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SoccerBud - Soccer mobile app

SoccerBud serves as a platform uniting enthusiasts of football, facilitating users in discovering and reserving football matches, extending invitations, and fostering communication among teammates.

The primary objective was to streamline the process of locating both matches and fellow players, enhancing the overall experience of connecting and engaging in football-related activities.

SoccerBud serves as a platform uniting enthusiasts of football, facilitating users in discovering and reserving football matches, extending invitations, and fostering communication among teammates.

The primary objective was to streamline the process of locating both matches and fellow players, enhancing the overall experience of connecting and engaging in football-related activities.

User research

Competitive analysis

SWOT

Personas

Information architecture

User flow

Sketching

Wireframes

High-fidelity UI

Prototyping

User testing

Accessibility evaluation

Role

Researcher, Designer

What

Mobile application (IOS)

Why

Personal project

Team members

Designer

App, Sports

When

Nov 22 - Jan 23

Problem statement

Football players find themselves utilizing a variety of applications to communicate with their teammates and coordinate soccer games. Presently, the availability of applications that can effectively aid users in performing these tasks remains limited.

Solution

Creating a unified platform encompassing all these functionalities within a single application was the focal point of our design endeavor. SoccerBud is geared towards facilitating and uniting football enthusiasts, providing assistance and connectivity for fans prior to their on-field engagements

Users and audience

SoccerBud is an inclusive platform that recognizes sports' universality, appealing to individuals of diverse age groups. While catering to a broad demographic, the primary target audience is projected to comprise males aged 18-40. I have segmented SoccerBud's audience into three key categories:

Aspiring or seasoned athletes
Recreational players
Novices and newcomers

Aspiring or seasoned athletes
Recreational players
Novices and newcomers

Team and role

I assumed the role of a seasoned product designer responsible for orchestrating the design strategy and user experience. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, my responsibilities encompassed conducting user research to understand the diverse needs of football enthusiasts, crafting intuitive user interfaces that facilitate match discovery and team coordination, and iteratively refining the design based on user feedback to ensure a seamless and engaging experience for players of all skill levels. My overarching goal was to harmonize aesthetics, usability, and functionality to create a cohesive and user-centered football community platform.

User research

During the user research phase, my emphasis was on comprehending user behavior, needs, and motivations through meticulous observation techniques. In the quantitative analysis stage, I conducted interviews with a sample of 8 individuals. The objective was to gain insights into the challenges encountered by football enthusiasts when seeking to reserve and locate soccer matches or pitches.

Key findings

Interviewees are unaware of any application catering to their needs for booking, searching, and coordinating soccer matches.

Most individuals resort to using social platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp for match coordination and communication.
A prevalent issue lies in the absence of organization, resulting in uncertainty about the participants' presence at games

Interviewees are unaware of any application catering to their needs for booking, searching, and coordinating soccer matches.

Most individuals resort to using social platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp for match coordination and communication.
A prevalent issue lies in the absence of organization, resulting in uncertainty about the participants' presence at games

Pain points

Utilizing multiple apps for organizing and connecting with football players

Difficulty in locating matches when lacking sufficient participants or connections
Unforeseen team compositions leading to unfamiliar players
Insufficient pitch details available
Necessity to reserve the entire pitch even for smaller groups playing

User persona

The creation of user personas allows us to empathize with our target audience on a personal level, enabling us to tailor the SoccerBud platform to their needs, preferences, and pain points.

The "Amateur Player" persona, represented by Sarah Thompson, embodies the challenges and aspirations of individuals seeking a simplified way to engage in football matches and connect with teammates. By understanding Sarah's motivations and obstacles, we can design a platform that resonates with users like her and delivers a compelling user experience.

The creation of user personas allows us to empathize with our target audience on a personal level, enabling us to tailor the SoccerBud platform to their needs, preferences, and pain points.

Competitor analysis

In order to create a truly impactful and innovative platform like SoccerBud, it's imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape. By examining the strengths, weaknesses, and unique features of these competitors, I aimed to uncover valuable insights that will guide the refinement of SoccerBud's offerings and ensure its distinctiveness in the market.

