Case study · Tribal Custom Insurance
Tribal Custom Insurance
A refreshed eagle logo, brand system and new website for Tribal Custom Insurance, an Indigenous-owned brokerage serving First Nations communities across Ontario.
01 — Context
Insurance brokerage branding rooted in community
Tribal Custom Insurance (TCI) is a fully Indigenous-owned and operated insurance brokerage that has served Indigenous communities, families and businesses across Ontario for more than 30 years. It offers auto, home and commercial coverage, group benefits, and a First Nation Band Asset Program for community-owned buildings and property. It came to us for insurance brokerage branding that would honour that history and look current.
The brokerage had earned deep trust through relationships, but its visual identity had not kept pace. The project covered a redesigned logo, a refreshed type and colour system, business cards and a new website. Our branding and identity design work started from one question: how do you look like a modern, credible insurance broker while staying unmistakably rooted in community?
The answer had to work for two audiences at once: First Nations councils and band administrators looking after shared assets, and individual families shopping for car or home insurance.
02 — Identity
An eagle that holds up the name
The eagle carries deep meaning for many First Nations, and TCI wanted it at the heart of the brand. The risk with a symbol like this is that it becomes decoration, sitting off to the side of a name. We built it into the letterforms instead.
In the new TCI monogram, the eagle's spread wings form the crossbar of the T, so the mark and the initials read as one shape. It is simple enough to hold up at small sizes, on a business card or a browser tab, and strong enough to stand alone on a blue field. A stacked version gives the eagle more room above the name for square and centred layouts.
We built the lockups to work in cerulean, white and deep indigo, so the logo reads clearly on any background the brokerage might need.
03 — Type and colour
Rooted in tradition, inspired by nature
For headlines we chose Belleza, a humanist display face with soft, open curves. It feels warm and a little hand-drawn, which suits a brokerage built on relationships. For body copy, forms and policy details we paired it with Figtree, a clean sans-serif that stays legible at small sizes.
The palette is deliberately small and drawn from nature: Deep Indigo for authority and contrast, Sandstone as a warm, natural background, and Cerulean, the blue of open sky and water, as the signature colour. Three colours are easy to apply consistently, whoever is producing the next piece.
We carried the system into print straight away. The business cards pair a cerulean back with a white front, with the broker's name, credentials, contact details and a QR code.
04 — Website
A website that speaks to councils and families
The new site needed to do two jobs. For a band council, it had to show that TCI understands community-owned assets and can protect them properly. For a family, it had to make getting a quote feel easy and personal.
Our website design opens with a full-width eagle photograph, the line "Guided by Tradition. Driven to Protect." and two clear actions: get a quote, or discover the services. A strip of partner insurers, including Aviva, Intact, Definity and Travelers, sits directly beneath, giving credibility before anyone scrolls.
Services appear as a grid of photo cards: Auto, Home, Commercial, Group Benefits and the First Nation Band Asset Program, with a cerulean quote panel completing the grid so the next step is never far away. Four short proof points follow: Indigenous-owned and operated, serving all of Ontario, more than 30 years of experience, and relationship-focused support.
Interior pages follow the same pattern, with discount checklists, benefits plans and a news and insights section. We handled the website development as well, so design and build stayed in one team.
They took the time to truly understand our brand and vision, and translated that into a website that is both visually appealing and highly functional.
05 — Outcome
One brand, from business card to browser
TCI now has a single, consistent identity across its logo, stationery and website. The eagle mark, the three-colour palette and the Belleza and Figtree pairing give every future piece, from a benefits brochure to a social post, a clear starting point.
Doing the brand and the website together meant decisions made in the logo carried straight into the site, rather than being retrofitted later. It is the approach we describe in why branding and web design should happen together, and the same process we used for the HVAC company AC Thermal. For more insurance and benefits work, see our brochure for Kennion Benefits.
What we delivered
A full brand refresh and a new website for an Indigenous-owned brokerage.
- 01Logo and visual identityTCI monogram with integrated eagle mark, lockups, Belleza and Figtree type pairing, and a three-colour palette.
- 02Business cardsTwo-sided cards with broker credentials and a QR code to the website.
- 03Website designHomepage, service pages, Band Asset Program page and news section.
- 04Website developmentThe build of the new TCI site, from design files to live pages.
