Sector
Services
Deliverables
Project Partners
Brief
SIGNAL is an investment management firm focused on opportunistic credit and special situations across Europe’s private and public markets, bringing deep expertise and disciplined execution to the mid-market. They operate in a competitive landscape where many firms present themselves in a similar way.
Motel Design was brought in to refresh SIGNAL’s brand identity and create a new website that better reflects the firm’s distinct position and strategic clarity. The brief centred on developing a modern, differentiated visual system, refining their messaging, improving the overall customer journey. This included updating the logo and visual language, defining a clearer brand architecture for their sub-strategies, and designing a website that supports better way finding and communicates their expertise with more confidence and cohesion. The aim was to create a credible, contemporary identity that stands apart from industry norms while remaining professional and investor-focused.
Approach
Our work began with a strategic foundation: clarifying SIGNAL’s positioning, tone of voice, and key messaging so the brand could better express its expertise and forward-thinking investment approach. From this, we developed the new tagline — “Reading Signals. Finding Value.” — a concise expression of the firm’s analytical strength and ability to uncover opportunity in complex situations. With the strategy in place, we moved into a full identity refresh, creating a more authoritative visual system that included a new crafted logo wordmark and comprehensive brand guidelines to ensure consistency across all communications.
This thinking carried across every touchpoint. We crafted a distinctive imagery style that blends AI-generated abstract visuals with original photography, giving the brand a look that feels both innovative and human. We implemented and launched the new identity at SIGNAL's Annual General Meeting, providing creative direction and production for the annual presentation, including print setup for the large-format stage backdrop. In parallel, we designed and built SIGNAL’s new website, creating an elegant and intuitive digital experience that clearly communicates the firm’s values and expertise. To support everyday use, we delivered a full suite of branded assets — from presentation templates to business cards and email signatures — along with cohesive social media graphics to strengthen their digital presence.
Together, these efforts mark the start of a bold and confident new chapter, aligning SIGNAL’s visual identity, voice, and digital expression with its global ambition and forward-looking investment philosophy.
We establish continually evolving, long-standing relationships.
We approached Motel Design at an important milestone for SIGNAL, our 10-year anniversary. It felt like the right moment to evolve our brand to reflect how far we had come and where we were heading. Our existing identity and website no longer captured the clarity of our strategy, the strength of our specialist network, or the experience of our senior team. We needed a partner who could help us articulate that progression. We now have a modern, differentiated identity that truly reflects who we are; innovative, flexible, value-focused and disciplined. The website experience is far more intuitive and engaging, stakeholder feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and internally the new brand has created a strong alignment and pride across the team. Motel’s approach was creative, collaborative and highly disciplined. They worked seamlessly to tight deadlines, often going above and beyond to ensure delivery, and were particularly strong at distilling our ideas into something sharp and more distinctive. We would absolutely recommend Motel Design. They are a thoughtful and responsive partner who take the time to truly understand your business and deliver work that reflects it.
Tavneet Bakshi
COO & Head of Marketing
SIGNAL
Start with a Digital Brand Audit
If you’re looking for a design partner who understands your sector, your pressures and your ambition to grow, we’d welcome a conversation.
If you’re looking for a design partner who understands your sector, your pressures and your ambition to grow, we’d welcome a conversation.