Sky Sports Kickstart Prototype

My Role

UX Reseacher, UI Designer

Deliverables

Primary Research: Social Medial Listening, Autoethnography, online survey and Interview Protocol
Secondary Research
Information Architecture
Storyboard and User Flow
Success Matrix
Interface Iteration

All team members contributed in primary and secondary research and information architecture

Team member

Context

We collaborate with Sky Sports to tackle their issue and deliver an evidence-based and meaningful design outcome.

About Skysports

Sky Sports is Europe’s leading sports broadcaster, hosting major events like the Premier League, Bundesliga, and F1.

With over 30 years of experience, they provide extensive live sports coverage, analysis, and exclusive content for sports enthusiasts.

Duration

Apr 2024 - May 2024 (6 weeks)

Lean UX Process

Brief

Expanding Fandom: Female under 35

Sports remain male-dominated, with early barriers hindering women's engagement.

Current experiences miss the mark for under-35s, who prefer social media for Sky Sports content.

They find Sky's digital platforms unengaging as their primary sports source.

Last year

Female

18%

Under 35

26%

Expand this reach and

ensure sustained long-term engagement

with these audiences.

Expand this reach and

ensure sustained long-term engagement

with these audiences.

Research

Secondary Research - Key Finding

How might we

HMW help onboard people into a sport?

HMW make sky Sports feel inclusive for fans?

Target Demographic

Females, under 35

Focus for project

One sport - Football

Primary research

Online Survey

20

Respondents

Online Ethnography

3

Platforms

Interview

3

Participants

Autoethnography

5

Participants

Research Insight

Insight 1

Using ‘Key’ Moments as a Gateway into Football Fandom

Key moments, like a first live match, engage female fans by creating lasting memories and fostering continued interest in sport

Insight 2

‘Shared Experiences’ play a pivotal role in keeping female fans engaged

New female fans can be effectively onboarded through shared experiences with friends/family, offering bonding, lasting memories, and interest-sparking

Insight 3

Using the ‘Talent’ as a Gateway into Football Fandom

Having a favourite player to support from the start can help new fans expand their football knowledge, while access to players' and teams' social media fosters a personal connection.

Proto-persona

Sarah

Aged 23

Background

· Played sports as a child but stopped when she reached high school

· Lives with friends in uni accommodation

· Loves socialising with her friends, going to the pub, trying new things

· Does not have a Sky Sports subscription

Saying

"I don’t really get the rules of football, but it seems exciting."

Doing

Occasionally watches football games with friends but doesn’t engage much.

Thinking

“I would love to get involved, but I am not sure where to start”

Feeling

OVERWHELMED with all the information available online that she doesn’t know where to start

End Goals

I want to be part of a community of people who are like me

Experience Goals

I aim to comprehend and add value to the football-related discussions my friends engage in.

Painpoints

· Don’t know where to get reliable information.

· The football rules are so complicated and I don’t know how to get familiar with that

· Can’t find a fully integrated platform

· Don’t feel included when I want to interact with people online / with friends

UX Vision Statement

We believe, there is an opportunity to design a product or service for time poor young female students with low disposable income, that encourages them to shift from being social spectators to pro-active football fans without breaking the bank so that they can understand and contribute to the conversations their friends have about football, and become part of the football community.

Design

Design Principles

Supportive

Providing clear, accessible guidance and reassurance

Inclusive

Helping bridge the gap for new fans to become part of the football community

Memorable

Facilitating long-lasting memories through football

Pathway to Fan Ambassador

Assumptions

These high-risk and uncertain assumptions were addressed through interview and usability testing during iterative process.

Current fans will want to join the ambassador (Captain) program.

Users will be willing to interact with strangers via our ambassador (Captain) program.

Users will feel secure and at ease attending events or meetups arranged through our app.

Users might feel patronised by the 'lite' version of the app.

Mean to solve

Interview

Usability Testing

1st Testing

We tested 4 participants using the "think aloud" method, followed by interviews to validate our assumptions.

Objective

Validate Assumptions

Test the Usability of the Mid-fi Prototype

Outline User Story

Task

Usability of Onboarding

Usability of Yearbook

Usability of Booking and Creating Event

Constructive Feedbacks

“Ambassador sounds a bit too formal—maybe something more casual instead?”

“Use ‘Explore’ instead of ‘Learn’ to make things feel more inviting and less like a lesson.”

“I get a little anxious in male-dominated spaces and feel more comfortable at events with mostly women.”

Positive Feedbacks

“Venue reviews are crucial for female fans.”

“Hanging out with ambassadors in the group feels easy, like being with friends, so meeting in person later doesn’t feel awkward or stressful.”

“I like the personalised concept of the yearbook.”

Storyboard

1.

Sarah's friend recommends Kickstart because Sarah expressed interest to learn about football

2.

Sarah is pleased that Kickstart recommends a Captain (Katie), based on her interests.

3.

Feels comfortable discussing football with Katie and gains confidence.

4.

She is excited that Katie is organising a meetup at a pub!

5.

Sarah reads the content created by Katie and feels informed.

6.

