IEX
IEX, the Investors Exchange, built its reputation by taking on Wall Street with a mission of fairness and transparency. The challenge was to give that bold stance a modern identity system—one that could flex across trading dashboards, merchandise, marketing, and even a beer.
Role
Design Lead
Employer
Goods & Services
Platforms
Web
Area
Identity design, Packaging design, Website design
Background
Launched in 2012 by ex-traders determined to level the playing field, IEX quickly became known as the “fair” exchange . But by 2019, its scrappy wordmark and loose brand toolkit couldn’t keep up with its expanding presence—podcasts, events, campaigns, and a growing community all needed a stronger visual backbone. It was clear: IEX needed a sharp, unified identity to match its ambition.
Approach & Design
We started with an audit of everything carrying the IEX name. The brand needed consistency without losing its challenger spirit. Partnering with CoType Foundry, we developed a bespoke IEX Standard typeface—tailored, confident, and unmistakably theirs. The wordmark was rebalanced and refined for precision at every size. Then we built a system: a disciplined palette, modular sub-brand rules, and clear voice and tone guidelines. Every deliverable—whether a tweet, a tote bag, or a presentation deck—was brought under the same umbrella.
Liquidity Beer
When industry competitors publicly questioned IEX’s “most liquidity” claim and suggested they were too small to make an impact anyway, IEX turned to us to think of creative solutions to refute and debunk these challenges and raise brand awareness. To prove the new brand had legs—and to answer critics head-on—we created Liquidity Beer. Brewed with Atlanta’s Good Word Brewing, this custom citrus IPA brought IEX’s core promise to life in the most literal way possible. Branded cans and packaging turned “liquidity” into a conversation piece, distributed through a bespoke e-commerce site and showcased at an invite-only tasting at IEX HQ. The campaign even extended to cheeky Super Bowl-timed ads . What started as a tongue-in-cheek stunt became a centerpiece of IEX’s storytelling—proof that a stock exchange could have both rigor and wit.
Impact
The identity system gave IEX a unified voice across every channel, reinforcing its credibility in an industry built on trust. Liquidity Beer in particular punched above its weight: coverage from Adweek and financial press amplified the story, while trading activity on the exchange nearly doubled—from ~$10B to ~$20B daily volume following the campaign . More importantly, IEX’s reputation as a bold, innovative challenger deepened, fueled by a visual identity that finally matched its mission.