Online-only Starling Bank launches a debit card design that has a vertical orientation. The idea is fulled by the necessity of understanding small things about the consumer and the way they interact with the product. The company's art director, Mark Day, specified that the debit card design reflects the way people "insert [the plastic] into ATMs and card machines in a portrait orientation, or tap them to make contactless payments."
In addition, the new look includes a sleek and minimalist design that shifts all the information — owner name, card number, expiry date, onto the back of the card, leaving you wondering why no one has done this sooner. Meanwhile, the front of Starling Bank's plastic displays only the financial institution's name, the chip and the MasterCard logo.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Vertical Debit Card Designs
- Brands can innovate traditional products, like debit cards, by changing their orientation to better suit the way people interact with them.
- Minimalist Card Design
- There is an opportunity for financial institutions to streamline and declutter their debit card design by moving all necessary information to the back of the card.
- Portrait Orientation
- The trend towards portrait orientation in design can be applied to other tangible products, such as cards, to improve functionality and user experience.
Where This Applies
- Banking
- The banking industry can use unique designs as a point of differentiation and enhance customer experience.
- Design
- Designers can utilize vertical orientation and minimalist design to create visually appealing and functional products.
- Retail
- Retail industries, such as those using loyalty cards, can create a more user-friendly experience by adopting vertical or portrait orientation in their card design.
