Expensify

We started with in-depth stakeholder interviews, collaborative brainstorming, and thorough competitive analysis, looking at fintech, messaging, collaboration, tech, and B2B competitors. We found an excellent opportunity to set this brand apart with expressive, real-world sounds. We then distilled all of these insights into core principles to guide our sonic exploration.

We then conducted a far-reaching exploration, exploring everything from vibrant monosynth odysseys, to hyper-real stylized sounds of motion inspired by the brand's wonderful illustrations, to musical explorations inspired by boundary-pushing hip hop.

Our final direction, Secret Handshake, is built around exactly what the name suggests-a tactile expression of collaboration, celebration and friendship, incorporating a vibrant expression of the brand name.

We then fleshed this sonic identity out into a suite of sounds for the Expensify UX ecosystem. Our sounds were designed to build on the tactile, handshake-inspired sonic language with gestures that are understated yet effective, capturing attention and adding joy to the experience without getting in the way.

Our sonic identity work set Expensify up for success with a pleasing and cohesive sound set that brings both personality and functionality to their user experience. Our work was met with rave reviews by everyone from Expensify users, to internal employees, and even CEO Dave Barrett.