Reach — Brand & Product Design
Reach — Brand & Product Design
Reach — Brand & Product Design
Redesigning a financial platform people could actually trust
Redesigning a financial platform people could actually trust
Redesigning a financial platform people could actually trust
A full rebrand and end-to-end experience redesign across web and mobile, focused on rebuilding clarity, confidence, and trust in a complex financial category.
A full rebrand and end-to-end experience redesign across web and mobile, focused on rebuilding clarity, confidence, and trust in a complex financial category.
A full rebrand and end-to-end experience redesign across web and mobile, focused on rebuilding clarity, confidence, and trust in a complex financial category.
The company
The company
The company
Reach delivers financial products that help people take control of debt and make more informed financial decisions. The platform exists to simplify personal finance and help users move toward long-term financial goals.
Reach delivers financial products that help people take control of debt and make more informed financial decisions. The platform exists to simplify personal finance and help users move toward long-term financial goals.
Reach delivers financial products that help people take control of debt and make more informed financial decisions. The platform exists to simplify personal finance and help users move toward long-term financial goals.
My role
My role
My role
Over the course of a year, I worked closely with brand, product, and engineering to redefine the Reach brand and redesign the borrower experience across web and mobile.
The focus was on rebuilding trust through design, shaping how the brand feels across touchpoints and ensuring the experience reflects the quality of the product behind it.
I worked across brand identity, visual systems, and experience design, translating a fragmented brand into a more cohesive and expressive system.
Over the course of a year, I worked closely with brand, product, and engineering to redefine the Reach brand and redesign the borrower experience across web and mobile.
The focus was on rebuilding trust through design, shaping how the brand feels across touchpoints and ensuring the experience reflects the quality of the product behind it.
I worked across brand identity, visual systems, and experience design, translating a fragmented brand into a more cohesive and expressive system.
Over two years, I designed AI-powered, end to end experiences spanning onboarding, high traffic web surfaces, product storytelling, email, and paid social, crafting cohesive journeys from first impression through activation. I partnered cross functionally with marketing, product, and engineering to rapidly prototype, test, and scale new growth ideas.
I also expanded the web and email design systems to support faster experimentation and built AI driven tools that enabled marketing teams to generate high quality creative at scale.
My goal
My goal
My goal
Financial products are defined by trust. At Reach, there was a clear gap between the strength of the product and how it was perceived through the brand and experience.
My goal was to close that gap: evolve the visual identity toward a more modern and human direction, reduce perceived friction in the experience, and create a brand system that could support a growing product ecosystem.
Financial products are defined by trust. At Reach, there was a clear gap between the strength of the product and how it was perceived through the brand and experience.
My goal was to close that gap: evolve the visual identity toward a more modern and human direction, reduce perceived friction in the experience, and create a brand system that could support a growing product ecosystem.
Financial products are defined by trust. At Reach, there was a clear gap between the strength of the product and how it was perceived through the brand and experience.
My goal was to close that gap: evolve the visual identity toward a more modern and human direction, reduce perceived friction in the experience, and create a brand system that could support a growing product ecosystem.
My responsibilities
My responsibilities
My responsibilities
Brand Design
Brand Design
Brand Design
Web Design
Web Design
Web Design
Motion Design
Motion Design
Motion Design
Systems Design
Systems Design
Systems Design
Growth & Conversion
Growth & Conversion
Growth & Conversion
Prototyping
Prototyping
Prototyping
A/B Testing
A/B Testing
A/B Testing
UX Design
UX Design
UX Design
Visual Identity
Visual Identity
Visual Identity
Cross-functional Collaboration
Cross-functional Collaboration
Cross-functional Collaboration
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Anton Aheichanka, Lead Designer
Ben Berry, Creative Director
Jon Wheeler, Front-End Lead
Melissa Castro, Product Marketing Manager
Marta Savka, Product Designer
Taffy Steele, Product Manager
Anton Aheichanka, Lead Designer
Ben Berry, Creative Director
Jon Wheeler, Front-End Lead
Melissa Castro, Product Marketing Manager
Marta Savka, Product Designer
Taffy Steele, Product Manager
Anton Aheichanka, Lead Designer
Ben Berry, Creative Director
Jon Wheeler, Front-End Lead
Melissa Castro, Product Marketing Manager
Marta Savka, Product Designer
Taffy Steele, Product Manager
Brand Book
Brand Book
Brand Book
Bringing warmth into a category defined by restraint
Bringing warmth into a category defined by restraint
Bringing warmth into a category defined by restraint
The existing brand relied on a purple-based system that had served its purpose but no longer reflected the direction Reach was moving in.
