Every game, every goal, every story in one app.
Problems
Our team provided Android/iOS apps for the National Lacrosse League to stream games and other video content. However, the apps were delivered on a very tight deadline and were intended to function as templates, not tailored specifically for the NLL. As such, numerous problems arose over time:
– The Featured tab was static, thus not engaging users with new and relevant content.
– The Live tab appeared empty when no events were available. Users could not find past or upcoming games.
– Android and iOS were designed separately with no consistent design language.
– Payments could only be made on the web. There was no in-app purchase flow.
– The Live tab appeared empty when no events were available. Users could not find past or upcoming games.
– Android and iOS were designed separately with no consistent design language.
– Payments could only be made on the web. There was no in-app purchase flow.
Goals
In advance of the next NLL season, we aimed to make a more compelling fan experience:
– Make it easier to discover new content and watch more of it.
– Allow users to easily navigate past, upcoming, and live games.
– Align the look and feel of Android/iOS and establish NLL's brand identity.
– Allow users to purchase subscriptions and match passes in the mobile apps.
– Allow users to easily navigate past, upcoming, and live games.
– Align the look and feel of Android/iOS and establish NLL's brand identity.
– Allow users to purchase subscriptions and match passes in the mobile apps.
Learning from a rough start
After our initial release, I carefully studied customer reviews and end-of-season surveys, then put myself in the shoes of these users. I diligently tested the app as a fan of specific teams, noting every negative experience I found along the way.
For example, as a fan of the Buffalo Bandits who missed the last game, the only way I could find the game was to scroll through dozens of unrelated videos in the "Latest" tab, or to manually search by name.
Improving discoverability and navigation
For NLL 2.0, I prioritized updating the navigation to make it easier to find relevant content. I flattened the hierarchy and redesigned the home page to emphasize live and upcoming content. A new Trending page was added that continually engaged users with new content. Lastly, I added a dedicated Games tab where users could find every game from every team, plus a League tab where they could find detailed standings and stats.
Designing an experience on par with top leagues
As the de-facto app for the NLL, users expected it to be on par with apps from other major leagues. Our initial release wasn’t up to par, and users felt neglected as a result.
"Our sport isn't big enough for a good app?" – not a direct quote, but a general refrain from users.
To address this, I took a deep dive into other sports apps (NFL, NBA, Premier League, NHL, MLS...) and compared their features to the NLL app. It became clear that, although Lacrosse is a unique sport, the fan experience has a lot in common with football and hockey. The most common features we found in these apps were affirmed by requests from our users.
Personalizing the app for dedicated fans
Many users felt the app made it hard for them to follow their favorite team. After improving the core experience, the next step was to let users tailor the app to their fan experience. I designed additional filters for teams and included a Favorite Team setting that prioritized content from selected teams.
Subscribe to watch every game
For season one, payments were only possible from our website. Going into season two, we wanted to meet users where they were by adding a payment system in the mobile app.
One issue we discovered from the website was that users tended to drop off before completing the checkout, usually due to the excessive number of steps required. I streamlined the mobile flows so subscriptions could be purchased with fewer taps. I also optimized how the device keyboard interacted with the interface, making sure important actions were accessible.
Design philosophy
The original iOS and Android apps were developed separately – a necessity due to limited resources and time. This resulted in an inconsistent experience for users between platforms and drastically increased efforts for our engineering team. To remedy this, I designed a platform-neutral design language inspired by a mix of Material Design and Apple's HIG that would look consistent on both iOS and Android.
Styleguide
Material animations
Retrospective
This is the longest-lasting project I've worked on, spanning roughly two years. It was very rewarding to have the freedom to identify user issues, prioritize them, and work closely with engineers to implement polished solutions.
I do think there are a few things we could have done better. Onboarding was something we planned on implementing but never had sufficient time or customer feedback to address. It was a serious oversight I'd like to address in the future. We also discussed implementing tools for analytics and A/B testing, but priorities were shifted to other projects.