SWOT

This evaluation offers a comprehensive understanding of how SoccerBud can leverage its strengths, address its weaknesses, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and navigate potential challenges to optimize its product offering.

Flow diagram

To outline all the necessary functionality I created a simple flow diagram of the main tasks user can do. One of the flows is shown below. Fail state flows were also created, but shown due to space constraints.

Sketches

The sketches section captures the initial creative exploration phase of designing SoccerBud's interface and user experience. Here, we delve into the iterative process of ideating various layout options, content placements, and interaction elements. These sketches serve as the foundational visual blueprints that pave the way for translating concepts into tangible designs, ensuring alignment with user needs and platform objectives.

Low-fidelity wireframes

The low-fidelity wireframes section delves into the foundational design stage of SoccerBud, where the conceptual ideas start to take shape. Through a simplified representation of the platform's layout and structure, this section illustrates the initial blueprints that guide the user experience and interactions. By presenting the early design explorations, we demonstrate how SoccerBud's core features and functionalities align with user needs and strategic goals.

High-fidelity wireframes

In the pursuit of translating conceptual designs into tangible user experiences, the high-fidelity wireframes section demonstrates the meticulous detailing and visual refinement of SoccerBud's interface. This phase builds upon the foundation of low-fidelity wireframes, bringing the platform's design to life with realistic visuals, precise interactions, and a focus on visual consistency, branding, and user engagement.

Over 24 high-fidelity design screens have been created

Designs got through different iterations, over 80 screens have been designed in the process in order to find the best solution and style.

Alignment and grid

I picked an 8-point grid for the project and set the margins within groups at 8 and 16, with margins between tgroups at 24, 32 and 40.

High-fidelity prototype

I connected my high fidelity designs into a clickable prototype. That will allow me to test the app on on a first group of users.

Prototype validation

I validated my prototype with 3 users. Each were given a subset of the prototype dedicated to the match details and booking views. I wanted to be sure users understand how to search for the match they looking for and how to book.

This was tested in a 1-to-1 in-person meeting, where I introduced the user to the app and asked them questions. The questions were dedicated to finding out whever the finding and booking flow was easy enough to understand and follow.

Study results

All users found the flow easy to follow and understand, however they wanted to find a game faster, which was slowed down by not having the time on the cards on the homepage screen.

Accessibility check

The app has been evaluated for contrast to match the AA standards of WCAG in some cases I found that the contrast can be improved

Outcome & future opportunities

The culmination of the SoccerBud project has yielded a dynamic platform that addresses the unique challenges and aspirations of amateur football enthusiasts like Sarah Thompson. By integrating user-friendly features, intuitive navigation, and seamless communication tools, SoccerBud streamlines the process of discovering matches, connecting with teammates, and engaging in football-related activities. The platform's outcome stands as a testament to the alignment of design expertise and user needs, ultimately creating a digital space that fosters camaraderie, enhances accessibility, and enriches the football experience.

Key Takeaways

Streamlined Match Discovery: SoccerBud's outcome revolves around simplifying the process of finding football matches that match users' schedules, skill levels, and location preferences, addressing the frustration of inconsistent availability.

Enhanced Connectivity: The platform's creation fosters consistent team compositions, enabling users like Sarah to build and maintain connections with like-minded teammates, promoting camaraderie and teamwork.
Effortless Interaction: SoccerBud's outcome introduces a seamless communication infrastructure, eliminating the need for juggling multiple apps and enabling efficient communication among players.

Conclusion

The SoccerBud project demonstrates the transformative power of user-centered design, where the fusion of technological innovation and understanding of user personas resulted in a platform that resonates with amateur football players' needs and desires. Through comprehensive competitor analysis, meticulous wireframing, and strategic SWOT analysis, the project's outcome successfully addresses user pain points and aspirations. As the virtual pitch of SoccerBud is unveiled, we celebrate not only the launch of a functional platform but also the creation of a community-driven solution that fosters the passion and camaraderie of football enthusiasts, enhancing their overall experience on and off the field.

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