The Challenge

The National Trust aimed to develop new ways to engage supporters concerned about UK nature and climate change. The challenge was to create a proposition that felt both personally rewarding and impactful while also being viable for NT to implement.


The Solution

The project was executed over a five-week New Product Development (NPD) cycle, covering the first four stages of our IMPACT Methodology. Throughout the cycle, the team co-created and tested ideas with over 140 potential supporters, including in-depth sessions with participants and survey feedback from 139 individuals. Three prototypes were developed and tested through multiple iterations.

Following this, we ran a prototyping sprint to refine the most promising proposition, Adopt a Plot, to a pilot-ready state. This involved three waves of experimentation—testing desirability, feasibility, and viability—through user testing, quantitative surveys, wireframing, and demand validation. The sprint concluded with a roadmap for launch, ensuring the proposition was both audience-led and feasible.


The Impact

The project resulted in a fully validated and piloted product, now live as Adopt a Plot. Key achievements::

  • Development of a minimum testable product (MTP) and customer journey.

  • Creation of marketing and resource plans, success metrics, and a go/no-go plan.

  • Engagement and buy-in from key NT stakeholders, leading to a fast-tracked launch.

  • Delivery of NT’s first-ever regular giving product, allowing supporters to sponsor plots at key nature restoration sites.

Adopt a Plot launched as a beacon project within NT’s 130th-anniversary strategy, marking a significant milestone in their supporter engagement approach. With just three months to get to market, it went live in early 2024, and early indications suggest strong supporter interest.


Key Insights: 

  1. Co-Creation with End Users: Engage users throughout development to align with their needs.

  2. Structured NPD Process: Follow a clear roadmap from immersion to wrap-up.

  3. Iterative Testing and Refinement: Use iterative cycles to minimize risks, reduce costs, and ensure the final product meets user needs.

Watch Georgina Cox, Product & Proposition Manager at the National Trust, talk through their journey working with Good Innovation in our Innovation 2.0 webinar here.