The existing brand relied on a purple-based system that had served its purpose but no longer reflected the direction Reach was moving in.
The existing brand relied on a purple-based system that had served its purpose but no longer reflected the direction Reach was moving in.
Financial brands tend to signal trust through restraint, dark palettes, rigid layouts, and clinical typography. While effective, this often creates distance between the product and the people using it.
Financial brands tend to signal trust through restraint, dark palettes, rigid layouts, and clinical typography. While effective, this often creates distance between the product and the people using it.
Financial brands tend to signal trust through restraint, dark palettes, rigid layouts, and clinical typography. While effective, this often creates distance between the product and the people using it.
Reach had an opportunity to take a more human position in the category.
The challenge was finding a balance: introducing warmth and approachability without losing credibility or clarity.
Through visual exploration and competitive analysis, the identity evolved toward a softer, more expressive system. A warmer color palette, serif typography, and lifestyle photography replaced the previous rigidity, bringing more humanity into a space that often feels impersonal.
The result was a brand that felt more open and relatable, while still grounded enough to be trusted.
Reach had an opportunity to take a more human position in the category.
The challenge was finding a balance: introducing warmth and approachability without losing credibility or clarity.
Through visual exploration and competitive analysis, the identity evolved toward a softer, more expressive system. A warmer color palette, serif typography, and lifestyle photography replaced the previous rigidity, bringing more humanity into a space that often feels impersonal.
The result was a brand that felt more open and relatable, while still grounded enough to be trusted.
Reach had an opportunity to take a more human position in the category.
The challenge was finding a balance: introducing warmth and approachability without losing credibility or clarity.
Through visual exploration and competitive analysis, the identity evolved toward a softer, more expressive system. A warmer color palette, serif typography, and lifestyle photography replaced the previous rigidity, bringing more humanity into a space that often feels impersonal.
The result was a brand that felt more open and relatable, while still grounded enough to be trusted.
Onboarding
Onboarding
Onboarding
Making a complex journey feel more human
Making a complex journey feel more human
Making a complex journey feel more human
The borrower experience contained too much complexity without enough emotional guidance. Important financial steps were presented in a way that felt procedural rather than supportive.
The borrower experience contained too much complexity without enough emotional guidance. Important financial steps were presented in a way that felt procedural rather than supportive.
The borrower experience contained too much complexity without enough emotional guidance. Important financial steps were presented in a way that felt procedural rather than supportive.
The opportunity was not to simplify the process, but to change how it felt to move through it.
The opportunity was not to simplify the process, but to change how it felt to move through it.
The opportunity was not to simplify the process, but to change how it felt to move through it.
I worked across research, behavioral insights, and iterative testing to better understand where users felt uncertainty or hesitation.
From there, the experience was reshaped to introduce more clarity and rhythm, making the journey feel more guided, intentional, and understandable at each stage.
The result was a more composed and reassuring experience that reduced friction without removing necessary complexity.
I worked across research, behavioral insights, and iterative testing to better understand where users felt uncertainty or hesitation.
From there, the experience was reshaped to introduce more clarity and rhythm, making the journey feel more guided, intentional, and understandable at each stage.
The result was a more composed and reassuring experience that reduced friction without removing necessary complexity.
I worked across research, behavioral insights, and iterative testing to better understand where users felt uncertainty or hesitation.
From there, the experience was reshaped to introduce more clarity and rhythm, making the journey feel more guided, intentional, and understandable at each stage.
The result was a more composed and reassuring experience that reduced friction without removing necessary complexity.
-28%
-28%
-28%
Time spent in onboarding within one month of launch
Time spent in onboarding within one month of launch
Time spent in onboarding within one month of launch
+19%
+19%
+19%
Application completion rate within one month of launch
Application completion rate within one month of launch
Application completion rate within one month of launch
Website
Website
Website
Reframing complexity into clarity
Reframing complexity into clarity
Reframing complexity into clarity
The previous website attempted to communicate everything at once, reflecting the depth of the product but overwhelming the user in the process.
The previous website attempted to communicate everything at once, reflecting the depth of the product but overwhelming the user in the process.
