A new name for a new era: the OTIF Ventures rebrand

In 2018 we began working for Oxford Investment Consultants. As they complete their investment firm rebrand to OTIF Ventures, we have created their new, custom designed identity and an evolved website which launched this week.

The naming problem

In financial services, the words a firm uses to describe itself carry regulatory weight as well as commercial meaning. The FCA requires firms to seek approval before using certain terms, the word ‘investment’ among them, a reminder that every investment firm rebrand carries regulatory as well as commercial dimensions. While the word ‘consultants’ sits outside that formal list, in the investment world it has quietly accumulated its own set of signals. These might imply an advisory or intermediary role, both of which are a step removed from the conviction and capital deployment that defines what firms like OTIF Ventures actually do.

For a firm that invests in early-stage, EIS-eligible spinout companies from Oxford, Cambridge and other world-leading UK universities, the name Oxford Investment Consultants had served its purpose. The market had moved and the moment had come to move with it. With that came a new name and the opportunity for a visual identity that will set the stage for their future.

The redesign: what OTIF Ventures says and why

Back in 2018, we took on a brief to design the branding for the then Oxford Investment Consultants. Having visited their offices in the City of London we showed a variety of designs that had at their essence a freshness and modernity which chimed with the young, innovative businesses they work with. To my delight they chose a design that we had favoured which went beyond the initial ideas we’d created around the original brief. It went on to be one of the most successful and admired logos we’ve ever created.

That identity system lasted eight years which is a very good run, however change became inevitable with a new name. This time around, the team wanted a total change, requesting designs that were solely typographic. The idea was to evoke a real clarity and instantly recognisable scheme that worked condensed (as purely initials) and expanded (with the full name).

One thing that remained constant was the idea of a ‘mother brand’ above the firms that OTIF Ventures has invested in. Some thirty logos sit on the website’s investments page and the new branding needed to own that space, feeling contemporary as well as being a part of the set. Our new identity uses custom pieces of type that we’ve drawn specifically for the logo, alongside a minimal, contemporary sans serif that acts as an anchor of clarity and transparency.

The targeted web refresh: homepage, investment page, typography

Central to the outcome of the branding refresh was a targeted update of the company website. However the brief wasn’t a do-over. The site has evolved significantly over the past two years with substantive additions to the pagination and content. In addition it has a secure investor login feature which we also designed and built. Given this sense of rolling changes and improvements in the site alongside practical considerations, a total design refresh wasn’t necessary. That said, the rebrand project required a more considered approach than simply a hasty patching in of the new logo.

We proposed a series of changes that would dynamically reset the design of key parts of the site while also cleverly effecting change throughout. From the very beginning there is surprise and delight as visitors arrive on the site: our new logo animates to slide open, expanding from its letterform base to the full version, introducing the new name in an almost theatrical manner.

Thereafter, evolution is everywhere. Firstly we completed a total redesign of the homepage, applying a lean, minimal approach which leads with impactful type, allows interactivity, applies video and immediately sets a new sense of style for OTIF Ventures. Second, this same principle was applied to the central pages which focus on each individual investment company. They are full of great information such as images of founders, background details on the firm, the stories behind their success as well as image galleries. Third, every page of the site was upgraded with a new set of secondary typefaces, chosen to pair with the new logo, that are applied in a stylish and immediately appealing way. Finally, each page is updated with a new deep footer that begins with a message designed to engage the user and rounded out with a stylised blue image of the ‘dreaming spires’ of Oxford.

In short, a strategic brief has delivered what feels like a totally fresh financial services website design.

The outcome

As we conclude this project I can’t help but have a sense of pride at the way this client relationship has built collaboration around a vision for this business and its design since 2018. Today’s rebranded OTIF Ventures feels like it is embarking on a new era; a firm that’s ready to invest in the next wave of change in science and technology.

The most important goal here was to reset the business, communicating accurately what the company does to the people who matter most, creating maximum impact for investors, portfolio companies and the Oxford and Cambridge research community.

It’s a great example of the way that collaborating long-term with your design team can build deep understanding that can offer radical and exciting change when it’s needed. Ultimately our design within this project has been at the service of setting out OTIF Ventures’ ethos at a pivotal moment. Satisfyingly, the identity and website feel substantively different from what went before, while continuing the sense of visionary style that has been the hallmark of this outstanding firm from the beginning.

Is your business ready for its next chapter?

Richard Chapman Studio specialises in brand identity and web design for venture capital, financial services, legal and professional services firms. If your name, your visual identity, or your digital presence no longer reflects where your business is going, we’d love to talk. Get in touch: 020 7351 4083 or email us directly.

Find out more

Our work for OTIF Ventures

Visit the OTIF Ventures website

Our branding and website design for financial services firms