WNBA Mobile App: Redesign
B A C K G R O U N D
Overview
When an update to the WNBA rolled out, users were excited to see how it compared to the previous version. Although, from recent feedback, including some from players in the league itself, the update appeared to have fallen short.
As a huge fan of women’s basketball, I wanted to offer potential changes to the new app. I collected some feedback from Twitter and Discord and implemented it throughout my design. I also used this redesign as an opportunity to highlight the players, since there is no WNBA without them.
Click here to view prototype
Problem Statement
Hypothesis
An intuitive app would allow users to tune into games quickly thus maintaining and potentially increasing viewership. With the increase of viewership comes an increase in business opportunities and revenue. Some revenue opportunities include ticket/merch sales, gaining sponsors, and increasing player likability.
Solutions
WNBA league pass holders and fans rely on the WNBA app to watch past and upcoming games, see scores, and compare stats. With the recently updated WNBA app, users are frustrated with the lack of game info and confusing navigation. As WNBA viewership continues to grow, a functional app is crucial to avoid fall in viewership and consequently a loss in revenue.
These solutions were revised and validated after receiving user feedback.
1) Easily accessible game info including live/upcoming games and box scores.
Users have the ability to view (or hide) scores from recent & live games directly from the home screen, as well as view recent news and team standings.
Accessibility: Hide scores automatically for fans who can't watch live games
2) Increase player likability by adding a tab dedicated to teams and players.
Users can view player bios, stats, and social media information. They can also opt into alerts for their favorite players.
Accessibility: Listen to name pronunciation by tapping on speaker icon
Users can find quick links on their favorite team's page to purchase tickets and visit the team's merchandise store. They can also visit the team's social media pages.
3) Increase revenue by providing quick links to store and ticket purchases.
Accessibility: Social media logos are shown and icons are used for shopping and ticketing
R E S E A R C H
User Feedback
I collected reviews about the new update from Twitter, the App Store, and Reddit. The most common pain point was the lack of scores and schedule info. Many users actually preferred the previous version to the new one, including Kahleah Copper, the Chicago Sky's 2021 Finals MVP.
Additional User Feedback
I also asked members of the PWRFWD Discord chat what they would like to see in the WNBA mobile app, and asked what they thought of some of the ideas I had such as adding a teams/players tab.
Pain Points
I also asked members of the PWRFWD Discord chat what they would like to see in the WNBA mobile app, and asked what they thought of some of the ideas I had such as adding a teams/players tab.
1 The navigation is confusing/unnecessary
2 Score information isn't “front and center”
3 No option to hide/show scores
4 No ways to support players and/or buy merch on the app
5 Not all upcoming games are on the app's schedule
"Competitive" Analysis
I compared screens from the NBA app, the ESPN app, and the Phoenix Mercury team app to identify some of their strengths. The goal was to put together some best practices both visually and for usability.
D E S I G N
Why the bright orange?
“I think it [the orange hoodie] became a symbol of support for women and women's sports and the determination and dedication of the W players.”
- Cathy Englebert, WNBA Commissioner
Style Guide
The bright orange WNBA hoodie has quickly become one of the most iconic symbols in the league. We've seen some of the biggest basketball stars, including the beloved Kobe Bryant, sporting the orange hoodie to games. Orange is energetic, attention-grabbing, and bold, some of the many ways to describe the talent in the W.
Bottom Navigation
Pain Point 1 - Navigation is confusing/unnecessary
Choosing the bottom navigation was one of the tougher challenges of this redesign.
I decided to bring back the previous WNBA app's "Stats" and "Games" tabs, and add a "Team" tab, something that isn't offered by the other apps. A tab dedicated to teams and players would allow users to learn more about them easily. On each team page, links to purchase tickets and merchandise can be found.
The final version of the redesign includes "Home", "Games", "Watch", "Teams", and "Stats" as its tabs.
Home Screen
Pain Points 2 and 3 - Lack of score info and no option to hide scores
Users have the option to show scores for EACH game, which isn't available on the other apps. The scores of live games are also automatically hidden. The "Games" tab prioritizes games of that day first (including highlights), and upcoming games can be found underneath with notification options. Users can also switch over to recent news at the top so no potential game spoilers are on the front page. Lastly, standings are available on the home page for quick access.
Users will also have the option to click and watch a game outside the app if applicable. For example, Facebook is hyperlinked for the live game below.
Comparison of the the home screens
Teams Navigation
Pain Point 4 - No ways to support players and/or buy merch on the app
Under the "Teams" tab, users can find team pages and look through players. Each player has a mini bio highlighting stats and other interesting facts, as well as notification options and name pronunciation.
Next to each team users can see when their next game is, who they are playing against, and where it will be televised.
Each team page will have a photo chosen by their media team, since behind every team is a group of talented creatives making the magic happen. Socials are also quickly available on each team page, as well as options to purchase tickets and merchandise. Further down, users can find info about upcoming games, team leaders, previous games, watch game/player highlights, and look at their Instagram feed.
“It [watching games] just has to be more accessible to fans. You tell me I gotta go through 3 apps, I'm not watching that. Let's be honest here.”
- A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
“We understand that the product is great, and when we get people to watch the game, they love it. But the hardest part is getting people there.”
- Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
Games/Schedule Information
Pain Point 5 - Not all upcoming games are on the app's schedule
One of the main priorities in this redesign was making games as accessible as possible to fans. In addition to upcoming games being available on the home screen and team pages, the "Games" tab will be the main source of schedule information. Users have the option to scroll, jump to the next day quickly, or search through a calendar. They can also filter the schedule by team to see their favorite team's upcoming games. Airing info is available quickly and users can opt into notifications for specific games.
With airing info available immediately, fans can plan on how they will tune into each game.
Watching Videos
The segmented control under the "Watch" tab will include : Today, Featured, and Past Games. The "Today" tab has everything regarding that day's games including recaps and full games. The "Featured" tab will have videos featured by the league, such as notable interviews, player collaborations, announcements, etc. Lastly, the "Past Games" tab will allow users to watch not only recent games but games from years ago. The newest WNBA app update features games as far back as the 2015 season and I wanted to keep that feature while adding the ability to filter by team and/or year.
Phone Notifications
Users can opt into notifications about their favorite players and teams as well as receive Breaking News notifications about important happenings in the league.
Instead of having final game scores sent to users (potentially spoiling a game), I wanted to prioritize not only important news but personable moments happening off the court. The WNBA does so much for the community, and fans should get a chance to hear about it.
U S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G
Performance Testing
I used a CTA approach when conducting interviews to make sure users would acclimate to the new tab bar and navigation. Some of the tasks I asked users to complete were:
1) Tell me more about Rebecca Allen
2) Who are some of the team leaders on the Aces?
3) Who’s playing on Sunday, September 19 at 7pm?
4) Is the next Sun game available on League Pass?
5) Which team currently has the highest win percentage?
Overall, the feedback for the redesign was positive and was heavily preferred over the current WNBA app.