CoBiz Financial

Soaring toward something new

When working with a brand that characterizes itself as entrepreneurial and appeals to customers who do the same, you can’t let your work be driven by industry standards and common practices. When our teams came together to develop a new visual identity, we knew we had to break the creative chains and create something that brought the CoBiz story to life in a powerful way.

Enter the soaring red-tailed hawk. The symbol felt right from the beginning, signifying the Western ideals that are so prevalent in the CoBiz community and reflected by the CoBiz brand: independence, freedom, resourcefulness. Such traits were carried throughout the design system. Photography is open and airy and features contrasts in scale, evoking the big sky of the West—while at the same time always bringing focus to independence and the human element. Reminiscent of a horizon, the gently diagonal orange line used across the top of all collateral conveys progress, growth and direction.

Together we’re still flying high

As CoBiz has grown throughout the years, we’ve continued to work closely together to ensure everything it does sets the company apart in its industry.

Among the projects we’ve collaborated on:

• Our design team works with CoBiz to create inspiring, strategically sound annual reports every year. We talk through highlights and points of focus for the year, think through themes and then start crafting from scratch. Often, the elements we incorporate into the report end up inspiring other work too. For example, a red-tailed hawk illustration we commissioned is now flying around office environments and stationery.
• Twice a year, we gear up for CoBiz’s big philanthropic event: Biz Bash. Our work for Biz Bash sometimes includes combing through record stores or incorporating the redtailed hawk into guitar picks. The creative process leads us down some surprising paths, but we’re always focused on evolving the red-tailed hawk symbol and visual expression in a way that feels fresh and fits with the particular Biz Bash theme, location and featured performer.
• We’ve worked together through web development and the continual evolution of the marketing and communications collateral, like a recent update to the CoBiz stationery.
• When CoBiz was preparing to open its new bank branch in downtown Denver, our environment, design and strategy teams collaborated with the CoBiz team and architect to create signage, interior installations (including a sculpture) and interior finishes.