Novii - Design Sprint

published

Helping Novii turn data collection into a media moment to stand out in a changing market.

Tablet and smartphone displaying a website for Northcote, Melbourne. The screens show a map, local highlights, and a video link for a Northcote tour, with responsive design adapting to both devices.

Overview and context

Novii, owned by realestate.com.au, ran a successful lead generation business in the real estate space, but the digital landscape was shifting. They needed to differentiate and capture attention in a market that was rapidly changing.

Our goal? Create a unique proposition that both engaged users and drove sales.


Framing the challenge

How do we create a new space for agents and advertisers to invest in?


Our solutions

Unique suburb profiles

Forget the usual real estate data. We told live, cultural stories. What’s the vibe in each neighborhood? What music will you hear at the local BBQ? These profiles went beyond the obvious, offering a fresh perspective that connected with users.

Discoverability

Discovery page showing a map of Australia, search bar, and category cards for exploring different communities like 'EPL Fans' and 'Music Lovers'.
Discovery page with a heatmap highlighting EPL fan locations across Australia. Category cards show specific fan groups like 'Man U' and 'Arsenal' fans.
Suburb matching tool with sliders for preferences such as cost, busyness, and music type, and a 'Match Me' button.
Suburb matching results page with a map of Australia highlighting matched suburbs and a 'Your Matches' section showing Yackandandah, VIC.
Suburb comparison page showing Northcote vs. Marrickville with categories like music and pets for evaluation.

We built tools that were both fun and functional. A “vibe match” and “look-alike suburb finder” helped users discover neighbourhoods that fit their personality, turning curiosity into engagement.

Data collection as a moment

Landing page of Culture Canvas with the title 'The Culture Canvas', description about mapping suburbs, Memoji characters, and a 'Get Started' button

The big question: where does the data come from? We turned that into a feature. Inspired by the census, we made data collection part of the experience — a media moment that generated buzz while gathering insights.


Process breakdown

Unpacking the opportunity

In targeted workshops, we identified Novii’s key advantages: an existing sales pipeline, domain expertise, and strong partnerships. But we also pinpointed challenges: finding sustainable data, keeping engagement fresh, and standing out in a crowded space.

Diagram illustrating changes between the existing lead generation experience and a new proposition, with a focus on using cultural insights and engagement mechanisms.

Generating the hypothesis

Novii had an earned secret up their sleeves—agents cared more about building personal brands than just generating leads. We hypothesised that offering users a way to better understand themselves by understanding their neighbourhood could create a pull that agents could capitalise on.

What we learned

Prototyping and testing confirmed it: curiosity worked. The data stories drew users in, but we needed to add practical information to boost credibility. Key information like mobile reception and internet speeds became essential to turning curiosity into conversion.

Wall of Justice diagram summarising feedback and user reactions to various prototypes, with colour-coded sticky notes indicating different responses across multiple testers.

Our strategic recommendations

The early indicators were clear: desirability was high, but now Novii needed to test where it mattered — revenue. As part of realestate.com.au, we recommended leveraging their brand and reach. The plan? Launch the campaign as a first test in the market. It would not only validate the concept but also act as a sales hook to bring in agents and assess its revenue potential.

Diagram illustrating changes between the existing lead generation experience and a new proposition, with a focus on using cultural insights and engagement mechanisms.


Team composition

Our team

  • Experience design lead
  • Visual designer
  • UX designer

Novii’s team

  • Founder / CEO
  • CTO
  • Head of Sales
  • Head of Marketing

My contributions

  • Developed the plan and led its execution
  • Facilitated workshops and cross-functional collaboration
  • Coordinated activities between teams
  • Contributed concepts and provided design critique