Helping Novii turn data collection into a media moment to stand out in a changing market.
Role
Design team lead
(2-designer squad)
Timing
2 weeks
Impact
Fast-tracked executive funding pitch
Mission
Find new revenue streams inside the existing established network.
Constraints
- Small delivery team
- Limited resources
- Competing initiatives under the parent company's umbrella
Key calls
- The focus area
- The core concept to move forward
- The scope and shape of the pitch
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 engages users and drives 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 new perspective that connected with users.
Discoverability
We proposed 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
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 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.
Generating the hypothesis
Novii had an earned secret up their sleeves — career focused agents played the long game building personal brands trumped 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.
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.
What I’d change next time
I would have held back the executive pitch to find undeniable proof points through iteration and business casing. The early signals trended positive, but we hadn’t reached inevitability just yet. Finding concrete revenue streams and audience numbers would have moved this from good idea to the right idea.
-
Revenue-first pilot.
Charge a small cohort upfront to prove dollars beat applause. -
Demand-size funnels.
Captur usage every sprint until the audience number makes this “inevitable.” -
Rolling business case.
Update a live P&L after each experiment and pitch only when the upside writes itself.
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