Questrade | Rebrand

Turning complex financial products into a tangible visual system, one that makes financial technology feel less abstract and more intuitive.

Nearly 25 years into their history, Questrade was entering a new chapter. With a new brand identity from Porto Rocha and an expanded suite of financial products, they came to Tendril looking for a new motion and 3D visual system that could bring this evolution to life across their growing digital ecosystem.

The system needed to be modular, giving each product a distinct visual expression while creating a cohesive identity across the brand that had to be recognizable and unmistakably Questrade.

Financial products can be complex and abstract, while fintech (financial technology) visual languages often rely on familiar tropes, such as charts, graphs, screens and other common visuals associated with banking.

How could we make complex financial concepts tangible and intuitive, without relying on a conventional fintech visual language or words to explain them?

That became the key question guiding our thinking throughout the project.

The Physics of Finance

We built the visual system around physical metaphors, applying the logic of the physical world to something as abstract as fintech.

Rather than leaning into clichés, we created bespoke 3D illustrations that gave each product its own tangible identity while connecting it to a larger visual language.

The system was built around a visual exploration of gravity, tilt, rhythm and balance. Physical instruments became metaphors for Questrade’s core offerings, with forms inspired by the mechanics of things that click, turn, swing and find their place.

Materiality reinforced this idea, with metal and glass giving the illustrations weight and tactility, turning abstract financial concepts into objects that felt possible to hold and interact with. Each product became a physical mechanism that was distinct in its function, yet designed to work as part of a larger system.

Execution at Scale

Creating a large volume of bespoke illustrations presented a second challenge: how could we show each product’s individuality without losing brand consistency?

We established shared principles across form, materiality, lighting and composition, creating a common physical world while allowing each illustration to behave differently. The 3D approach gave us the flexibility to introduce new mechanisms, proportions and movements without breaking Questrade’s visual language.

Our team then developed assets simultaneously with Questrade, using each new illustration to test and refine the system as it evolved. This iterative process allowed the visual language to remain flexible, scalable and cohesive.

A New Standard for Canadian Fintech

The resulting visual system provided Questrade with a new way to communicate their financial products through captivating visual metaphors rather than conventional fintech imagery.

The system launched alongside the new identity at Questrade’s “Mind. Set. Match.” event, extending across the brand’s website, social media channels and other digital touchpoints.

For a company with nearly 25 years of Canadian history, the rebrand marked a significant new chapter for Questrade, and an opportunity to show how fintech brands can communicate complex, abstract ideas in a way that feels more tangible, intuitive and human.