Zing by HSBC
01
The challenge
When I joined Zing, the product was still in its early stages. Zing was a new fintech app built for international travellers, designed to make sending, spending, and managing money across borders fast, simple, and transparent. A base brand design already existed, created by an external agency, but it was rough and needed refinement to become a cohesive, polished identity that could scale across digital, social, print, and physical touchpoints. Our challenge was not only to refine and elevate this initial concept but also to continuously evolve the brand as the product matured, balancing modern, approachable aesthetics with the trustworthiness required in a regulated fintech environment.
Complicating things, a competitor rebranded almost simultaneously with our launch, creating an unexpected overlap in visual language. This required a rapid reassessment of our direction. Together with the growth team and external agency partners, we explored multiple approaches, ultimately implementing an in-house solution that introduced more black into the design language, representing a confident, digital-first product while keeping the brand approachable.
125,000+
65%
6
02
Evolving the brand
From my first days, I focused on transforming the base brand into a refined, consistent identity. Over three years, I worked on developing the design system, expanding brand guidelines, and refining visual language elements such as typography, colour, illustration style, and layouts. This evolution was continuous: every campaign, website update, and physical touchpoint became an opportunity to strengthen the brand.
Working closely with the Head of Design initially, and later leading the visual direction as the most senior designer, I guided other designers on the team while collaborating with product, marketing, and leadership. I also partnered with external agencies to ensure consistency, quality, and alignment with both the product vision and HSBC’s regulatory requirements.
Feature Focus: Rated & Trusted
I worked on building user trust and increasing conversions by integrating Trustpilot reviews into the website, giving visitors visible social proof of customer satisfaction and encouraging them to download the app.
03
Designing for impact
One of the most rewarding aspects of my role was translating the evolving brand identity into experiences that resonated with users. I led the end-to-end redesign of the Zing website, balancing clarity, trust, and approachability while ensuring scalability and alignment with the broader visual system.
Navigating unexpected challenges (like competitor movements) taught me the value of agility and collaboration. Rapid ideation sessions with stakeholders and partners, combined with careful in-house experimentation, allowed us to make confident decisions that strengthened the brand’s market positioning without compromising its core identity.
04
Results & legacy
Over three years, Zing grew into a trusted, recognizable brand with 125,000+ customers in just 15 months and 65% active users. The brand won six industry awards and received consistently positive feedback across app stores and social channels.
For me, Zing was a defining project: it strengthened my ability to lead visual direction independently, evolve a brand over time, mentor other designers, and make strategic design decisions under pressure. The work continues to influence how I approach senior-level visual design leadership, particularly in fast-moving, regulated environments.
