FNB

First Northern Bank

Community banking

Speculative — not client work

2026

Color system Social applications Campaign concept

Speculative work. I made this for an interview with First Northern Bank, unprompted and unpaid, to show how I would think about their color before being asked to.

The bank already owns a green. That equity is the one thing a rebrand should not spend, so nothing here replaces it. The question I set myself was narrower: what does that single green need around it before a marketing team can post every day without every post looking the same?

The answer is five colors with assigned jobs rather than a swatch sheet. Forest carries authority and financial reporting, jade carries people and community news, mint and sage support, and cream gives editorial and commercial stories somewhere to breathe.

The application pieces are the actual test. Same palette, four different emphases, so a quarterly report and a new-hire announcement read as the same bank without reading as the same post.

None of this is finished, and it is not meant to be. It is a direction I would want to refine with a marketing team against real accessibility standards and a real production calendar.

Local Business Campaign

Take-home campaign concept · Print and LinkedIn

A short campaign positioning First Northern Bank as a locally informed banking partner for Greater Sacramento businesses.

Print ad Your business is local

LinkedIn ad · 4:5 Your bank should be, too

Color direction

Speculative · prepared for interview discussion

A modern, flexible color direction that begins with the equity of First Northern’s existing green, then adds enough range for financial, people, commercial, and community stories to feel intentional.

Commercial banking Warm, editorial, and confident Cream creates possibility. Forest provides confidence, while mint gives the call to action a modern lift.

People and leadership Human, clear, and celebratory Jade gives people-focused news energy. A strong portrait and direct hierarchy keep the person at the center.

Financial reporting · 2 slides Make the numbers feel clear, not cold A two-slide set pairing figures from First Northern’s Q2 report with the CEO’s accompanying statement.

One familiar green, expanded into a system

Forest establishes trust. Jade brings energy. Mint and sage support. Cream gives the system room to breathe.

Northern Forest #00483A

Trust, financial reporting, and high-authority moments

Community Jade #0B7F69

People, announcements, and community-forward stories

Fresh Mint #BFE9D8

Optimistic accents, calls to action, and supportive surfaces

Warm Cream #F6EFDF

Editorial storytelling, education, and commercial content

Soft Sage #DCEADF

Data, quiet backgrounds, and visual breathing room

This is unsolicited work I put together ahead of an interview with First Northern Bank, to show how I think about color systems before being asked to. If I joined the team, I would develop it further with their marketing and leadership, tested against real accessibility standards and day to day production needs.