Building a trust-first brand and product for an expat insurance brokerage
About the project
Stay (formerly MW Expat) is an independent insurance brokerage based in Munich, Germany, which helps English-speaking expats and international professionals navigate Germany’s insurance and pension systems.
Through access to an extensive network of providers, Stay offers tailored solutions for public and private health insurance, pension planning, liability coverage, vehicle and home insurance, disability and life insurance, as well as relocation support for newcomers.
- International clients served 4,000+
- Verified reviews on ProvenExpert and Google 109+
- Insurance providers in network 200+
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Challenge
The company’s previous name — MW Expat — was limiting its reach, and an outdated website gave no competitive edge against digital-first brokers. Halo Lab was brought in to rebuild the identity under a new name, redesign the site, and design a client portal that balanced automation with personal advice.
Our process
We transformed Stay’s entire digital ecosystem, redefining its brand image, designing a highly intuitive website, and delivering an immersive product experience.
Branding
When building Stay’s brand, we took user confidence as the central focus, shaping an identity that feels distinctly open, reliable, and people-first in a trust-sensitive market.
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Web design
Since insurance is complex by nature, we focused on clarity at every step, structuring navigation, simplifying decision paths, and giving users tools to decide confidently.
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Product design
After establishing the brand and web presence, we moved to a browser-based client portal, grounding it in an intuitive structure and data transparency
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Results
- Full brand identity system, including logo, color system, typography, and custom expat illustration library
- Clear brand positioning as a people-first, trust-focused platform in the expat insurance space
- Structured website with intuitive navigation and interactive decision-support tools
- Comprehensive UI kit and marketing assets for consistent cross-channel use
- Web application design with a data-adaptive dashboard and a clarity-first user experience layer
- Dev-ready design handoff with annotated specs, edge cases, and export-ready assets
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Our approach
Given the financial market’s complexity, where clients feel vulnerable navigating an unfamiliar system, we made every design decision to reduce friction and earn trust before asking for commitment.
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“Halo Lab had a smooth and well-structured project management process. With meticulous attention to detail, they met deadlines and communicated efficiently. What stood out most was how deeply they dove into the user flows.”
01 · Research & creative direction
We audited key competitors to map positioning gaps and define Stay’s distinct space in the expat insurance market. Brand personality frameworks and a moodboard then shaped the findings into several visual directions for the client to choose from.
Deliverables
- 3 competitors analyzed
- Conceptual moodboard
02 · Logo design
We designed a logo uniting several core brand values in one mark: interconnected shapes representing community, a wide and confident typeface conveying trust, and speech bubble elements highlighting open dialogue and human interaction.
Deliverables
- 4 logo concepts
- Logomark & wordmark
03 · Brand identity
The brand system is built around a white and light gray base for clarity, with soft yellow, blue, lilac, and green accents. A standout element is a signature graphic illustration library depicting real-life expat moments and thematic concepts.
Deliverables
- 2 brand identity concepts
- Color & typography systems
- Brand kit
01 · UX design
We started the web design process with a sitemap, mapping how users would navigate Stay’s core product areas and establishing a clear information architecture. Wireframes defined the hierarchy, section logic, and CTA placement across the site.
Deliverables
- Full sitemap
- Wireframes & user flows
02 · UI design
We opened the homepage with a speech bubble hero, framing Stay as a direct answer to a real question. Color carried the wayfinding — green, yellow, and blue marked each service area, helping users visually distinguish between sections.
Deliverables
- High-fidelity UI
- Mobile & desktop layouts
03 · Calculators & tables
To simplify user decisions, we built dynamic calculators for pension and insurance. Comparison tables further guided decision-making, showing differences between public and private insurance, as well as standard and optimized plan outcomes.
Deliverables
- Interactive calculators
- Comparison tables
04 · Handoff & marketing materials
We consolidated all components into a comprehensive UI kit. Beyond the main scope, our team produced marketing materials, including email newsletter templates, application status notification letters, motion showreel, and social media posts.
Deliverables
- UI kit
- Marketing assets
01 · UX design
We mapped key user journeys — from sign-up and applications to document submission and advisor connection. The onboarding flow used progressive disclosure: a few questions unlocked the dashboard, with deeper prompts revealed as users explored.
Deliverables
- 2 dashboard concepts
- Wireframes & user flows
02 · Portal design
We designed a credible interface with the advisor button fixed in the sidebar, keeping decisions approachable and expert guidance always present. The dashboard, products, applications, and documents screens kept the journey clear and navigable.
Deliverables
- Data-adaptive dashboard
- User portal ecosystem
03 · Design system & handoff
We structured all visual elements into a design system covering components, states, spacing, and interaction rules. All screens were handed off with annotated specs and export-ready assets, including edge cases, loading, and empty states.
Deliverables
- Design system
- Dev-ready handoff
Team
A cross-functional team worked in close sync, continuously adapting to new insights from classroom trials and robot behavior.
- 1 Project Manager
- 2 Brand Designers
- 2 UI/UX Designers
- 2 Web Designers
- 1 Front-end Developer
- 1 Back-end Developer
- 1 QA Engineer
Technologies
Our stack supported offline interaction, hardware communication, scalable content management, and smooth cross-platform UI.
Team
- 1 Project Manager
- 1 Brand Designer
- 2 UI/UX Designers
- 1 Graphic Illustrator
- 1 Motion Designer
Technologies
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