SportPilot.

Hosting Rodeo Sport Events, All in One Place.

This case study explores how I helped SportPilot’s founders, design web and mobile app's user experience for both riders and producers in the US rodeo sport market.

This case study emphasizes my web design skills, take a sneak peak on my mobile design in my pitch deck here↗️.

*For confidentiality, sensitive information, including but not limited to company name, are fictitious.

Project Background

  • Client: SportPilot

  • Project Duration: 2 Months, May - June 2023

  • My Role: UX Product Designer

  • Team: Front-End Devloper, Full-Stack Developer

SportPilot.

Hosting Rodeo Sport Events, All in One Place.

This case study explores how I helped SportPilot’s founders, design web and mobile app's user experience for both riders and producers in the US rodeo sport market.

This case study emphasizes my web design skills, take a sneak peak on my mobile design in my pitch deck here↗️.

*For confidentiality, sensitive information, including but not limited to company name, are fictitious.

Project Background

  • Client: SportPilot

  • Project Duration: 2 Months, May - June 2023

  • My Role: UX Product Designer

  • Team: Front-End Devloper, Full-Stack Developer

SportPilot.

Hosting Rodeo Sport Events, All in One Place.

This case study explores how I helped SportPilot’s founders, design web and mobile app's user experience for both riders and producers in the US rodeo sport market.

This case study emphasizes my web design skills, take a sneak peak on my mobile design in my pitch deck here↗️.

*For confidentiality, sensitive information, including but not limited to company name, are fictitious.

Project Background

  • Client: SportPilot

  • Project Duration: 2 Months, May - June 2023

  • My Role: UX Product Designer

  • Team: Front-End Devloper, Full-Stack Developer

Why clients came to seek design help?

"It's a lucrative business."

>7500

Riders in the US

>650

Rodeo Events Hosted Annually

>$30Million

Maximum Prize Money

*Secondary research results

but… event producers struggle to find an efficient tool to manage their complex event-hosting workflows efficiently while riders lack a centralized platform to actually enjoy their riding experience.

As Producers,

As Riders,

struggle to plan, organize, and manage complex sporting events with heavy-duty softwares that come with steep fees, around $2500 per event

facing difficulties in accessing real-time information and communicating with event organizers through fragmented digital platforms

navigating through at least 5 different softwares to ensuring participant safety, and complying with industry regulations

struggle to efficiently manage their competition schedules, track performance statistics, and maintain consistent registration processes across various events

Why clients came to seek design help?

"It's a lucrative business."

>7500

Riders in the US

>650

Rodeo Events Hosted Annually

>$30Million

Maximum Prize Money

*Secondary research results

but… event producers struggle to find an efficient tool to manage their complex event-hosting workflows efficiently while riders lack a centralized platform to actually enjoy their riding experience.

As Producers,

As Riders,

struggle to plan, organize, and manage complex sporting events with heavy-duty softwares that come with steep fees, around $2500 per event

facing difficulties in accessing real-time information and communicating with event organizers through fragmented digital platforms

navigating through at least 5 different softwares to ensuring participant safety, and complying with industry regulations

struggle to efficiently manage their competition schedules, track performance statistics, and maintain consistent registration processes across various events

Why clients came to seek design help?

"It's a lucrative business."

>7500

Riders in the US

>650

Rodeo Events Hosted Annually

>$30Million

Maximum Prize Money

*Secondary research results

but… event producers struggle to find an efficient tool to manage their complex event-hosting workflows efficiently while riders lack a centralized platform to actually enjoy their riding experience.

As Producers,

As Riders,

struggle to plan, organize, and manage complex sporting events with heavy-duty softwares that come with steep fees, around $2500 per event

facing difficulties in accessing real-time information and communicating with event organizers through fragmented digital platforms

navigating through at least 5 different softwares to ensuring participant safety, and complying with industry regulations

struggle to efficiently manage their competition schedules, track performance statistics, and maintain consistent registration processes across various events

Team & Role

Sole Designer

Working as the only Product Designer, I collaborated closely with software developers and the client stakeholders.

  • I coordinated and managed entire design process including: design research, ideation, user flows, interactive prototyping, responsive design, design presentation and hand-offs.

  • I also designed the mobile app for players (presentation deck here ↗️) to construct a more comprehensive system for professional sport event hosting.

  • Additionally, I discussed closely with founders in designing and implementing the live marketing website on Framer.

Team & Role

Sole Designer

Working as the only Product Designer, I collaborated closely with software developers and the client stakeholders.

  • I coordinated and managed entire design process including: design research, ideation, user flows, interactive prototyping, responsive design, design presentation and hand-offs.

