What The Work Taught Me:
Trading Technologies

The Work Behind the Work

This project wasn’t about inventing values or polishing language. It was about bringing something real into the light.

We started with their principles, but not as a static list or something that quietly lives in a deck. The goal was to make them present. Something people would actually see, engage with and recognize as part of their everyday experience.

The principle posters became a cornerstone of that effort. And not just once.

We were invited back year after year to create new series, which says more than anything I could write here. Each round built on the last, evolving the expression while staying true to the core of who they are.

One of the things I loved most about this work was how Trading Technologies brought their team into it. The themes weren’t decided in a vacuum. Their people had a voice in shaping them, which made the final pieces feel that much more connected, that much more theirs.

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They were thoughtful. They were expressive. And honestly, they were fun. That matters more than people think. Our art department was literally living their best life with these projects! And speaking of values, it’s crucial to me as a leader that I bring in projects that keep my team on their toes in the best way possible. The BatesMeron team got to use all the tools in our art-senal (yeah, I said that) to create these posters—and they’re still so proud of the work.

When marketing grabs people’s attention, they remember it. The art and values behind it become part of the culture, not just a description of it. Case in point: the image above shows the first in the series based on retro-space/sci-fi vibes. These engineers are proud to be nerds. And we’re proud to be nerds right along with them.

And then there are those small moments that tell you everything you need to know. When we heard the CEO asked for an additional print of the poster series to hang in his home, we knew we’d made them proud. That was serious gratification for our whole team.

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Alongside the posters, we developed a corporate brochure that carried that same spirit forward.

The most important question any client should be asked by their agency is simple: What do you need this to do? We asked.

CMO Brian Mehta’s answer was strategic and smart: “We need to show someone who is unfamiliar to our brand, our culture and our product who we are, authentically.” Amazing answer.

During our visits to their US offices, we noticed what a great vibe the entire place had and wanted to capture that spirit. So we leaned into what was already there. Their team, their space, their energy.

No stand-ins. No stock photos. Just an honest look at the people behind the platform.

As Brian Mehta shared in his Clutch.co review:

“They really worked to understand who we are and made sure what they created reflected that.”

That’s always the goal.

Not to interpret from a distance, but to get close enough to reflect something true.

The Client Perspective.

I don’t say this lightly: this kind of work does not happen without the right leadership on the client side.

Brian Mehta is one of those rare CMOs who brings both strategy and clarity of vision, and the trust to let the work become what it needs to be. He knew what mattered, he knew where the opportunity was and he created the space for us to do our best work inside of that. This work would not exist in the way it does without his leadership.

We’re incredibly grateful to have had the chance to partner with someone like that, because it changes everything.

As Brian shared:

“Their ability to take complex ideas and turn them into something simple and clear was incredibly valuable for us.”

And just as importantly:

“They were thoughtful, collaborative and truly felt like an extension of our team.”

That combination of trust and collaboration is what allows work like this to go from good work to “are you kidding me?”