Ben Wynn-Owen

Keeping Lego as our internal inspiration forced us to design down rather than up.

The logo is simple and openly friendly, which is unusual for the category.

Each colour means something, each one carries a stage, and together they make a brand that feels confident without needing to dim itself to be taken seriously.

The name was the starting point. A spade digs. It cuts through the surface, works through layers and reveals what’s underneath.

Using blues and purples would have made Spade instantly legible as a fintech company and instantly forgettable as a brand.

The problem with all of these is not that they are bad in isolation. It is that they have been repeated so many times that they have stopped communicating anything.

We weren't interested in making a literal reference, but in creating a modern interpretation with just enough retro sensibility to act as a subtle nod.