Titan FX Embraces Trader-Centric Design with Brand Refresh

A picture speaks a thousand words and Titan FX’s recent design refresh is no exception. It features a new colour palette, a restructured UX and new imagery to give more depth to the brand (see for your yourself on Titan FX’s revamped website).

The company’s Head of Design, Marlon Peiris, is a Melbourne-based CFD industry veteran who has a lot to say about design’s key role in a broker’s marketing strategy and how visual language speaks to traders. And with his successful sideline as an NFT artist, Marlon definitely knows what he’s talking about.

What major trends have you seen over your years in the industry?

When Pepperstone hired me 12 years ago, it was the first broker I knew of with an internal design department. For a long time every other broker used the same kind of trading imagery, with ample use of candlestick charts and MT4/MT5 iconography. But the industry has matured somewhat and more brokers understand the strategic importance of developing their own visual identity.

What kind of design challenges are specific to FX/CFD brokers?

For any consumer brand, design is about standing out and reinforcing positive associations in consumers’ minds so that they’ll try your product, then come back for more. But when it comes to financial services, you don’t want to stray too far from what others are doing because money often triggers deep-seated feelings, from elation to despair and everything in between. People need reassurance that you’re trustworthy.

So while you definitely need to take a step outside your target market’s comfort zone to pique their curiosity and shape their perception, you also want to keep one foot inside their frame of reference so they still feel safe.

For a private forex broker like us, design is a balancing act between the familiar and the unique, the normal and the original, the moderate and the radical – or in psychological terms, between recognition and aspiration.

Tell us about the “new” Titan FX.

We started by doing a lot of research on our target markets in Asia. One thing we learned is that they shop online for a broker and they like to be given as much information as possible about the service. So instead of the common minimalist UI approach with lots of empty space and scrolling, we chose a modular structure with all of our content is in bite-size containers, like a bento box.

This allowed us to create a familiar environment for our prospects. Once anchored in that comfort zone, we were free to express our unique personality.

That effort was guided by another key customer insight: many like to trade in a quiet, private place so they can concentrate on their decision-making.

This inspired us to focus on the very instant when they’re getting ready to enter a position. We imagined it as a delicate, highly emotional moment, where time stands still as they hover their pointer over the “Sell” and “Buy” buttons.

Our job as a broker is to provide traders with the best conditions possible, accurate and transparent knowledge, plus steadfast support so that at the moment of trading, every little detail is in place. All they have to do is be disciplined and focus on strategy.

How do you visually translate this message?

We’ve tried to capture that exact moment using a dark blue palette with a pop of bright colours and subtle, flickering elements reminiscent of Blade Runner or Tron. We’ve introduced AI-created characters, who lend a humanity that wasn’t here before.

I think there’s a new depth to the brand, where we try to connect on a more profound level than financial charts and execution metrics. Every design decision revolves around our desire to deliver for you and empower you. Because we genuinely care about your trading success.

You’re an acclaimed NFT artist with over 120 paintings sold. Did that influence your work for Titan FX?

I wouldn’t say my personal art influences my professional design, but they certainly balance each other out.

When I’m at work I have to put my own taste aside and consider what’s best for the customer experience, brand recognition and various stakeholder needs. Then, in the evening, after my kids go to sleep, I express myself with digital art.

This practice has forced me to find my own voice, which I would describe as a fusion of neo-expressionism and realism. I’ve sold my work on OpenSea and Foundation, been featured by SuperRare and showcased in NYC. My best seller went for 5 ETH! So what began as a personal creative pursuit ended up being a successful professional sideline.

Behold Titan FX’s revamped website