Senior Brand & Experience Designer
Agency: Re
For more than 30 years, MYOB has helped Aussie businesses manage the ins and outs of their small-medium sized operations. But despite the rise in sole operators, many
are struggling more than ever to stay afloat. Their biggest challenge? Time-consuming admin was taking over their lives.
So MYOB set out to create a new tool, built just for sole operators. It was a game-changing opportunity – to be first to market with an innovative, accessible solution bringing everything they need (and just that) into one place.
Meet Solo by MYOB. The admin app for sole operators.
Sole operators are driven by a passion and energy to perfect their craft and do their own thing. Our visual identity takes inspiration from this. It’s built around the idea of energy, unlocked and manifests with a bold, dynamic system that nudges users to
get stuff done and move on to what's next.
Mimicking the movement of Newton’s Cradle, our brand in motion has an effortless
but purposeful flow. It’s a chain reaction of responsive energy that translates across
the entire brand system, from our logo that toggles on and off to unlock, to the momentum trails that hold text and imagery.
At every moment, Solo’s brand unlocks sole operators’ time and energy to move
on to other (and let’s face it, better) things.
Solo’s tonality cuts through competitors’ jargon-y gobbledigook to speak to sole operators on their level, in a way they understand. It’s refreshingly simple, and unbusinessy. We know they’re passionate about what they do, so our voice unlocks
the energy to match.
And, we feel their pain (yowch). We know how hard it is when you’re on the hustle,
so our verbal identity connects with relatable painpoints (think: late nights spent
sifting through an avalanche of receipts). It’s all about helping connect sole operators with the app features that make their lives just that little bit (alotta bit) easier.
With the goal of making the app your best mate, not worst nightmare, the user interface is designed to balance function and fun. Feature names are kept simple, like Snap ‘n Track for receipt safe keeping and Money in/Money out for tracking spend. Solo’s nudges and reminder tools feel like a friendly tap on the shoulder. And we made feature explainers make crystal-clear sense too.
Solo is a digital-first brand, so we had to make sure our distinctly unbusinessy personality showed up throughout the app experience.
Along with the MYOB team, we kept things simple where users need to get stuff done quickly, but added special brand touches in the right spots.
Animated illustrations help sole operators navigate app features, pushing them forward from one moment to the next. Similarly, loading screens inject a bit of play into an otherwise strictly business moment.
Corporate? Not Solo. So we chose a typeface that felt bold and unapologetic, making info-heavy sections like transactions or reports (AKA the boring bits) feel a bit easier
to digest.
And Solo certainly isn’t here to blend in. With a colour palette vibrant and bold enough to match the passion of our sole operators, the purple/yellow contrast creates energy—putting it a step (or giant leap) beyond the sea of boring business blues and greens in the category.
When you’re a sole operator, you’re not just the accountant, web designer, and tech support – you’re the boss. That’s why our photography always puts Solo users in the spotlight, capturing them in their space, in action – whether that’s on the tools, in the kitchen or making a sale. No glossy corporate stock images, just real sole operators doing what they do best.
The launch introduces the ‘Do Less Work Work’ platform, playfully highlighting the difference between the work sole traders love, and the tedious ‘work work’ that holds them back. First introduced on social media by Tom Cashman, the phrase gained traction among sole operator influencers, before rolling out across film, out-of-home, radio, social, and digital channels.
Creative Director: Sumita Maharaj, Andy Thomas
Design: Nina Szewczyk, Maddy Merzvinskis
Digital Design: Jillian Sun
Copy: Annabel Cook
Strategy: Lachlan Reid