Mercury
Project Overview
Financial inclusion is rewarded with a $128million buyout
Mercury Financial approached me during a major turning point in their growth. With a rapidly expanding customer base and plans to launch a mobile banking app, they wanted a strong non-banky brand identity and a high-performance website, mobile, and touchpoints campaign that truly reflected their new direction. The needed a value proposition for their ambiguous initial design ideas and leadership to drive the internal teams. The current app and desktop website visual identity did not say "fintech" nor did it capture the CEO's trajectory. The current site was functional for payments but it did nothing to inspire better financial behavior or customer engagement online and offline. Joining the design team, my mission was to craft a digital and visual presence that energized their audience and positioned Mercury as a premier fintech brand.
Objective
Mercury, a credit card company reassessing all of its branding, also wanted to create a fintech intellectual property. I was provided with an abstract infographic-like idea without a value proposition. The goal was to transform it into something they could patent and use across their brand marketing, and integrate into their web and applications. The starting point was their current application.
The objective of the project was to completely reimagine the public-facing identity of Elevate Fitness Studio and create a digital experience that matched their evolving brand values. At its core, the goal was to drive a measurable increase in online memberships while enhancing the studio's professional image. The team needed a cohesive visual system that could translate across both physical and digital touchpoints—from signage and merchandise to a responsive website and mobile application. Equally important was creating a seamless user experience that simplified class scheduling, increased retention, and encouraged deeper community engagement, especially on mobile. Our design decisions were shaped by the studio’s vision of wellness, inclusivity, and innovation, translating these principles into a brand language that resonates with both long-time members and first-time visitors.
Scope of Work
The collaboration with Mercury Financial covered every major touchpoint:
Brand Strategy & Visual Identity
We defined a brand narrative, chose a vibrant yet calming color palette, and created a versatile logo system that works across apparel, digital, and signage.UX Research & Wireframing
We analyzed user behavior through interviews and heat maps from the old website, which informed a new wireframe focused on clarity, hierarchy, and fewer taps.Web Design & Development
Built with performance in mind, the website was designed in Figma and developed and I created a new FigDev workflow with Development. It includes a robust CMS for updating platforms, illustrations, videos, blog posts, and announcements.Responsive Design
The interface was meticulously designed for all screen sizes, ensuring a consistent and engaging experience from desktop to mobile.SEO & Launch Strategy
Keyword research, performance optimization, and structured data were implemented to ensure Mercury Financial ranks well from day one.
Outcome
The results of the redesign were felt almost immediately after launch. Within just three months, Mercury Financial saw a significant rise in new and current member registrations through the website, far exceeding their original target. Users began spending more time on the platforms, engagement on mobile increased 50%, navigating through payment scenarios, and exploring the Goal Setting onboarding flow—indicating higher engagement and trust. The new branding was an ongoing work in progress, became cohesive and congruent. Having a brand come together contributed to a noticeable lift in merchandising as well as staff members community and the company identity. Internally, the new CMS-enabled backend gave their team full control over updates, meaning they could now publish content quickly without technical delays.
The feedback from both staff and members was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the new look and feel as modern, motivating, and unmistakably “Mercury.” The project not only delivered on its business goals but also redefined how the brand connects with its community—digitally and in person.
As of 9/11/2025, the company was acquired by Atlanticus for a cash purchase price of $162 million dollars.
Adds $3.2 billion of credit card receivables to Atlanticus’ general purpose credit card segment
Expands Atlanticus’ product offering and capabilities into the much larger near-prime consumer segment
Brings together two platforms that share a relentless focus on meeting the needs of the financially underserved
https://investors.atlanticus.com/news-market-information/press-releases/news-details/2025/Atlanticus-Announces-Acquisition-of-Mercury-Financial-LLC/default.aspx
