Case Study: Positioning and Naming for a Credit Risk Analytics Product
Original case study by Paul Syng
In partnership with Deloitte, our team reimagined how financial institutions engage with commercial credit risk. The result was Otis, a category-defining analytics platform designed to enable better, faster, and more predictive credit decisions.
I reported as Senior Designer to the Creative Director, Paul Syng, and played a critical role in executing the vision. Noor Malik served as Account Director. Together, we helped Deloitte move from an idea to a fully realized concept with a distinct name, identity, and position in the market.
I was responsible for:
→ Playing an active role in the end-to-end strategic discovery with the Deloitte team, and the naming process.
→ Contributing to visual brainstorming, and executing the human-centered brand and design framework, following the Creative Director's lead.
The Strategic Challenge
Deloitte had built a sophisticated tool that could ingest fragmented data, model risk, and present insight to lending teams but they didn’t yet know what it was in strategic terms. It lacked a name, a point of view, and a mental anchor in the market.
The core challenge: how do you position a still-evolving solution in a space crowded by backward-looking credit models?
The Insight
Most credit models look to the past. This product was built to uncover forward-looking risk. But the story wasn’t just about technology. It was about decision confidence.
Our strategic decision: Otis would not compete as “another risk model.” It would own the space of commercial credit clarity giving institutions the confidence to act, not just assess.
Naming the Platform
We landed on the name Otis, meaning “one who hears well.” A fitting metaphor for a platform built to listen to the data, surface insight, and elevate the signal over the noise. This single word carried the weight of the product’s function and its human impact.
From Product to Platform to Position
Using positioning frameworks and category design principles, we translated the platform from a data tool into a new strategic asset:
→ Positioning Concept: Predictive commercial credit clarity.
→ Category POV: The future of credit decision-making isn’t backward-looking risk. It’s forward-looking confidence.
→ Mental Territory: From “risk scoring” to decision amplification.
→ Narrative Core: Otis doesn't just assess risk. It listens, interprets, and reveals what institutions need to know next.
Visual and Verbal Expression
Working closely with Paul Syng, we brought this position to life visually and verbally. The style guide reflected the tone of the strategy: human, decisive, insightful. Every design element reinforced the positioning:
→ Visuals emphasized clarity, collaboration, and human-centered intelligence.
→ Color palette created a sense of approachability within a financial setting.
→ Imagery combined abstract data visualization with human elements.
→ Language avoided jargon and focused on decisiveness and signal.
My ability as Senior Designer to execute these ideas with clarity and restraint ensured the output stayed true to the positioning while elevating its presence.
Deliverables
→ Naming and Positioning Strategy
→ Category POV and Value Narrative
→ Otis Brand Style Guide (visual identity, tone, patterns, templates)
→ Creative Strategy Document (rationale, audience insights, strategic hooks)
These materials allowed Deloitte to move confidently into conversations with both internal stakeholders and external clients, not just to explain Otis, but to invite adoption of an entirely new way to think about credit risk.
Impact
Otis gave Deloitte a foothold in a redefined category of credit decision platforms. More importantly, it provided internal clarity: a unified direction for sales, marketing, design, and delivery. Where the project began with uncertainty, it ended with a distinct position, a new category narrative, and a visual/verbal system aligned to that strategy.
Closing Reflection
This wasn’t about naming a product. It was about defining a future. I’m proud of how we moved beyond “risk modeling” and built a brand around decision clarity. I executed that strategy with craft and precision. Noor ensured it moved forward. And Deloitte now has a foundation not just for selling a product — but for leading a new category.
