Sunward
Seventy-five years of history. A much bigger horizon.
Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union had grown beyond the institution its name represented, and the credit union’s new vision called for a brand that could support a larger ambition: becoming an economic engine of the Southwest while staying rooted in its members and communities. Research with employees, members, and consumers shaped what to preserve and what to evolve, leading to Sunward, a brand centered on progress, optimism, financial prosperity, and forward movement.
Rebrand + Brand Reset / Brand Strategy / Identity Design / Creative Direction
Keep the history. Change the trajectory.
The challenge was to build on the credit union’s 75-year relationship with Sandia National Laboratories while creating a brand capable of reaching beyond it. Sunward connected the credit union’s cooperative roots to a more ambitious regional purpose, aligning with a bold vision and creating a clearer platform for growth, member relevance, and community impact.
From:
A name tied to one employer and legacy membership.
A brand that no longer reflected regional ambition.
An identity limiting who new members thought it served.
To:
A name built for optimistic financial progress.
A brand built to power the Southwest’s economic future.
A relevant identity welcoming members, communities, and growth.
Visual Identity
Looking forward without losing where it came from.
Forward Motion
The Sunward icon represents progress, focus, growth, and energy, translating the meaning of the name into a simple visual expression of movement toward something better.
Southwestern Energy
Purple and yellow balance experience with warmth, while the broader palette draws from the vibrant colors and character of the Southwest to give the brand a stronger sense of place.
Optimistic Confidence
The identity combines bold color, clear typography, and an approachable visual language to reflect Sunward’s optimistic, forward-thinking personality.
A brand built to move beyond the launch.
Sunward was designed as more than a new name and identity. It created a flexible brand foundation for products, campaigns, employee experiences, community engagement, branches, and member communications, allowing individual initiatives to maintain distinct personalities while staying connected to the broader brand and supporting the credit union’s continued growth across the Southwest.
Jon gets to the heart of what matters to brands and their followers. He helps clients see new ways of connecting. Above all, Jon shows clients something more than they ever imagined.
”
Danielle Milner
President & CEO / First Responders Credit Union
If your credit union has outgrown its brand, let’s talk.
A rebrand should do more than change how the organization looks. It should give leadership clearer direction, help employees believe in where they are going, and make the credit union more relevant to the people it wants to serve.