After completing the brand guidelines for my innovative banking app, Square, my next crucial step was to create a high-converting landing page. A great landing page isn't just about making a brand look good, it's about guiding users and building trust, reinforcing the brand's values from the moment visitors arrive. For a digital bank like Square, making a good first impression is vital since the landing page is often a user's first interaction with the brand. In the banking industry, where trust and security are critical, this initial touchpoint can determine whether someone chooses to sign up with your service. To create an effective landing page, I will research how these pages work in the banking industry and identify key elements to implement in Square's design.
Landing pages are seen as single slide web pages that are designed with one clear purpose in mind. They are where users land after clicking on an advertisement online, links, social media post or anything else digitally. Unlike a website’s homepage, which usually encourages its visitors to browse different sections, a landing page is highly focused on getting the user to take only one specific action. This action can be various leadings such as a sign up service, downloading a certain service or starting a free trial. Everything included in a landing page from the headline to the images used, is created to push the user towards completing that goal. For banking brands, I understand that landing pages are particularly important. Banks typically offer a range of different products and services from accounts to loan options which is why a landing page is key due to it allowing a bank to highlight just one of these services at a time, making it easier to explain benefits and encourage customers to engage. A well designed landing page helps build professionalism within the band, which is essential when people like my audience of young people are considering bank brands to place their money with.
Landing pages are essential in presenting a brand clearly and purposefully, often acting as the first touch point between a user and the brand. They offer the chance for a brand to introduce their values, showcase various features and guide users toward a specific action such as signing up, exploring the app or learning about them. It is designed to be simple yet effective, aligning with the brand’s tone and visual identity to make a strong first impression. By using consistent colours, typography and friendly, professional language, the landing page helps reinforce trust and recognition.
Before diving in and beginning to create my own landing page for my brand Square, I wanted to explore how current brands structure and design their own landing pages to understand the key features, layouts and content strategies they use effectively. Looking at existing examples will not only help me learn how to visually organise content but also give an insight into how different brands communicate their identity and engage users instantly. Below, are some of the brands I looked at and felt were some good options to break down and understand in relation to creating my own page:
I firstly decided to look at Stripe, as their landing page uses gradients, dark mode themes, subtle animations, and sharp typography to signal professionalism and innovation. Stripe presents complex tools using short headings, clear diagrams, and code samples that speak directly to developers and tech professionals. It builds trust through design and content precision. One problem I’ve picked up on is that it feels more business focused and could lack emotional warmth for everyday users. However, Stripe’s focus on clarity, smooth UI, and technical confidence is something I’d like to bring into Square, in areas like security and reliability. Their layout has inspired me to be confident in how we present our services, using design choices to emphasise trust.
I felt that Duolingo stood out with a completely different energy. Their landing page is vibrant and friendly, full of personality and playful visuals. It uses animated characters, bright colours, and encouraging copy to create a sense of fun and motivation. Everything is broken down into smaller bits, and the value of the product is immediately clear which is to learn a language fast, free, and on your own schedule. A small downside might be that the cartoonish style could be seen as less serious or for users looking for more professional or secure services. However, the way Duolingo makes learning approachable is something I want to mirror in Square. It shows me how colour, tone, and energy can play a huge role in appealing to younger users including my 16 to 25 year old audience.
I noticed that Notion has one of the most refined and functional landing pages. It’s visually calm, using a light neutral palette with soft accent colours that don’t overwhelm. The layout is modular and scroll-based, clearly introducing features through sections like Wikis, Docs and Projects, with smooth transitions and small animations. On the downside, the simplicity might initially feel too open ended for some first time users. From Notion, I’m inspired to apply a structured layout in Square’s landing page, using sections to break down features like global access and to keep the design minimal to reflect the brand's simplicity.
After reviewing and analysing the landing pages of current brands like Notion, Duolingo, and Stripe, it has given me a valuable insight into how to communicate brand identity, engage users, and encourage action in a matter of seconds. Each brand I researched showcased different strengths such as Notion’s calm, modern layout, Duolingo’s bold visuals and playful tone and Stripe’s sleek, professional interface. By studying these examples in depth, I have a better understanding in how design choices like layout, typography, colour, copy, and interaction can be applied to create a strong user experience. These references have deepened my awareness of how landing pages work and helped me shape a clearer vision for Square’s own landing page.
I can now carry this understanding into the next stage of my project, where I’ll begin structuring and designing a landing page that reflects Square’s values, tone of voice, and visual identity. This stage has helped form a solid creative foundation that will guide how I present information, engage my audience, and make a lasting first impression.
Landing pages are especially important for a banking brands because they act as the digital gateway to the brand, often the very first interaction a user has with the service. In a world where trust, clarity, and usability are essential in financial services, a well-designed landing page serves as both a visual introduction and a functional tool to guide users through what the brand offers. For Square, which targets a younger audience aged 16 to 25, the landing page needs to feel modern, simple, and trustworthy. Visually, the landing page can reinforce brand identity by using our colour palette, tone of voice, and design system to create consistency and recognition. Functionally, it drives action and builds engagement, making users more likely to explore the app or trust the services we provide.