Tommy & Co.
PROJECT INFO
Tommy & Co is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm based in Pukekohe that helps clients navigate their finances with a people-first approach. The challenge was moving them away from the traditional "corporate accounting" look and building a brand and website that felt modern and approachable while still reading as credible in a financial context.
MY ROLE
I was the designer responsible for the brand and website direction, from concept through to final visual system. I worked with Tommy & Co to translate their HEART values (Help, Empathy, Adding value, Relationships, Teach) into a visual identity, owning the concept development, colour and typography system, and website design.
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
Decision 1: Anchoring the brand in a "ROOTS" concept
Most accounting firms default to muted blues and rigid, interchangeable layouts — trustworthy but forgettable. I developed the ROOTS concept ("cultivate the root; the leaves and branches will take care of themselves") as the anchor for both brand and website, using circular, interlocking forms to represent relationships and collaboration — giving the identity a clear idea to build from rather than just a style.
Decision 2: A gradient colour system to signal growth
To move away from the flat, safe palettes typical of the industry, I introduced a multi-tone gradient system moving from blues through greens into yellow — representing growth and progression, and giving the brand a distinct, memorable presence in a conservative category.
Decision 3: Pairing expressive brand elements with a clean, functional typeface
Financial content needs to stay legible and clear, so I used a simple sans-serif typeface for information-heavy content, letting it contrast against the more expressive gradient and form-based elements elsewhere in the system. This kept the brand feeling personal without compromising trust or readability.
OUTCOME
The final result is a refreshed brand and website system that feels more modern, approachable, and human.
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A visual identity built around the ROOTS concept
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A gradient-based colour system representing growth and connection
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Clean, structured layouts softened with expressive brand elements
Overall, it feels less like a traditional accounting firm website and more like a modern, people-first advisory brand. The refresh contributed to an 11.3% increase in user engagement, along with a rise in customer inquiries and follow-up interactions for their services.
