Gratus — Case Study

Gratus

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Brand Design Responsive Web Design Squarespace Development

THE CHALLENGE

A newly-established Singapore investment firm, needed a professional web presence to:

Build credibility with investors

Communicate their unique investment philosophy and approach

Establish lead generation pathways for investor inquiries

Create a scalable platform for publishing investment insights

Role

UI/UX Designer

Tools

Figma, Squarespace, Claude

Outcome

Established digital presence that converts visitor trust into investor inquiries

DISCOVERY

IDENTITY

Competitive analysis revealed:

Competitors prioritised information density over clarity, an opportunity to build trust through restraint.

Trust signals drive conversion

Team credentials

Thought leadership

Investment philosophy

FUTURE

LIVING

Sanchez

Opinion Pro

THE TRADE-OFF

Early on I proposed founder bios as a trust signal, short profiles so visitors could see who was behind the firm.

Stakeholders rejected it at the time, it wasn't in the original scope.

Near the end of the project, they asked for it anyway, no clear reason given for the reversal.

I added it, which meant designing and building separate individual bio pages that were never in the original plan.

Scope isn't fixed once it's agreed. Staying flexible when a client's read on trust changes, even late and without a clear reason, matters more than defending the original plan.

UX FLOW

IA mirrors the investor decision journey, so content builds confidence before the ask.

AWARENESS CONSIDERATION INQUIRY

Home

Insights

About

Company & Team Information

3 entry points based on how investors arrive.

UX FLOW

IA mirrors the investor decision journey, so content builds confidence before the ask.

AWARENESS CONSIDERATION INQUIRY

Thought leadership

Company & Team Information

Mission & Values

Investment Philosophies

Trust signals

UX FLOW

IA mirrors the investor decision journey, so content builds confidence before the ask.

AWARENESS CONSIDERATION INQUIRY

Schedule a consultation

Every path ends in a conversion opportunity. No dead ends.

OUTCOMES

Handover notes were done very well — comprehensive, which helps a lot.

— Gratus Investment Management, CFO

Articles posted, post-handover

Client independently posted, no designer needed.

Launched from

Designed a site that earns trust before asking for inquiry. Structured so every page moves investors closer to contact.

MAS regulated

Built for accredited and institutional investors.

View live site

WHAT I LEARNT

Restraint is a trust signal. In financial services, visual noise undermines credibility.

Clean design is a competitive move. Competitors had outdated sites. Modern UI became the differentiator.

Handover is part of the design. Documentation is what makes the work last beyond the project.