  • I also designed the mobile app for players (presentation deck here ↗️) to construct a more comprehensive system for professional sport event hosting.

  • Additionally, I discussed closely with founders in designing and implementing the live marketing website on Framer.

Team & Role

Sole Designer

Working as the only Product Designer, I collaborated closely with software developers and the client stakeholders.

  • I coordinated and managed entire design process including: design research, ideation, user flows, interactive prototyping, responsive design, design presentation and hand-offs.

  • I also designed the mobile app for players (presentation deck here ↗️) to construct a more comprehensive system for professional sport event hosting.

  • Additionally, I discussed closely with founders in designing and implementing the live marketing website on Framer.

What can I do to approach an unfamiliar domain?

Map out Interactions of the Two Parties.

Riders and producers have completely distinct needs, however, are actively interacting with each other during their individual user journeys.


After conducting interviews with users, I structured this workflow diagram visualizing their interconnected nature, how everything puts together, which helped me better aligned my assumptions with the founders in the early phase of design.


And it kept evolving while I was designing.

What can I do to approach an unfamiliar domain?

Map out Interactions of the Two Parties.

Riders and producers have completely distinct needs, however, are actively interacting with each other during their individual user journeys.


After conducting interviews with users, I structured this workflow diagram visualizing their interconnected nature, how everything puts together, which helped me better aligned my assumptions with the founders in the early phase of design.


And it kept evolving while I was designing.

What can I do to approach an unfamiliar domain?

Map out Interactions of the Two Parties.

Riders and producers have completely distinct needs, however, are actively interacting with each other during their individual user journeys.


After conducting interviews with users, I structured this workflow diagram visualizing their interconnected nature, how everything puts together, which helped me better aligned my assumptions with the founders in the early phase of design.


And it kept evolving while I was designing.

What's wrong with the existing solutions?

Identify Pain Points with the Existing Apps.

From competitors analysis, I synthesized three main areas of users frustrations: lengthy creation process and low or no access for event management along with their busy workflows.

Existing apps screenshots
3 Main pain points that I identified
What's wrong with the existing solutions?

Identify Pain Points with the Existing Apps.

From competitors analysis, I synthesized three main areas of users frustrations: lengthy creation process and low or no access for event management along with their busy workflows.

Existing apps screenshots
3 Main pain points that I identified
What's wrong with the existing solutions?

Identify Pain Points with the Existing Apps.

From competitors analysis, I synthesized three main areas of users frustrations: lengthy creation process and low or no access for event management along with their busy workflows.

Existing apps screenshots
3 Main pain points that I identified
How did I facilitate a highly collaborative design process with all stakeholders, mainly founders and developers?

Visual sketches, low-fi wireframes.

After all the understanding and analyzing, I started to sketch out all the possible ideas of layouts, user flows, user cases, etc.


It was worth-noting that I didn't get everything right at the first time; however, I still presented my low-fi solutions to the founders and developers to gain their valuable feedback every time.


And then, I iterated them.

Hand-drawn sketches
How did I facilitate a highly collaborative design process with all stakeholders, mainly founders and developers?

Visual sketches, low-fi wireframes.

After all the understanding and analyzing, I started to sketch out all the possible ideas of layouts, user flows, user cases, etc.


It was worth-noting that I didn't get everything right at the first time; however, I still presented my low-fi solutions to the founders and developers to gain their valuable feedback every time.


And then, I iterated them.

Hand-drawn sketches
How did I facilitate a highly collaborative design process with all stakeholders, mainly founders and developers?

Visual sketches, low-fi wireframes.

After all the understanding and analyzing, I started to sketch out all the possible ideas of layouts, user flows, user cases, etc.


It was worth-noting that I didn't get everything right at the first time; however, I still presented my low-fi solutions to the founders and developers to gain their valuable feedback every time.


And then, I iterated them.

Hand-drawn sketches
Design Highlight 1

Decomposition of the complex event creation process.

Often, managers must fill out a long form to draft out all the race details. Here, I decomposed it with a more manageable multi-step process: 1. Basic Information > 2. Race Format > 3. Additional Items.

1. Initial Layout

2. Adjusted Proportion

To reduce interaction efforts and enhance drafts visibility, I employed a three-zone layout spotlighting the Step 2 — Edit Class Details.

3. Final Hi-fi Prototypes

Design Highlight 1

Decomposition of the complex event creation process.

Often, managers must fill out a long form to draft out all the race details. Here, I decomposed it with a more manageable multi-step process: 1. Basic Information > 2. Race Format > 3. Additional Items.

