Our IT teams spend much of their time talking with clients about new ideas and improving user experience. As such, product development is a huge part of their role.
Computer science is as much art as it is science. With that in mind, at Isentia, we try to keep things as simple as possible. We increase our developers’ productivity by training them to avoid code complexity, write simple code and follow good software engineering practices when implementing a solution to a problem.
The goal is to make Mediaportal, our blue ribbon platform, easy to use for both the everyday user and those who log in more sporadically.
After extensive research we uncovered a few home truths:
The Architecture of Information in Mediaportal needed improvement: Users felt that jumping from one important feature to another took too many steps. At the same time, visual complexity made the menu hard to scan.
More intuitive design was required: Certain core functionalities were not prominent, with some users struggling to navigate to popular tabs.
Mediaportal needed a more responsive design: Client feedback from users logging on via lesser-known browsers or smartphones showed that not all Mediaportal functions were easy to navigate. We know how important it is for clients to access Mediaportal throughout the day across multiple devices. As such, our technology requires constant review to ensure Mediaportal remains a platform that delivers insights and news anywhere, anytime.
As such Mediaportal has undergone an overhaul.
At the core of this project, as always, were the clients. We worked closely with more than 35 of them, collecting hours and hours of interviews and testing dozens of different design variations. We listened carefully to their feedback and ensured it was incorporated into every design. The end result? Our teams designed a platform that is intuitive and can be used to its full potential by everyone – from first-time users to our most regular visitors.
Enterprise applications bring a whole domain of complexities when compared to consumer apps, as they usually involve connecting to one or more legacy systems and include a much greater scope. However, complexity does not mean we have to settle for less in design. Instead, a well-designed enterprise application harnesses a greater positive impact for the business.
For more information on our Mediaportal platform and the service we deliver, visit our services page and connect with us.
Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.
Around the world, we have Hug Your Cat Day, Lucky Penny Day, Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day, Play Your Ukelele Day, Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day and Grilled Cheese Day – just to name a few.
Today is World Product Day, in fact the first ever World Product Day to have been held.
#WorldProductDay which spans 43 countries and incorporates events in 90 cities, grew out of a Product Tank initiative founded and developed 8 years ago in London by Mind the Product.
WPD is a simple concept that aims to ‘Bring together Product Managers from around the world to raise awareness of, and the appreciation for, the craft of product management.’
Which prompts the question, why do we need a World Product Day? The answer to which, is the fourth industrial revolution.
The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to drive production which led to greater levels of urbanisation. The Second, much to the delight of Adam Smith, used electricity to create mass production. The Third used electronics and IT to automate production and popularise personal computing. And now, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is radically expanding on the Third, to power the digital revolution that has been accelerating over the last decade.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created a fusion of technology that has crossed the physical and digital divide to drive the commercialisation of personalisation at scale, VR, AR, AI and, in context, positioned product management at the heart of this fourth wave or industrialisation.
So, there you have it and let us be one of the first to wish you a Happy World Product Day.
Richard Spencer, Chief Product Officer at Isentia
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Blog
Why do we need World Product Day?
#WorldProductDay which spans 43 countries and incorporates events in 90 cities, grew out of a Product Tank initiative founded and developed 8 years ago in London by Mind the Product.
Take a peek at Isentia's new look Sydney and Melbourne offices
24 October 2018
Media intelligence and insights leader, Isentia (ASX:ISD) opens its doors to a newly refurbished Melbourne office and shares a sneak peak into its Sydney HQ designed for a new and tech savvy workforce.
SYDNEY
Located on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills, the light-filled Sydney HQ enjoys uninterrupted views of Sydney city and Prince Alfred Park.
Conveniently located, just a few minutes’ walk from Central Train Station, the office is well connected to bus routes and the soon to be completed light rail. Staff also benefit from newly renovated end-of-trip facilities such as showers, lockers and bicycle parking.
The vibrant area of Surry Hills is home to a range of cafes and restaurants, gyms, yoga studios and (year-round heated) Prince Alfred Park Pool, with open grass area for unwinding or enjoying a quick break outdoors.
Isentia HQ benefits from an airy and open plan design creating a sense of community. A newly renovated, open plan kitchen and common area isoften used for Friday drinks, birthday celebrations and friendly (competitive) table tennis matches. Breakout areas, huddle spots, and quiet rooms are available in addition to meeting rooms, making a range of work activity possible – with an innovation lab coming soon!
