Bright Architecture validated a new business venture by using Super and Notion for its MVP. The new project was successful and the studio now use the site to provide online architectural services to homeowners looking to renovate.
Summary
Nathan Bright founded Bright Architecture in 2010 and has built a reputation as a successful design studio that values long-term client relationships. With Partner, the brand's newest venture, homeowners can receive online-based architecture and design solutions to help with renovations using portals built with Super and Notion.
About Bright Architecture
- Launched in 2010
- Sector: Architecture and planning
- Bio: An established architectural studio with a new business providing online architectural services for homeowners
Key results with Super
- Validated a new business idea using minimal investment
- Created branded, customer-facing portals
- Centralized information for clients, architects, and contractors for streamlined communication
- Moved client proposals to Notion and Super for the brand’s primary business
Revolutionizing home renovations with an online architectural platform
Nathan's cutting-edge architecture studio, Bright Architecture, is an established name. The brand has an extensive boutique and luxury property portfolio — fitness studios, retail spaces, private residences, and others. Word-of-mouth referrals have set up the company for success, with long-term client relationships at its heart.
But Partner, Nathan's latest venture, is a different story. It's a platform that specializes in online architectural services and aims to streamline the process of home renovations using client portals.
"We noticed a significant lack of design information in the home renovation market," says Nathan.
"People often lack the necessary knowledge, and our goal is to make architecture more accessible for standard home renovations."
The idea was to help homeowners complete renovation projects aligned with their style, needs, and budget using an online platform.
The team needed a flexible website service with low start-up costs to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) for the project to get on the right foot.
"That's primarily why we decided to utilize tools like Notion and Super — they were instrumental in building the MVP for our Partner platform and beyond. Super enabled us to be an online architecture firm."
Finding the perfect balance between a functional backend and a user-friendly design
When Nathan first conceptualized the idea of an online-based architectural service, he reached out to developers to bring the project to life. However, the feedback he received advised him to consider a solid plan before investing any money into the platform.
"I realized they were right, and that's when we decided to create an MVP to validate the concept."
The team's search for a suitable program to build Partner's first iteration led them through various options for organization and management. They tried several web builders like Squarespace, but none met their needs.
Until they found Notion — it had all the capabilities they needed, and the simple drag-and-drop interface fit Nathan's idea of a flexible workspace.
"Notion provides us with the operational backend capabilities we need. It visually handles databases amazingly well and includes spreadsheet functions similar to Excel. It also tracks our time and integrates with other programs seamlessly."
It turned out to be the perfect fit for managing Partner up to a point. Requiring clients to log in directly to Notion was a hurdle, as was the application's less-than-appealing interface.
"So, we asked ourselves how to present the information more attractively. That's when we discovered Super, and everything fell into place."
"It was a moment of 'let's do it', as we had already decided on Notion, and Super checked all the boxes for us."
A responsive platform that serves the team, clients, and contractors
For Nathan, the main objective with Partner was to overcome inefficiencies in the architectural process by creating a platform that serves as a single source of truth. Information in this repository had to be available to the clients and Nathan's team, the contractors, and anyone else who might need it.
"Our goal is to build a comprehensive resource where we can incorporate useful information. For example, explaining aspects like countertop selection for clients who may have common questions during the design process. There's much to cover regarding educating clients about what they need to know."
"Above all, it's a place where all design and product information can reside, allowing homeowners to easily browse through their designs while sitting on their couches, freeing them from the hassle of emails and PDFs."
Once the Notion blocks were in place, it was just a matter of visually laying out the platform. Super's templates and page customization options helped Nathan achieve the desired website look, even without extensive CSS knowledge.
Partner's portals had to look attractive, but they also had to be easy to use, especially for architects and contractors on the go. This is where Super's responsive site designs came into play.
"It's about getting our work to them where they need it, considering the constraints of smaller screens. Desktop functionality leads the way, but we carefully consider the mobile experience."
Opening up the door for future business opportunities and investment
"Transitioning from sending emails and PDFs to utilizing a client portal has made a significant difference," says Nathan.
"It has greatly streamlined our workflow, eliminating the need to track down decision-making emails or search for specific drawings. The overall efficiency boost has been remarkable. It's an entirely new workflow for us."
Super has also enabled Nathan and his team to handle product specifications, proposals, and invoices. So much so the team has now shifted its Bright Architecture proposals to Notion.
But the true accomplishment comes from validating the pilot project with minimal investment. Each portal on Partner is now easily editable and repeatable by anyone on the team, thanks to the platform's galleries and filters.
"If you had told me a year ago that we would have a functional platform encompassing everything we needed for the basic pilot, I would have been all for it. And now, we've achieved that without needing to engage developers. It's been truly successful for us. "
"My staff can easily drag and drop finished plans into the platform, appearing exactly as intended. No need to spend time converting to PDF, arranging elements, or composing emails. "
"It's as simple as dragging it into the database, and it's done," says Nathan. "This is precisely the goal we had in mind."
Partner's current development stage marks only the beginning for the brand. As the team actively seeks investment opportunities to help the business expand, the project has already profoundly impacted the potential for client relationships.
"The beauty of this platform is that it enables us to connect with people on different terms. Instead of approaching them as the architect with a rigid proposal and limited contact, we can now say, 'Here's a platform where we can collaborate. Here are the drawings you're looking at. Let's work together.'"
"The true value lies in the platform allowing us to reimagine how architectural and professional services are delivered."
