20(SOMETHING) uses editorial design to reinvent finance branding

Designing for the financial sector typically follows a predictable playbook – navy blue palettes, conservative serif wordmarks and reassuring imagery of handshakes or ascending charts. When 20(SOMETHING) began work on Makosch, a currency consultancy that bridges the gap between traditional finance and the creative industries, they knew this approach would be entirely wrong. Makosch operates in a unique space within foreign exchange consultancy. While they advise central banks and multinationals on complex currency strategies, their client base increasingly includes creative and cultural organisations – film producers, artists and institutions who often find themselves navigating international payments without clear guidance. This dual audience demanded an identity that could speak to both worlds without alienating either. “The founder’s world is more closely aligned with creativity than corporate finance,” explains Phoebe Leadbeater, Design Lead for the project. Rather than defaulting to financial sector conventions, 20(SOMETHING) deliberately avoided what Leadbeater describes as the obvious tropes. “We looked to visual systems found in editorial design,” she adds. The resulting identity centres on a dynamic monogram constructed from sharp and flowing lines – a visual representation of the structured balance that defines Makosch’s approach to currency consultation. The mark operates as a modular system that can expand in width, reflecting the scalable nature of the consultancy’s work. “At its core is the idea of balance and harmony,” Leadbeater notes.