Tracing Rigel’s Influence on Design and Utility

I know writing an entire piece about a toilet brand sounds like an odd hill to die on. But hear me out. I’ve always believed that everything is a touchpoint. And one of the most overlooked touchpoints is the humble public toilet. As someone who studied urban studies, I couldn’t help but notice how bathrooms across malls are arranged. Women’s restrooms tend to be tucked further inside, presumably to reduce the odds of someone walking into the wrong one.

But then, I started noticing the fixtures. The urinals, the taps, the flush sensors. Then came a visit to IKEA Alexandra. I had just washed the meatball grease off my hands and was walking back to the cafeteria when I spotted it—Rigel’s new logo. I turned to Jerica and shared what must’ve sounded like an oddly specific observation.

So that’s why we’re here. This piece isn’t just about sanitary ware. It’s about design, branding, and what it means to show up, whether that’s in a luxury hotel or on a website. We’ll be tracing Rigel’s evolution, unpacking the brand elements that work, and pointing out where things still fall short. Because yes, even a toilet break can teach you a thing or two about branding.

What a Toilet Break Taught Me About Branding

If you’ve ever been in a bathroom at Jewel Changi, Gardens by the Bay, or Marina Bay Sands, you’ve probably used a Rigel product. Quite literally under our noses, Rigel has become Singapore’s homegrown authority on smart sanitary solutions. Think sensor taps, auto-flush toilets, and water-saving systems.

Rigel started back in 1991, in a time when the country was doubling down on public hygiene. Its founder, Christopher Ng, saw a gap. Singapore needed better public toilets, cleaner, smarter, and more efficient. So he built them. He introduced one of the earliest sensor-based flush systems to the market, and it took off. Fast forward a few decades, and Rigel is now producing over 100,000 toilet bowls every single month, exporting to more than 40 countries across Asia and beyond.

But Rigel’s influence isn’t just about scale. The company has built a brand that knows when to lead with innovation and when to step back and let the utility speak for itself. That’s not easy, especially in an industry often overlooked until something stops working. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I’m even writing this. I started noticing a pattern, every time I had a surprisingly pleasant bathroom experience (like a consistent tap flow or a perfectly timed flush) it was Rigel’s name staring back at me.

What makes Rigel worth paying attention to is how deliberately they’ve shaped both their product and perception. They’ve turned a basic utility into a symbol of modernity and reliability. But this didn’t happen by chance. In particular, Rigel’s logo icon and its approach to co-branding play a bigger role than most people might realise.

The Quiet Power of a Well-Designed Icon

One of the first things that led me down this rabbit hole was Rigel’s rebrand. Specifically, the new logo. It’s clean, restrained, and quietly clever. For the longest time, Rigel operated with just a logotype. The introduction of a distinct logo icon made me take a second look. At first glance, it looks like a simple graphic (a vertical bar beside a drop). But look again and you’ll notice the drop completes the shape of a lowercase “r”. It’s a small but meaningful nod to their line of work.

The entire identity feels measured. The rounded lowercase logotype is modest and intentional, much like the products themselves. No flourish, no overcomplication, just a mark that knows what it’s there to do.

Now compare that to the previous iteration, uppercase, loud, and carrying not one, not two, but three colours in the logo. Anyone who’s read my breakdown of Deuter’s old logo knows how I feel about excessive colour use in branding. Aside from being a nightmare on both light and dark backgrounds, it opens the door for designers to “interpret” the palette in all sorts of creative but inconsistent ways. And don’t get me started on greenwashing the tagline. The colour choice made it feel like the brand was trying too hard instead of just being good at what it does. Good riddance.

The Power of Showing Up in the Right Places

Where Rigel shows up matters. In fact, it’s part of what makes the brand so effective. When you see Rigel products in places like Marina Bay Sands or Jewel Changi, it becomes a co-branding exercise. These aren’t just high-traffic spaces. They’re destinations. Luxurious, iconic, and meticulously curated down to the smallest detail. If a space like that has chosen Rigel, it signals something deeper.

It’s not hard to imagine the number of requirements and tenders a brand would need to clear just to be in the running, let alone win. So when Rigel ends up as the provider of choice, it speaks volumes. You don’t land those kinds of placements without being good at what you do. And for a brand whose products often go unnoticed, these co-branding opportunities become powerful markers of credibility.

When the Digital Touchpoints Don’t Deliver

Rigel’s success in securing placements in prestigious venues like Marina Bay Sands underscores its strength in the B2B sector. However, when it comes to engaging directly with consumers, the brand’s strategy appears to falter. We’ll be looking at two touchpoints that highlight this disconnect: their website and Instagram presence.

Navigating Rigel's website is a letdown. The user journey is marred by an overload of information and a lack of clear direction. Moreover, the imagery employed is bland and predictable. This is particularly disappointing given their logo icon's sophistication. One would expect the digital interface to mirror that level of intentionality.

Contrast this with Muuto’s website, and the disparity becomes evident. Muuto offers a visually engaging experience that reflects its brand ethos. Lifestyle images showcase their products in thoughtfully designed spaces, allowing users to envision them in their own environments. The navigation is intuitive, with a clear hierarchy that guides visitors effortlessly.

Turning to Instagram, the feed predominantly features straight ads. With 4,916 followers, their most recent posts average a mere five likes. Even their latest Reel, posted six days ago with 1,374 views, garnered only six likes. This suggests a disconnect with their audience. It’s worth noting that potential customers are discussing Rigel on platforms like Reddit, indicating that the target demographic is indeed active on social media. The challenge lies in crafting content that resonates and encourages engagement.

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Rigel isn’t a perfect brand, but it’s a quietly impressive one. It has built trust in places where trust is invisible, through fixtures that just work, in environments that demand reliability. But as we’ve hopefully demonstrated, showing up physically is only half the equation. The digital experience matters too. And right now, Rigel’s website and social presence feel like missed opportunities. For a brand that’s earned its place in Singapore’s most iconic spaces, it’s time the rest of the brand experience caught up.

Because at the end of the day, consistent brand implementation matters. Between what you do, where you show up, and how you make people feel. Even if it’s just for a brief moment, washing meatball grease off your hands.