Complexity,
Designed Out.

Hi, I’m Izu Amadi, a brand and product designer based in Lagos, Nigeria. I’m currently freelancing, helping businesses turn ideas into clear, useful digital experiences.

Previously, I worked with Cars45 Nigeria, Autochek Africa and Lenkie Technologies in the UK, contributing across brand and product design. I’m especially drawn to making things work: joining projects early, shaping them from 0 to 1, and helping them grow.

Outside work, I enjoy teaching, especially children. They bring unexpected challenges that remind me to listen closely and keep adapting how I help them learn.

[email protected]

Branding · Product · 2025

Building institutional trustthrough strategic brand evolution

OPay

My role:Designer, Strategist

01 | The starting point

An independent brand exploration

Trust began with
the everyday.

After seven years using OPay, two lost cards revealed how simple banking could feel. A few taps. No branch visit. A replacement delivered within days.

My role:Designer & strategistThe scopeIdentity · Cards · Digital

7years as
a customer

The question that started it

Could the identity feel as assured as the service?

02 | The perception gap

The service felt effortless.
The identity felt restless.

As a customer and designer, I saw a gap between the experience and the way it was presented.

Colour at full volume

Turquoise green dominated the surfaces, leaving little room for emphasis.

Reassurance everywhere

Messages and exaggerated gestures competed for attention.

The opportunity

Let the capability lead.
Give the identity room to breathe.

Existing campaign evidence

OPay’s existing campaigns — the visual language this exploration moves on from.
Select an image to view it in full.

Original campaign artwork: OPay.

03 | The design response

Evolve the
Green.
Change the impression.

I replaced OPay’s turquoise green with a green I felt was more refined and compelling.

01 / Colour

A deliberate colour shift.

Move from turquoise green to a new green, supported by deep and neutral tones.

02 / Hierarchy

One message leads.

Use scale and space to make the first read obvious.

03 / Expression

Confidence, quietly.

Let the work carry the message, with fewer competing details.

04 | Colour & character

A refined green.
A broader palette.

American Green becomes the new foundation. Aztec and Pure Linen give it depth, contrast and room.

01Refined.

American Green #42B649

A new green. A new starting point.

02Assured.

Aztec #071E1C

Depth for a quieter expression.

03Open.

Pure Linen #FEF3E3

Space for the message to lead.

05 | Type & hierarchy

A clearer voice,
at every scale.

Character in the headline. Clarity in the detail. A shared hierarchy carries the identity from a small card to the street.

Canela Deck / HeadingsClear structure.
A human inflection.

Google Sans / Body

Banking that feels clear, simple and human.

Out in the world · Banking built for what comes next.

06 | The logo evolution

Two halves.
One connection.

I wanted to challenge the perception that OPay belongs only to lower- and middle-income customers. The new mark brings them and high-net-worth individuals into one shared identity.

Proposed identity

The origin

OPay’s loop stood for continuous service; its square represented the debit card. 2023 logo story ↗

The two halves

Lower- and middle-income customers and high-net-worth individuals, given equal presence in the same symbol.

The connection

The debit-card bar bridges both halves: a shared experience rooted in OPay’s commitment to financial inclusion ↗.

07 | The campaign direction

A new voice for
everyday banking.

A shared type system, recognisable city silhouettes and a more deliberate use of green connect the brand promise to everyday benefits.

The brand promise

Everyday rewards

08 | The identity in motion

One identity.
Many expressions.

The identity in motion · 10 seconds

09 | The reflection

What I took away

A moreassured identity.A question still to test.

The design lesson

A more assured identity can still be inclusive. The two halves and debit-card bridge gave that ambition a form, with colour and typography carrying it across the system.

The next question

Would this direction feel credible to high-net-worth individuals while remaining familiar to lower- and middle-income customers? That needs research across both groups.

Independent proposal.
Not commissioned or launched by OPay.

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