Feels safe after checking the reviews about the venue

7.

Sarah uploads photos to the "Key Moments" section in the Yearbook.

8.

Empowered by Kickstart and Katie, Sarah can now enjoy and understand football with friends and family

2nd Testing

We tested 2 participants using the "think aloud" method, followed by interviews to validate our assumptions.

Objective

Validate Assumptions

Test the usability of the Hi-fi prototype

Task

Usability of Onboarding & Visibility of ‘What is Captain?’

Usability of Booking Events & Impact of Reviews

Usability of Creating Event

Constructive Feedbacks

“’Good job’ felt empty and unhelpful as a feedback for choosing communities.”

“ Layout of reviews is a bit messy. Too much information.”

“Choosing ‘Community’ feels more intuitive than ‘Captain.’ As a new user, a Community name like "Nottingham Football Enthusiasts" would catch my interest.”

Positive Feedbacks

“ The incentives for Captain are appealling for me. I like the badge on Linkedin.”

“I think ‘who’ coming looks good. I wants to know who’s going to join.”

“It’s really great to know venue’s safety. Most women concern about it.”

App Journey

Sarah

User

Action

Join

・Download and create account

・Explore interest towards football

・Join interested groups and meet Captains

・Download and create account

・Explore interest towards football

・Join interested groups and meet Captains

Onboarding

Join group

Use

・Find a “Group meetup night” in group chat.

・Check the details of the event and venue

・Join the group meetup.

・Find a “Group meetup night” in group chat.

・Check the details of the event and venue

・Join the group meetup.

Group event

Add to Yearbook

Develop

・Go through the learning tools

・Apply to become a Sky Sports Captain (eg: Quiz)

・Go through the learning tools

・Apply to become a Sky Sports Captain (eg: Quiz)

Becoming a Captain

App Journey

Katie

Captain

Action

Join

・Seeks more female fans

・Motivated by incentives & Perks

・Credibility ensured via Quiz and Reviews

・Seeks more female fans

・Motivated by incentives & Perks

・Credibility ensured via Quiz and Reviews

Onboarding

Choose matches

Use

・Organizing meet-ups

・Watching matches with Sarah

・Reviews Venues (Screenings, Atmosphere)

・Organizing meet-ups

・Watching matches with Sarah

・Reviews Venues (Screenings, Atmosphere)

Find nearby venues

Create group event

Develop

・Uploading content to the Yearbook

・Upgrade and level up by getting badges (eg: Holding 10 successful events)

・Uploading content to the Yearbook

・Upgrade and level up by getting badges (eg: Holding 10 successful events)

Yearbook

Profile with badges

Key Features

Onboarding

Connecting new fans with Captains and Communities who share their interests—both on and off the pitch—helps them find a favorite player to support, deepen their football knowledge, and build personal connections through social media. Also, allows you to apply to be a Captain, if thats who you are.

General Interests

Football Familiarity

Football Interests

Communities & Captains

Match Screening

Join fellow members at offline match screenings organised by your Captains. Learn the game, socialise, and make memories!

Homepage

Group Chat

Meetup

Review

Yearbook

Homepage

Yearbook Page

A one-stop shop for everything you love about your favorite teams – stats, highlights, key moments, and your own personal memories, all in one place.

Host a Meetup

by Captain

Captains organise meetups at venues for match screenings, fostering excitement among new fans and gathering reviews to ensure enjoyable and safe shared experiences.

Watch Page

View Match

Live Screening Map

Review Venue

Develop

Success Metrics

Retention and Engagement

Retention and
Engagement

Measuring use of the app in 1 day, 7 days, and 30 days after download and launch

Measuring daily and monthly active users

Drop Offs

Understanding if and when users are performing key activities (for example, chatting with Captains and event attendance)

Measuring Users' Competency

Measuring Users'
Competency

Increasing users' feelings of competence and confidence in completing tasks and understanding football.

Measuring the time taken to complete tasks and self-esteem using Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale

Ensuring Re-engagement

Female Fans

Captain

Value Framework

Key Benefits For the

User

Captain

Sky Sports

Society

User

Captain

Sky Sports

Society

User

Captain

Sky Sports

Society

Reflections

Over the past 7 weeks, we’ve seen how our four key themes have influenced our work, shaped our understanding of the project, and strengthened client relationships.

Flat Hierarchy

We consciously chose not to have a team leader, ensuring every voice was heard. This required creative decision-making, like using voting systems and sharing work fairly. While this approach slowed down some processes, it created a harmonious environment where everyone felt valued.

Supportive Team

A supportive team environment was essential. We focused on helping each other, fostering open communication, and including everyone in discussions. Intentional breaks and fun outside of work strengthened our bond, making feedback more constructive and collaborative.

Storytelling as a Method

We used storytelling to present our findings, making them more relatable and accessible. This approach not only helped us connect with our users but also allowed us to communicate our ideas clearly to the client.

Valuable lesson

Throughout the project, we learned key lessons that are transferable to future work, including the importance of direct communication, consistent preparation, and stakeholder engagement. Defending project goals and following up effectively were also key takeaways that will guide us in our professional careers.

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