The office renovations form part of Isentia’s transformation as a tech company. Supporting this are a wide range of career opportunities from CX, product design and development, infrastructure and solutions development to media analysts.
MELBOURNE
Last week the team presented a completely redesigned Melbourne office, now housing more than 70 desks for local analysts, sales, client service and editorial team members as well as new glass offices and meeting spaces that encourage natural light to flow to every corner.
While Sydney will remain Isentia's headquarters, the decision to update the Melbourne office was an easy one says John Bissinella, Head of Client Solutions. "It was important we update the look and feel of our Melbourne office to keep pace with the speed and innovation of our tech. We deliver Australia’s fastest, most comprehensive and reliable media monitoring, intelligence and insights service – it was time for our workspace to be reflective of this.”
We’re excited to share this space with our valued clients who value the rigour with which our insights and intelligence services are delivered, and appreciate hearing from the people who work to deliver their service 365 days of the year.
With a new kitchen and breakout spaces, renovated bathrooms (including showers and change facilities for commuters), as well as improved lighting, flooring and desk layouts, the office promotes greater collaboration between teams and encourages a more flexible work environment.
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Media Release
Inside Isentia’s Sydney HQ and their newly renovated Melbourne office
Isentia (ASX:ISD) opens its doors to a newly refurbished Melbourne office and shares a sneak peak into its Sydney HQ designed for a new and tech savvy workforce.
In our last update, housing coverage centred on advice for mortgage holders amid rising rates and cost-of-living pressures. In this second release of the series, the conversation has shifted, with news increasingly framing Australia’s housing challenge through construction, innovation, and government action. Reports highlight fast-tracked developments, AI-powered modular builds, and reforms to cut red tape, alongside community-driven projects in Nhulunbuy and pressures on urban infrastructure, showing that solving the crisis requires building both faster and smarter. The patterns in coverage reveal which stories and policy levers are gaining traction, and how different angles from scale and efficiency to localised community impact are shaping the wider conversation.
Government policy is driving much of this coverage, shaping the narratives that dominate media discussion. First-home buyer programs such as the Home Guarantee (5% Deposit Scheme), Help to Buy, and Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee are frequently cited, alongside social and affordable housing initiatives including the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, NSW’s $610 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund, and state-level projects in Toowoomba and Wagga Wagga. Coverage of supply-side reforms, Melbourne high-rise plans, and debates over negative gearing, capital gains, and rental caps illustrates how policy and regulation frame public debate. Across outlets and regions, the way these stories are told signals which elements of housing policy are resonating, which have momentum, and where attention is likely to shift next.
Where previous reporting centred on interest rates and mortgage advice, a calm, and financial “top-down” discussion, the shift to construction and reform places the emphasis on system-level solutions. Yet, as before, a gap remains between media coverage and social discourse.
On social media, the conversation continues to unfold as a “bottom-up” outcry. This month, debates over housing affordability and accessibility have been increasingly framed through immigration. Political groups such as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and the Family First Party Australia are amplifying anti-immigration narratives on X and Facebook, claiming that new arrivals are the direct cause of housing stress. These messages are countered by voices rejecting both the logic and the racism seen to underpin such rhetoric, instead pointing to investors as the real drivers of market pressures and reframing housing as a human right. Demonstrations such as March for Australia have further fuelled this dynamic, with slogans tying immigration to Labor, raising the risk of political damage.
The conversation shows right-leaning voices continue to dominate online, with more balanced perspectives struggling for visibility. Policy proposals like a “bedroom tax” appear to have amplified anxieties about population growth, giving further oxygen to anti-immigration claims.
Layered over this, the Reserve Bank’s three rate cuts in recent months have become a fresh point of contention. Some argue that lower rates are simply inflating house prices, benefiting existing homeowners while worsening conditions for would-be buyers and savers deepening the perception of a system stacked against the public.
While the media is foregrounding structural solutions to increase supply, public discourse is still driven by frustration, identity politics, and competing narratives of blame. Solving the housing crisis will not only require practical reforms but also careful navigation of the volatile public conversation that risks overshadowing those solutions.
Housing narratives in the media and online: Building solutions, blaming people
In our last update, housing coverage centred on advice for mortgage holders amid rising rates and cost-of-living pressures. In this second release of the series, the conversation has shifted, with news increasingly framing Australia’s housing challenge through construction, innovation, and government action. Reports highlight fast-tracked developments, AI-powered modular builds, and reforms to cut red tape, […]
How is media coverage shaping views of Brisbane 2032 and its global impact?