1. Initial Layout

2. Adjusted Proportion

To reduce interaction efforts and enhance drafts visibility, I employed a three-zone layout spotlighting the Step 2 — Edit Class Details.

3. Final Hi-fi Prototypes

Design Highlight 1

Decomposition of the complex event creation process.

Often, managers must fill out a long form to draft out all the race details. Here, I decomposed it with a more manageable multi-step process: 1. Basic Information > 2. Race Format > 3. Additional Items.

1. Initial Layout

2. Adjusted Proportion

To reduce interaction efforts and enhance drafts visibility, I employed a three-zone layout spotlighting the Step 2 — Edit Class Details.

3. Final Hi-fi Prototypes

Design Highlight 2

A well-organized navigation ensures find-ability and efficiency.

Once the event went live, managers need to oversee across different event details like the basics, entries, and sometimes inventory as well.

Thus, I iterated the design to prioritize the most critical information and make it easier for managers to focus on what mattered most.

Iteration 1

However, iteration 1 lacked efficient navigation, as it requires managers go back and forth when updating details between categories.

Iteration 2

To enable managers to seamlessly update details, I implemented a three-tier information architecture to reduce cognitive load throughout the process.

Design Highlight 2

A well-organized navigation ensures find-ability and efficiency.

Once the event went live, managers need to oversee across different event details like the basics, entries, and sometimes inventory as well.

Thus, I iterated the design to prioritize the most critical information and make it easier for managers to focus on what mattered most.

Iteration 1

However, iteration 1 lacked efficient navigation, as it requires managers go back and forth when updating details between categories.

Iteration 2

To enable managers to seamlessly update details, I implemented a three-tier information architecture to reduce cognitive load throughout the process.

Design Highlight 2

A well-organized navigation ensures find-ability and efficiency.

Once the event went live, managers need to oversee across different event details like the basics, entries, and sometimes inventory as well.

Thus, I iterated the design to prioritize the most critical information and make it easier for managers to focus on what mattered most.

Iteration 1

However, iteration 1 lacked efficient navigation, as it requires managers go back and forth when updating details between categories.

Iteration 2

To enable managers to seamlessly update details, I implemented a three-tier information architecture to reduce cognitive load throughout the process.

Design Highlight 3

Sometimes, things just happen. And producers had to manage it well.

In addition to pre-event planning, managers must adapt to real-time requests like last-minute walk-in race entries while maintaining event operations.

Quick Add Entry: Real-time requests

To help managers deal with such situation better, I designed a side drawer sheet for it. I ensured an easy and quick access to accommodate walk-ins by placing it near the entries table.

The clear invoice breakdown previews also help prevent monetary disputes with players.

Design Highlight 3

Sometimes, things just happen. And producers had to manage it well.

In addition to pre-event planning, managers must adapt to real-time requests like last-minute walk-in race entries while maintaining event operations.

Quick Add Entry: Real-time requests

To help managers deal with such situation better, I designed a side drawer sheet for it. I ensured an easy and quick access to accommodate walk-ins by placing it near the entries table.

The clear invoice breakdown previews also help prevent monetary disputes with players.

Design Highlight 3

Sometimes, things just happen. And producers had to manage it well.

In addition to pre-event planning, managers must adapt to real-time requests like last-minute walk-in race entries while maintaining event operations.

Quick Add Entry: Real-time requests

To help managers deal with such situation better, I designed a side drawer sheet for it. I ensured an easy and quick access to accommodate walk-ins by placing it near the entries table.

The clear invoice breakdown previews also help prevent monetary disputes with players.

What did I make a difference?

Design Outcomes

Improved Transparency

From event registration to finances management, I enhanced visibility into event details and financials to our users, enabling them to host events with more confidence.

Increased Efficiency

From initial drafting to final check-ups, I unified 5+ separate systems and streamlined workflows leading to minimized distractions and increased efficiency while users wearing multiple hats during events.

A Strong Push to the Current Market

Tool for individual event producers, in the US market, which has only focused on event registration before this. After SportPilot is done developed, it would create an innovative push force for beneficial competitions, which will then assist our users in producing better events.

What did my clients and manager say after this work?

Testimonials.

A&J

Co-founders of SportPilot
"Yanling's design is super user-friendly. She is knocking it out of the park!"

Ramon Rodriguez

Sales and Operations at LaunchForce
"Yanling played a pivotal role in our business's growth through her exceptional skills as both a product strategist and business thinker. She has a keen mind for solving problems from an end-user's point of view, and cultivates these solutions with exquisite UX/UI design. At a start-up, it is rare to find talent such as this, especially in the competitive field of product development."
Next Steps

SportPilot aims to revolutionize the professional sport event production industry, and it is on the right track.

