Paddle Up Pickleballers
As the phenomenon of pickleball takes the world by storm, small town Dothan, Alabama is not immune to its charms. There’s just one problem: both locals and guests can’t seem to get a handle on how to get involved.
Background
Pickleball draws the interest of residents and guests here in Dothan. However, vital information for accessing free community play is frustratingly elusive. Many feel pressured to join expensive clubs or pay unnecessary fees within their community due to scattered and confusing city-provided information. The lack of responsiveness across devices and user-unfriendly interfaces causes alot of friction. This often leads them to unreliable sources or alternative activities. Additionally, the absence of ongoing updates causes conflicts when multiple individuals try to access courts that are unexpectedly unavailable as the year progresses.
My Role
I worked as a the sole Product Designer for this volunteer study. I conducted user research, user interviews, sketches, mid fidelity screens, user testing, final screens, and developed visual identity
Scope
UX/UI Design, User Research, Wireframes, Prototypes, Testing and Iterating, and Dev Hand-Off
Tools
Figma, Procreate, Illustrator, Photoshop
Get a grip on all the needed information
A city-provided activity can become a difficult experience for locals and guests to learn about and get involved in. My goal was to develop a platform that enhances the experience of city-provided activities.
I began looking to solve a sporadic info problem surrounding the Pickleball game in the area
When I began my research, I was looking into a problem I and other players were facing. My initial idea focused on consolidating needed info about the game together in one place. In a city-wide interest meeting hosted by Dothan Leisure Services, I heard that their goal was to get people 18-35 more involved. I wondered if I could mesh the two goals together…
Field Research
And then I noticed something strange
After starting my research, I quickly learned that the majority of Pickeball players were between 40-80 and had been playing for a while. Further, out of the 70 people I surveyed who play Pickleball in the area, none of them stated that they receive their information regarding city-owned courts through the city itself.
Users started sharing problems with network loops about city-provided courts
Insights
And then everything changed…
Real Problem
Difficulty finding, confirming, and staying updated on public court usage information
Over the past few years, demand for public (and free) Pickleball courts has grown due to its popularity on social media. For many, it’s difficult to pay high prices for memberships or lessons or private courts. The problem is getting accurate, updated information regarding the public courts to interested and regular players, as well as residents and guests.
Goal
Improve the experience of local Pickleball happenings by making the information easier to manage.
Develop an essential product for regular players or interested parties in Pickleball in Dothan. The goal was to develop an experience that’s more engaging and easier to discover while on the go. We sought to design a solution that simplifies the process of learning the game, knowing public court hours, getting involved in ongoing matches, and more for players.
Research
Competitive Analysis
Journey Map
Where can Players currently find information about Dothan Pickleball court usage, hours, activities, etc?
In the initial stages of my research, I reached out to several players to understand how they keep track of pickleball information on city-owned courts. I discovered that there was no single platform used by both players and Dothan Leisure Services.
To gain deeper insights into this issue, I conducted a competitive analysis of the top three platforms frequently used by the players I interviewed and what a journey map of a player would look like.
Pain Points
Insights
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the local Pickleball culture and the challenges that players face when it comes to finding updated information on games played at public courts, I conducted interviews with a diverse range of individuals. These interviews included new players, seasoned players with over 5 years of experience, and even those who run their own free Pickleball clinics. Through these interviews, I observed recurring patterns in the behaviors and challenges, such as difficulties in finding accurate data due to outdated website info, frustrations with how hard it is to search for information on playing times before actually attending a game, and knowing who is going to be at the courts in advance.
User Interviews
Affinity Map
Success Metrics
How can we develop a reliable platform to make Pickleball playing in Dothan easier to track and participate in?
The success metrics below focus on concerns we gathered during user interviews regarding the previous platforms.
Ideation
Lo-fi Sketches
Develop a product that combines key features from the platforms being used by Pickleball players in Dothan.
After identifying the main reasons why players have used multiple platforms to get and stay informed on Pickleball games in town, I focused on developing gathered insights into sketches. The ideas below focus on improving the experience of players before, during, and after their games.
Development
Mid-Fi Sketches
Following the development of a solution to answer the How Might We’s that were created, I assembled Mid-Fi flows that showcase updated playing information (Assumption: City Services is constantly updating this information as needed) a way to quickly snag important, external links (such as the Facebook group) and get specifics on each court during peak playing times.
Repeated UI elements and similar placement help users quickly scan and search for their needed information while quickly becoming familiar with the platform.
During peak game hours users can expect to open the platform to an adapted UI for that specific time period, giving them even quicker, easier access to live matches without sacrificing other elements, in case they are searching for something else.
User Testing
Through user testing, I was able to determine pain points users have with their experience of participating in game information management. It was here were I was able to determine features users prefer in certain platforms they use. From the concept I designed, I was able to notice patterns that users preferred when it comes to managing information about local pickleball and improving their experience when on the hunt for info.
Results
Final Design
Introduce the top court info at the beginning of the journey and get users their desired information fast
Users can find suggested courts in town on the homepage and locate more courts in less than 3 clicks. The option to search for courts is available immediately for the on-the-go parties.
Personalized Playing Experience
Based on interviews and user testing it was apparent that the current platform wasn’t giving and effecient experience with accurate data to Players. This is why the homepage has the search bar front and center, and the most important information lives here too.
How might we
Affinity Map
User Testing
Homescreen
Local Pickleball engagement made easier!
With current platforms running low on updated Pickleball info in the area, as well as updated, user-friendly flows, the goal was to make the search experience for courts, games, and teams faster and easier. By utilizing component-based cards, familiar imagery for each location, and scrolling features, users can quickly scan for their desired information on any page.
Regular to Peak Hour Screens
The new experience for Dothan Pickleball Games
Finding a public court and open court times can be a nerve racking experience for experienced and novice players alike. One of the unique features of Paddle Up is the interchanging UI for peak hours. This allows users to experience games in real-time all over the city.
How might we
Affinity Map
User Testing
Color Scheme
Retrospective
Going Live Menu Change
Homescreen
Branding Leisure Services newest P-ball page
The goal for this project was to develop an easy, component based, consistent brand for Dothan Leisure Services. The color palette and typography were selected to reflect the rest of the platform. Using consistent UI Elements and repetitive iconography also furthered the understanding of information for users. I used simple iconography in 2 variations (a circled, and non-circled version) for simplicity and understanding. All imagery is accurate to its facility and increases familiarity with the area.
Typography
Re-thinking an established platform for new times
By updating the information and layout of this platform, users are able to quickly glean the information they need to get involved in the local games. During this project I was able to explore my creative freeson and develop an identity for the platform. Creating a familiar, simple platform for easy use is a high need for the local community and a project I am very proud of.
Plans for the future
The future of this platform is bright. The plan is to include an internal messaging feature, a reservation feature and a way to see other player rankings. As the community grows and the demand for more courts is established, these kinds of features will become more useless. By growing the platform one feature at a time, it allows me to work in an agile environment and hone in on the features that matter most to users.