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Brand & Web Cat Poupança

Overview

Catarina’s Personal finance education project, Cat Poupança, needed a brand revamp due to the growing content maturity and audience trust.

Industry

Financial Education · Personal Finance

Role

Brand & Web Designer

Timeline

January – April 2025

Year

2025

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

WordPress

ElemeNTOR

01

Problem Definition

As Catarina’s project evolved, the existing visual identity and website no longer supported the level of credibility required for a trust-sensitive domain such as personal finance.

While the content and business had matured, the brand system remained visually inconsistent and lacked the structural clarity needed to communicate authority and reliability at first glance.

This created a systemic issue rather than a purely aesthetic one: the brand was underperforming in communicating its actual value.

02

Constraints & Guidelines

Following the briefing and questionnaire, it became clear that there were four key constraints that influenced all design decisions throughout the project:
1. Increase perceived credibility without losing approachability
2. Avoid corporate financial clichés while reinforcing trust
3. Preserve brand familiarity and value for the existing audience
4. Design a system flexible enough for content-heavy communication

03

Strategy & Decision-Making Criteria

Three core principles guided decision-making throughout all design stages, directly reflecting the values and approach of Cat Poupança as a personal financial education business:

1. Knowledge Integrity: The business is grounded in the responsible sharing of financial knowledge. Design decisions prioritised clarity, transparency, and educational structure — supporting practical, accurate guidance that helps people move from financial disorganisation to confident money management.
2. Grounded Tone: A down-to-earth, human approach shaped the brand’s visual and verbal language. The objective was to communicate proximity, empathy, and accessibility, reinforcing the message that financial education is attainable and relevant to anyone seeking greater financial security and freedom.
3. Information Integrity: Rigor, consistency, and responsibility were fundamental throughout the process. Every decision reflected the seriousness with which financial guidance is delivered, ensuring the brand communicates trust, credibility, and long-term reliability.

Rather than applying trends or predefined visual styles, these principles acted as strategic filters, ensuring each decision supported the business’s purpose and long-term positioning.

The design objective was to communicate authority through structure and coherence, not through visual complexity.

04

Process

The project unfolded through a structured yet fluid process, translating strategic insight into a cohesive visual and digital outcome.

Discovery

An initial conversation and strategic questionnaire were used to understand the motivation behind the rebrand, clarify objectives, and identify the foundations for the new visual direction.

Context & Insight

Collected insights were analysed alongside a review of the competitive landscape within personal financial education, establishing a clear context for differentiation.

Visual Direction

Based on this analysis, a visual direction was defined — balancing credibility, approachability, and long-term consistency.

Identity Development

The new visual identity was developed and refined, then presented for validation and approval.

Digital Translation

The approved identity was translated into a fully responsive WordPress website, ensuring visual coherence and usability across devices.

05

Branding

LOGO

  • Lowercase typography reinforces proximity and reduces perceived distance.
  • Consistent typographic height introduces visual discipline and rigor.
  • Circular forms, derived from the logotype, reference savings, continuity, and financial cycles.

These elements work together to balance authority with approachability.

COLOR & TYPOGRAPHY

  • Color serves a structural purpose: navy tones establish stability and trust, neutral shades maintain readability and restraint and warm accents provide emotional balance and brightness without reducing credibility;
  • Typography supports messaging, creates hierarchy, and ensures clarity across all brand touchpoints.

Icon Version

Horizontal Logo

Main Logo

06

Website

The Cat Poupança website was designed to translate the new visual identity into a clear, approachable, and structured digital experience, reflecting the brand’s mission of financial guidance and trustworthiness.

Information Architecture

The website structure prioritises clarity and logical progression, guiding users effortlessly through Catarina’s services, testimonials, and personal story. Content flows intuitively, ensuring visitors can access the information they need without friction.

UX Principles
  • Minimal Navigation: A clean menu and intuitive layout reduce cognitive load.
  • Clear Hierarchy: Information is prioritised to lead users naturally through the site.
  • High Readability: Typography and spacing were carefully considered to maximise comprehension and ease of reading.

UI Patterns
  • Typography-Led Layouts: Hierarchy and emphasis are communicated primarily through type.
  • Restrained Visual Elements: Decorative elements are minimal, allowing content to shine.
  • Brand System Alignment: Every component follows the established visual identity, creating a cohesive and recognisable experience.

Responsiveness

The website was developed fully responsive, ensuring the design system maintains integrity and usability across all devices and screen sizes.

7

Key Outcomes

Enhanced brand alignment: reflects the brand’s maturity, mission, and values more clearly.
Increased credibility: The updated design strengthens perceived authority and trust among the audience.

Cohesive and scalable system: The identity system is consistent and flexible, supporting future growth and communications.

Stronger brand confidence: The client feels more assured presenting the brand publicly, with a clear and professional visual presence.

8

Reflections

This project reinforced the importance of treating brand identity as a system rather than a collection of visual assets.

In trust-sensitive domains, credibility is built through clarity, consistency, and disciplined decision-making, not aesthetic complexity.

Design maturity, in this context, is defined by how well a system supports communication over time.