Repositioning an entertainment company into a premium music IP investment business

Role
Lead Product Designer

Responsibilities

• Product Strategy

• UX Research

• Information Architecture

• UX Design

• UI Design

• Brand Experience

• Prototyping

• Stakeholder Management

Overview

Pophouse was entering a new era.

Already known for creating world-class entertainment experiences, the company was expanding into music catalogue and intellectual property investments, acquiring the rights to globally recognised artists including Avicii, KISS, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. Rather than simply owning music rights, Pophouse's strategy was to unlock new long-term value through immersive experiences, licensing, storytelling and technology.

The challenge was that the existing digital experience didn't communicate this transformation.

Potential investors, artists and partners still perceived Pophouse primarily as an entertainment company—not as a sophisticated investment business managing valuable cultural assets.

My role was to redesign the website to reposition Pophouse as the premium home of music intellectual property.

The Challenge

The existing experience struggled to answer three critical questions:

• Why is Pophouse different from traditional music rights investors?

• Why should artists trust Pophouse with their legacy?

• Why should investors believe in the long-term value of the business?

The website needed to communicate ambition, financial credibility and creative vision simultaneously—appealing to both institutional investors and world-famous artists.

My Approach

Rather than beginning with interface design, I started by understanding how people perceived the business.

Working closely with leadership and stakeholders, I helped define the story that the website needed to tell.

The redesign focused on three principles:

1. Position Pophouse as an investment company—not simply an entertainment brand

The experience shifted from showcasing projects to explaining the investment philosophy behind them.

Instead of leading with entertainment, we led with long-term value creation.

2. Build confidence through clarity

Music catalogue investment is unfamiliar to many audiences.

Complex information was simplified through clearer hierarchy, structured content and stronger storytelling so visitors could quickly understand:

• what Pophouse invests in

• how value is created

• why artists choose to partner with them

• why their approach is different

3. Create a premium digital experience

Every interaction was designed to reinforce quality.

Generous spacing, restrained typography, refined motion and immersive imagery created a product experience that reflected the calibre of the artists and investors Pophouse works with.

The website needed to feel as premium as the assets it represented.

Key Design Decisions

A story-led homepage

Rather than functioning as a traditional corporate website, the homepage became a narrative.

Visitors are gradually introduced to:

• the company's purpose

• its investment strategy

• the artists

• the productions

• the leadership

• future ambitions

Each section builds confidence before asking users to explore further.

Designing for multiple audiences

One of the biggest UX challenges was serving audiences with very different goals:

• institutional investors

• potential artists

• management teams

• media

• future employees

The information architecture allows each audience to quickly find relevant content while maintaining a coherent overall story.

Business Impact

The redesign helped establish a digital presence that reflected Pophouse's transformation into a leading music IP investment company.

Since the repositioning, Pophouse has continued expanding its portfolio through landmark partnerships with globally recognised artists including KISS, Cyndi Lauper and later Tina Turner, while raising more than €1.2 billion for its inaugural investment fund.

While many investment firms simply acquire music rights, Pophouse differentiates itself through creative development—creating new experiences that extend the commercial life of iconic artists and their intellectual property.

Reflection

This project reinforced that product design extends far beyond interfaces.

The most valuable design decision wasn't choosing typography or layouts—it was helping redefine how an entire business communicated its strategy.

By combining UX, storytelling and brand thinking, we created a digital experience that inspires confidence from investors while celebrating the artists whose legacies Pophouse exists to protect.