The Objective
Visa Direct is a global money movement platform by visa that allows companies to transfer funds into eligible cards, accounts & wallets.
We were asked to create a series of 2D explainer videos that describes the difference between this type of transaction and the typical pull transaction, how it works (in general) and what benefits receiving institutions can expect from using it with their customers.
We needed to include payment networks, compliance, partnerships and global infrastructure. The videos goal was to make those concepts more accessible while preserving technical meaning.
The Project
We developed a two minute 2D animated explainer about a common challenge: traditional money transfer methods often take a number of days for money to be received.
Then we introduce Visa Direct and explain how it allows funds to be sent directly into the account associated with an eligible debit card.
Visual Approach
The visuals are aligned with Visa’s color identity (and brand guidelines) of bright blue and yellow accents on crisp white background.
In addition to this color palette, we kept the line work thin, the character designs simple and the environment simple as well in order to allow viewers to focus easily on the content. In each scene, recurring paths of blue and yellow represent the flow of money among people, businesses and other financial entities.
Storytelling Approach
The storytelling approach was to take an audience through the layers of a financial services technology. From the level of the network (how Visa Direct is built) to the way in which its capabilities are used in everyday life.
The merchant settlement process, flexible payment options for gig workers, insurance claims paid via Visa Direct, P2P transfers and cross-border remittance all serve as examples of how the capabilities of the platform translate into user-experience.
By finding this balance we were able to articulate the two aspects of Visa Direct: the technical capability underlying the payment process and the actual transaction outcome experienced by the recipient of the payment.
The Process
A digital storyboard (with completed illustrations) was developed mapping each section of the script to a corresponding visual action.
We planned out the transitions up front to assist our animators when creating flow of funds moving uninterrupted across scene transitions.
Simple interfaces and diagrams illustrate how “push-to-card” transactions work. Character based scenes demonstrate potential applications for such transactions.
The Final Result
The finished animation explains a complex payment product in just over two minutes. It gives financial institutions a clear overview of how Visa Direct works, the use cases it supports and the opportunities it can create. Following the success of the video, we produced several more videos for Visa using the same concept and visual direction. Here is another example: