a digital toolkit for business growth

Spark Business IQ is a Capital One microsite filled with resources and tools for founders and small business owners.

• Branding
• UX / UI
• Website Development

capital one foundations

Capital One wanted to build a site that would allow it to offer an array of targeted resources to small business owners, in an easy-to-navigate format. Given the complexity of their main website, and the desire to create an immersive experience, the solution was a microsite that employed Capital One’s brand identity but which had its own personality. The goal of the site was to enhance the Spark brand by creating a hub of unique and useful information targeted to the small business owner.

Spark Business IQ provides information on related Capital One products and services, in addition to specific business advice, latest news from the sector and upcoming events.

website iconography

We developed simple, friendly icons for key content areas, to add visual energy to the site and to act as helpful navigation cues.

editorial direction

The site was designed employing online editorial best practices, from Editor’s Picks through to related articles, tags and social integration.

The responsive layout allows the design to easily adapt to various screen resolutions.

brand color palette

Capital One’s use of rich color creates an energy and warmth that’s well suited to the brand’s personality.  Their blue and red corporate colors are vibrant, engaging and distinctive. The accent colors of yellow, mint and grey add variety and playfulness while enhancing the primary colors.

design system

A design system is a collection of reusable components that can be assembled in multiple ways, allowing for a scalable UI language and streamlined UX guidelines.

This central design language speeds up the pace of creation for Capital One’s designers, while also ensuring a consistent user experience.

custom typography

We selected Geogrotesque as the font for Capital One’s Spark Business IQ, as the rounded finish provides a warm, approachable feel that matches the brand’s color palette and overall personality.

grid system

Following on from the organized design system, we developed a custom-made responsive grid system that allows content to fluidly fit to the grid, rather than the grid fitting the content.

The method quickens the design process for additional pages, and ensures a uniform experience across multiple devices.