Giving New Investors the Confidence to Start

Investing is one of the most reliable ways to build financial security, yet for millions of people, it remains just out of reach. Not because of access, and not because of cost, but because of confidence. The interest is there. So is uncertainty: where to start, what to choose, whether investing is even for them.CommSec is Australia’s largest investing platform and the first place many turn. But first-time investors face a high barrier to entry. Financial products are complex. The language is opaque. The stakes feel personal and high. The brief was clear: help Australians take that first step.

Over six weeks, we designed and validated a future vision for the public website through deep customer research and rapid prototyping across new, early, and experienced investors.The strategy was built around three core principles: Meet people where they are through progressive disclosure that matches varying levels of financial confidence. Make the experience tangible so that abstract financial concepts feel real and achievable. Always build financial literacy with in-line guidance and relevant content that answers questions as they arise.The result was a tested, research-backed vision for an experience that moves people from ‘thinking about investing’ to ready to act.

The first phase of the strategy has rolled out through a newly refreshed CommSec website, and the impact is measurable. New customer sign-ups increased by 27%, a direct result of removing the friction and uncertainty that kept first-time investors from taking action.More Australians are now taking the step from intention to application: submitting their details, opening accounts, beginning to invest. For many, it is the first time they have felt that investing is genuinely within reach.

The research underpinning this strategy was unusually rigorous for a website redesign project. The team conducted 9 hours of subject matter expert interviews, 6 hours of collaborative workshops, and four rounds of prototype testing totalling 20 hours of one-on-one qualitative sessions across new, early, and experienced investors. Every design decision was tested against real behaviour, not assumed preference.That research consistently surfaced the same truth: the barriers to investing are emotional before they are practical. First-time investors do not need more information, they need to feel capable. One participant put it plainly:“It makes investing seem a lot less scary and makes me feel like investing is something I would be able to do and not out of my capabilities.” Participant 2.3, New InvestorFrom an organisational perspective, the strategy gave CommSec’s internal teams something equally valuable: a shared language, a set of design principles, and a prioritisation roadmap. Teams now have a clear view of what to build, what not to build, and how to keep the customer’s needs at the centre of every decision.