The initial design iteration achieved over 85% client approval rate and was developed in a testing environment. Upon completion of the development phase, we will swiftly start user testing and iterative refinement cycles since it entails a large scale of users.
Our KPIs include task completion rates and user satisfaction scores. The objective is to provide event managers with a helpful co-pilot, to navigate through dynamic event scenarios.
What did I make a difference?

Design Outcomes

Improved Transparency

From event registration to finances management, I enhanced visibility into event details and financials to our users, enabling them to host events with more confidence.

Increased Efficiency

From initial drafting to final check-ups, I unified 5+ separate systems and streamlined workflows leading to minimized distractions and increased efficiency while users wearing multiple hats during events.

A Strong Push to the Current Market

Tool for individual event producers, in the US market, which has only focused on event registration before this. After SportPilot is done developed, it would create an innovative push force for beneficial competitions, which will then assist our users in producing better events.

What did my clients and manager say after this work?

Testimonials.

A&J

Co-founders of SportPilot
"Yanling's design is super user-friendly. She is knocking it out of the park!"

Ramon Rodriguez

Sales and Operations at LaunchForce
"Yanling played a pivotal role in our business's growth through her exceptional skills as both a product strategist and business thinker. She has a keen mind for solving problems from an end-user's point of view, and cultivates these solutions with exquisite UX/UI design. At a start-up, it is rare to find talent such as this, especially in the competitive field of product development."
Next Steps

SportPilot aims to revolutionize the professional sport event production industry, and it is on the right track.

The initial design iteration achieved over 85% client approval rate and was developed in a testing environment. Upon completion of the development phase, we will swiftly start user testing and iterative refinement cycles since it entails a large scale of users.
Our KPIs include task completion rates and user satisfaction scores. The objective is to provide event managers with a helpful co-pilot, to navigate through dynamic event scenarios.
What did I make a difference?

Design Outcomes

Improved Transparency

From event registration to finances management, I enhanced visibility into event details and financials to our users, enabling them to host events with more confidence.

Increased Efficiency

From initial drafting to final check-ups, I unified 5+ separate systems and streamlined workflows leading to minimized distractions and increased efficiency while users wearing multiple hats during events.

A Strong Push to the Current Market

Tool for individual event producers, in the US market, which has only focused on event registration before this. After SportPilot is done developed, it would create an innovative push force for beneficial competitions, which will then assist our users in producing better events.

What did my clients and manager say after this work?

Testimonials.

A&J

Co-founders of SportPilot
"Yanling's design is super user-friendly. She is knocking it out of the park!"

Ramon Rodriguez

Sales and Operations at LaunchForce
"Yanling played a pivotal role in our business's growth through her exceptional skills as both a product strategist and business thinker. She has a keen mind for solving problems from an end-user's point of view, and cultivates these solutions with exquisite UX/UI design. At a start-up, it is rare to find talent such as this, especially in the competitive field of product development."
Next Steps

SportPilot aims to revolutionize the professional sport event production industry, and it is on the right track.

The initial design iteration achieved over 85% client approval rate and was developed in a testing environment. Upon completion of the development phase, we will swiftly start user testing and iterative refinement cycles since it entails a large scale of users.
Our KPIs include task completion rates and user satisfaction scores. The objective is to provide event managers with a helpful co-pilot, to navigate through dynamic event scenarios.
REFLECTIONS

Lessons that I Learned.

Stakeholders Alignment: Developing a comprehensive user task flow not only helped me map out the entire user journey, but also helped me better align with my stakeholders early on.

By presenting it to the team(founders and developers), I've gained more confidence throughout the design process.


Simplifying Complexity: Breaking down complicated technical workflows into logical, digestible steps could effectively improve usability in the specialized sport event process.

REFLECTIONS

Lessons that I Learned.

Stakeholders Alignment: Developing a comprehensive user task flow not only helped me map out the entire user journey, but also helped me better align with my stakeholders early on.

By presenting it to the team(founders and developers), I've gained more confidence throughout the design process.


Simplifying Complexity: Breaking down complicated technical workflows into logical, digestible steps could effectively improve usability in the specialized sport event process.

REFLECTIONS

Lessons that I Learned.

Stakeholders Alignment: Developing a comprehensive user task flow not only helped me map out the entire user journey, but also helped me better align with my stakeholders early on.

By presenting it to the team(founders and developers), I've gained more confidence throughout the design process.


Simplifying Complexity: Breaking down complicated technical workflows into logical, digestible steps could effectively improve usability in the specialized sport event process.