MFS
Brand & visual systems design
•
Art direction
•
Brand & visual systems design • Art direction •
2025
Financial Services
Studio: Vivace Creative Studio, Minneapolis, US
Building a Scalable Illustration System for MFS Investment Management
Challenge
MFS needed a cohesive illustration approach to simplify and communicate complex financial concepts across a wide range of digital touch-points. The existing challenge was balancing clarity with flexibility, creating visuals that could adapt to diverse topics such as retirement, sustainability, wealth management and more, while maintaining a consistent and recognisable brand language.
Approach
The solution was to design a modular illustration system built on a structured grid and a core library of geometric forms. This created a strong, consistent foundation that could scale across applications.
A dual-style approach, combining flat and overlapping elements introduced both clarity and depth, allowing information to be communicated efficiently while maintaining visual interest.
The system was designed to flex from abstract compositions to more narrative-driven scenes, supporting different levels of storytelling.
Outcome
The result is a scalable, future-ready illustration toolkit that works seamlessly across multiple themes and formats. It enables consistent storytelling, supports both high-level brand moments and detailed data-driven visuals and reinforces MFS’s structured, research-led approach, making complex information more accessible, engaging and visually cohesive.