The stories that resonate, whether it is a stadium cost blowout, a community campaign to preserve green space, or the push to include Australian Rules Football in the program, capture how Australians are gearing up for a once-in-a-generation Games. These specific, contested, and human stories shape the narratives across news and social media and ultimately reflect how the country is experiencing and remembering Brisbane 2032.
Leading Topics: News vs. social
The difference is while the news media is overwhelmingly concerned with the logistics of the Games, the public is more interested in its social and economic consequences.
On social media, the conversation is a mix of excitement and concern, with a strong focus on what the Games will feel like. Discussions about social impact and economic outcomes are prominent, as people debate everything from housing affordability to the potential for new community arts programs.
In the news, the narrative is far more narrow. An incredible amount of the coverage is dedicated to infrastructure, with a particular focus on the cost and controversy surrounding the main stadium. The second-largest topic is the political jousting that accompanies these infrastructure debates.
The most discussed stakeholders are institutions and communities, not individuals
While politicians dominate the news, what's making a real impact on social media are the communities and institutions at the heart of the conversation.
In the news, the most-quoted voices around Brisbane 2032 are overwhelmingly political figures, led by the Queensland Premier and Deputy Premier. Much of the coverage has centred on Premier Crisafulli’s media appearances, including a notable stop at Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River to promote plans for a feasibility study into using the site for rowing events despite concerns about crocodiles and currents.
The Deputy Premier, meanwhile, has been most prominent for his push to build a new stadium at Victoria Park. That proposal has fuelled debate over whether Brisbane 2032 is shifting away from being a sporting project to a political land grab. The discussion is further sharpened by Queensland’s reported shortage of tradies, with calls for urgent measures to recruit more skilled workers to meet the surge in construction and infrastructure demand tied to the Games.
Even Donald Trump makes an appearance in the coverage, with Brisbane’s bid to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit drawing headlines and gaining the support of Prime Minister Albanese.
On social media, the conversation is being shaped largely by organisations and grassroots communities. Victoria Park, now at the centre of the stadium debate, has become a focal point for how people see the legacy of Brisbane 2032, and Queensland more broadly. Campaigns to preserve the green space are gaining traction, amplified both by smaller local outlets such as The Westender and by national publications including ABC and The Guardian.
Defining "legacy": The public hopes and media narratives
The term "legacy" represents the most significant challenge in the Brisbane 2032 narrative, as the data reveals a mismatch between the public's focus on experience and the media's framing of cost and conflict.
On social media, the legacy conversation is aspirational and driven by the sporting theme, where discussions about preserving green spaces like Victoria Park highlight a desire for tangible, long-term community benefits. Other cities are also seizing the aspirational momentum of events like Brisbane 2032, with figures such as Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate using social media to highlight for hyper-local audiences the potential returns on investing in this opportunity. News coverage frames legacy as a political and economic undertaking, dominated by the cost of stadiums, the allocation of funding, and the political conflict between the government and its opposition.
Framing the use of the Fitzroy River as an opportunity for sustainability or presenting construction timelines as local job creation makes the connection between political debates and the community and sporting outcomes people truly care about more resonant, while also painting a positive vision for the legacy of Brisbane 2032.
Specificity wins: Vague PR is ignored, detailed stories drive engagement
Generic ‘good news’ posts or Olympic press tend to generate weaker engagement The content that captures public attention is highly specific, and often human-centric or controversial.
On social media, the most engaging content included the debate around HYROX judging standards, the passionate campaign to include Lawn Bowls in the games, and celebrating the specific achievements of individual swimmers.
In the news, it’s not the general updates that resonate, but detailed reports, whether on cost blowouts at specific venues, the impact of turning a local river into an Olympic event site, or the campaign to include Australian Rules Football in the program.
Media moments and narratives gain traction when meaning is applied. Shift content strategies from generalities to detailed storytelling, focus on journeys, the tangible impact of a new community facility, or a transparent explanation of a complex issue for example. The battle for the hearts and minds of the public ahead of Brisbane 2032 will be won in these details.
See how the right analysis can help you anticipate risks, shape messaging and connect with your audiences. Request a free demo.
Winning the Brisbane 2032 narrative: A media analysis
How is media coverage shaping views of Brisbane 2032 and its global impact? The stories that resonate, whether it is a stadium cost blowout, a community campaign to preserve green space, or the push to include Australian Rules Football in the program, capture how Australians are gearing up for a once-in-a-generation Games. These specific, contested, […]
