverent typography to signal energy and distinctiveness. But consumer testing revealed a harder truth: the design system wasn’t always making people feel reassured.
Lippincott worked with Simplii to create a visual identity designed around how it wanted to make customers feel: capable, calm and in control—preserving the simplicity people valued while bringing greater clarity and confidence to their financial lives.
Simplii’s brand purpose gave the work its center of gravity: helping Canadians feel more confident and in control of their financial lives. The brand platform was designed to drive everything the business said and did, while the visual and verbal expression needed to translate that purpose into tangible ways communicators could evoke clarity, confidence, and calm.
That meant moving the brand from loud to assured. From different for different’s sake to distinctive with purpose. From digital energy to digital ease.
To make calm feel ownable to the brand, Lippincott looked to the natural world. Bespoke illustrated landscapes, inspired by the beauty of Canada, became a backdrop for the brand experience. They give the brand a sense of space, ease and recognition—helping Simplii feel less like another app on a screen and more like a financial partner that gives people room to think.
Color became one of the brand’s most powerful assets. A unique pink-purple hue built on Simplii’s existing pink equity while creating a more distinctive presence in the banking landscape. Neutrals and secondary colors add grounding and flexibility, helping the brand feel more mature without losing the warmth people associate with Simplii.
Together, the design system creates an expression that feels soft but confident, simple but distinctive, digital but deeply human.
A calm bank had to look and sound different, too. We collaborated with Simplii to craft a verbal personality designed to create one consistent Simplii voice across every moment. Joyful, simple, peaceful and caring, it strikes a careful balance: friendly without being overexcited, clear without being academic, reassuring without feeling heavy-handed.
That same sensibility carried into the broader system. Custom illustrations and icons bring warmth and clarity to everyday banking moments, helping financial information feel easier to navigate and less intimidating to act on.
Together, the voice and visual tools make money feel more manageable. They help Simplii explain products and guide decisions with warmth and ease, giving customers the confidence to move forward without feeling talked down to or overwhelmed.
Across app experiences, web, out-of-home, onboarding, merchandise, motion and product communications, the refreshed brand system brings the promise of calmer banking to life. The work gives Simplii a more cohesive way to show up: a recognizable color, a more credible visual world, a warmer voice, and a design system flexible enough to support the realities of a digital-first bank.
The new system gives Simplii a more cohesive and confident way to show up: a recognizable color palette, a more credible visual world, a warmer voice and a flexible design language built for the realities of a digital-first bank. Simplii now plays a clearer role in a crowded category, helping Canadians feel less overwhelmed by money, more supported in their choices and more in control of what comes next.
