Ballstar — UX Case Study
Background
Ballstar is a suite of applications and services intended to organize the world’s basketball information and provide the global basketball community--ranging from professionals to amateurs--a platform for exchange. We were given three months to complete the final deliverables for this project, spanning from September 2015 to December 2015.
My Role
As a team of four UX designers, our task was to seamlessly integrate new features into the existing design of Ballstar’s iOS application, such as a social stream and a management system to accommodate the needs of players, coaches, and commissioners. While the experience was collaborative each step of the way, the following parts detail aspects of the project I spearheaded.
Information Architecture
An initial step of the project was meeting with our client to develop an understanding of the features they sought to include in the final version of the app. Due to the quantity and complexity of the requested features, my team and I strategically chose to organize the application in a manner that properly accounted for the unique needs of each kind of user: players, coaches, and league commissioners.
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Given my proficiency in programs like Photoshop, one of my chief responsibilities was creating the high-fidelity prototype screens. However, prior to UX-related work, I only had experience using Photoshop in an illustrative context. The challenge to overcome at this stage of the project was learning how to adapt my skills in an unfamiliar way while still ensuring that my team would be able to achieve our deadlines as effectively and efficiently as possible. Finished screens were then compiled in InVision to create a working prototype for user testing.
User Testing
The user testing phase was undoubtedly my favorite part of the project because we were able to showcase the designs we had worked tirelessly on to actual users. My team and I conducted usability testing at a basketball tournament in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where we were able to test all three types of users (players, coaches, and league commissioners). Insights recorded from our tests were helpful in further refining our designs.
Concluding Thoughts
This project was the first time I had ever worked with a team on a client project. While there were inevitable challenges throughout the process, the biggest takeaway for me was the importance of constant communication with all parties involved. Additionally, I believe that this project helped refine my understanding of what it actually means to be a UX designer--a role that goes beyond designing aesthetically appealing screen mockups.