The previous website attempted to communicate everything at once, reflecting the depth of the product but overwhelming the user in the process.
The challenge was to bring structure and narrative clarity to a dense subject matter.
The challenge was to bring structure and narrative clarity to a dense subject matter.
The challenge was to bring structure and narrative clarity to a dense subject matter.
The redesign introduced a more intentional flow, guiding users through understanding, trust-building, and finally action.
A calmer visual system, refined typography, and more expressive use of space created a sense of control and ease. Motion was used sparingly to support narrative transitions and draw attention to key moments.
The updated experience aligned the brand more consistently across digital touchpoints, making Reach feel more cohesive and intentional.
The redesign introduced a more intentional flow, guiding users through understanding, trust-building, and finally action.
A calmer visual system, refined typography, and more expressive use of space created a sense of control and ease. Motion was used sparingly to support narrative transitions and draw attention to key moments.
The updated experience aligned the brand more consistently across digital touchpoints, making Reach feel more cohesive and intentional.
The redesign introduced a more intentional flow, guiding users through understanding, trust-building, and finally action.
A calmer visual system, refined typography, and more expressive use of space created a sense of control and ease. Motion was used sparingly to support narrative transitions and draw attention to key moments.
The updated experience aligned the brand more consistently across digital touchpoints, making Reach feel more cohesive and intentional.
+24%
+24%
+24%
Increase in application sign-ups from homepage
Increase in application sign-ups from homepage
Increase in application sign-ups from homepage
+1.6
+1.6
+1.6
Trustpilot rating within three months of launch
Trustpilot rating within three months of launch
Trustpilot rating within three months of launch
Design System
Design System
Design System
Creating consistency across a growing brand
Creating consistency across a growing brand
Creating consistency across a growing brand
As Reach expanded, inconsistencies began to emerge across web and mobile surfaces. The visual language was strong in parts, but lacked cohesion as the product evolved.
As Reach expanded, inconsistencies began to emerge across web and mobile surfaces. The visual language was strong in parts, but lacked cohesion as the product evolved.
As Reach expanded, inconsistencies began to emerge across web and mobile surfaces. The visual language was strong in parts, but lacked cohesion as the product evolved.
The work focused on bringing structure and consistency to the system without losing flexibility.
The work focused on bringing structure and consistency to the system without losing flexibility.
The work focused on bringing structure and consistency to the system without losing flexibility.
A shared visual and interaction language was established across teams, allowing design decisions to scale more consistently across surfaces.
The result was a more unified expression of the brand across product and marketing, reducing fragmentation and strengthening recognition as the platform grew.
A shared visual and interaction language was established across teams, allowing design decisions to scale more consistently across surfaces.
The result was a more unified expression of the brand across product and marketing, reducing fragmentation and strengthening recognition as the platform grew.
A shared visual and interaction language was established across teams, allowing design decisions to scale more consistently across surfaces.
The result was a more unified expression of the brand across product and marketing, reducing fragmentation and strengthening recognition as the platform grew.
What I'd do differently
What I'd do differently
What I'd do differently
Start with research earlier
Start with research earlier
Start with research earlier
Some of the most valuable insights about trust, hesitation, and emotional friction in the financial journey came later in the process than they should have.
Earlier access to that understanding would have strengthened the initial brand direction and reduced the need for refinement later.
The key lesson is that brand work in complex categories is only as strong as the human insight behind it. When that foundation comes earlier, every creative decision becomes clearer and more intentional.
Some of the most valuable insights about trust, hesitation, and emotional friction in the financial journey came later in the process than they should have.
Earlier access to that understanding would have strengthened the initial brand direction and reduced the need for refinement later.
The key lesson is that brand work in complex categories is only as strong as the human insight behind it. When that foundation comes earlier, every creative decision becomes clearer and more intentional.
Some of the most valuable insights about trust, hesitation, and emotional friction in the financial journey came later in the process than they should have.
Earlier access to that understanding would have strengthened the initial brand direction and reduced the need for refinement later.
The key lesson is that brand work in complex categories is only as strong as the human insight behind it. When that foundation comes earlier, every creative decision becomes clearer and more intentional.
Interested in working together?
© Anton Aheichanka 2026
Interested in working together?
© Anton Aheichanka 2026
Interested in working together?
© Anton Aheichanka 2026