Reimagining Banking with California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a Los Angeles based credit union that has been serving the California community for over 85 years.

Barrel teamed up with CCU to reimagine their site in order to create something unique and inviting in the credit union space, something that the space has been severely lacking.

Our inspiration began by looking outside of the credit union & banking space, in order to create an experience that felt welcoming but new to the field. With the invitation to expand California Credit Union's branding, within its digital presence, we looked to modernize the brand through the use of a bright & saturated color palette and utilizing Klime Type Foundry's Founders Grotesk.

In addition to color and typography, we also developed an iconography system used to represent the various products and services that CCU offers. By utilizing minimal and recognizable, yet abstract shapes, we were able to not only create a system that was unique to the space, but one that would make each product easy to identify.

After modernizing the brand's digital presence through color and typography, we turned our heads to our other priority: taking the anxiety and baggage that comes with finance. Through the utilization of welcoming and digestible language, as well as clear pathways to understanding the various products and information, we were able to position CCU as a credit union designed for everyday people.

In addition to informing users about the various products offered, it was also critical to establish CCU as a thought-leader in the space and one that was there as a guide throughout the sometimes stressful world of finance. With this goal in mind, we developed what would be called the "Learn Center" a space in which users can dive into various topics and articles to help guide them on their financial journey.

Check out the website here.