Tawnt
A seamless and engaging app that combines sports wagering with social media interactions, enhancing user experiences and fostering a dynamic community of sports enthusiast.
✶ Project Overview
Tawnt seamlessly blends sports wagering with social media, offering users an interactive platform. As a key member of our three-person team, I played a pivotal role in shaping Tawnt's success. Our strategic decisions and dedication to user experience have transformed Tawnt into an engaging app that not only facilitates sports wagering but also cultivates a vibrant community of sports enthusiasts. Tawnt is a testament to our team's innovation and user-centric design.
In our team of three, which included a colleague and the product manager, I took on various responsibilities, including competitor analysis, user testing, illustration/branding, and contributing to the project's development from start to finish. Over the course of eight weeks, collaboration was key as I worked with a colleague during the early ideation stage and maintained communication with the lead product manager throughout. It was during this phase that I introduced a significant feature named 'Locker Room,' allowing users to participate in interactive chat threads within designated sports team rooms.
The challenge at hand was to design and execute the development of an app within an 8-week timeframe, encompassing the entire process from concept to finalization. The absence of any comparable app in the current market underscores the need for conducting a comprehensive competitor analysis. This analysis played a pivotal role in informing our approach and ensuring the app's uniqueness and competitive edge in the marketplace.
Defining our Challenge
“ How can we create a unique and engaging app that separates us
as a betting and social media platform? ”
To meet the challenge of developing the app within the 8-week timeline and create a unique offering in the market, the solution involves the following steps:
1. Rapid Prototyping and Iterative Design: Implementing a rapid prototyping approach will enable us to quickly visualize and iterate on the app's design. Regular feedback sessions with stakeholders and potential users will help refine the concept and ensure the app's alignment with market needs.
2. Agile Development Methodology: Implementing an agile development methodology, breaking down the project into manageable sprints, and maintaining a flexible and efficient development process to respond to changing requirements effectively.Cross-Functional 3. Collaboration: Encouraging cross-functional collaboration among designers, developers, and team members to address challenges from multiple perspectives and optimize the user experience.
4. Thorough Competitor Analysis: Conducting a thorough competitor analysis to gain valuable insights into existing solutions, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and unique selling points, and leveraging this knowledge to differentiate the app and enhance its competitive edge.
5. Focus on Core Features: Focusing on developing core features that set the app apart from others in the market, prioritizing the unique value proposition to deliver an engaging user experience.
DEFINE
Competitor Analysis
During this process, I examined rival sports wagering apps to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Analyzing our competitors provided invaluable insights into the features, user experience flows, and feelings evoked by their design solutions. To gauge the robustness of our solution, I handpicked three competitors that offer solutions to our challenges, both in direct and indirect competition.
Before we delved into the design process, we made sure to prioritize our users' needs and preferences. Taking a step back, we conducted thorough research to truly understand our user base. This research, which included guerrilla methods and collectively gathering insights from our own experiences, helped us create detailed user personas. These personas then guided us in crafting features that truly connect with our users, ensuring an interactive experience that meets their specific needs.
After finalizing our user personas and demographics, we entered the ideation stage, creating various user flows that aligned with our information architecture. Through numerous sessions, we refined these flows, ultimately solidifying the overall user journey of the app. Our aim was to ensure seamless navigation for users while also keeping features current and engaging!
We kicked off the design sprint with the lead Product Manager.
Leveraging the capabilities of Notion as our remote collaboration tool, we conducted a series of design sprints. While we worked on these individually, our weekly meetings provided an opportunity to pool our ideas, elaborate on concepts, and discuss both positive and negative aspects, and identify areas for improvement.
To kick off our design sprint, we were assigned a user experience challenge every week for 8 weeks. During this period, I began generating ideas and sketching them onto my canvas.
During this ideation and sketching phase, I consistently had a one-on-one meetings with the product lead manager to delve into the specifics. At the end of this period, we met with stakeholders and received feedback on or sketches and ideations.
1. Chip bank: It was during this feedback session that I identified an opportunity to improve the user-friendliness of the chip bank option. To address this, I introduced the "Quick Buy" feature, aimed at simplifying the process for users unfamiliar with purchasing chips. This feature facilitates a seamless exchange of USD for in-house wagering chips.
2. In-House Wagering/Messaging Experience: To elevate user engagement, we incorporated stakeholder feedback into our design process. We recognized the importance of allowing users to draft a wagering slip directly within the messaging tab. It was during this phase that I conceived the idea of empowering users with the ability to make counter offers when they didn't wish to bet a specific amount of money. This innovation enhances the flexibility and interactivity of our platform, providing users with a more dynamic betting experience
3. Onboarding Screens: As we embarked on the ideation phase of the onboarding process, I emphasized the importance of identifying the key features that would define our concept app. Collaborating closely with my team and stakeholders, we collectively determined that three specific features perfectly complemented the app's vision and purpose.
IDEATE
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Displayed are my initial wireframes. Throughout this phase, I actively solicited and incorporated feedback from both stakeholders and team members, translating their valuable insights into the development of my mid-fidelity wireframes.
I took on the responsibility of crafting the app's branding, which involved careful consideration and collaboration with the team to align visual elements with our app's essence. After extensive discussions, my focus shifted towards a comprehensive overhaul of typography, color schemes, iconography, button styles, and layout design. This included selecting typefaces, sketching various logo variations, and illustrating our chip options. The decision to integrate betting elements wasn't arbitrary; rather, it was a strategic move aimed at instantly signaling our platform as a hub for both sports enthusiasts and betting aficionados. I was confident that incorporating these elements would enhance our app's identity and resonate strongly with our target audience.
After numerous Zoom meetings and extensive experimentation, we settled on a vibrant and engaging style guide that embodies our vision for the user interface. The colors #FFC00F, #FF952B, and #FA7267 were chosen to evoke excitement, reflecting the dynamic nature of sports wagering. Additionally, with #5971FF and #252525 adding a touch of clarity and sophistication, our palette creates an interface that's not just eye-catching but also user-friendly. It's all about ensuring our app stands out as the top choice for sports betting enthusiasts!
Presented here are the culmination of my efforts—a series of screens born from a blend of design principles, insights from our user personas, and a deep dive into our competitors' offerings. Together, we've crafted an app that's packed with features carefully chosen to cater to our users' needs. Collaboratively, we've constructed an effortlessly engaging experience that seamlessly connects with our audience.
During the 8-week journey of our design sprint, I embarked on a profound personal and professional growth. I had a real learning curve – not only did I delve into the realms of design systems and user interfaces, but also deepened my understanding of my colleagues. In our diverse team, each of us brought a unique set of skills and design styles. Despite our differences, we united to create a product that resonates with our users. I honed my ability to articulate and defend my design choices, particularly when engaging with stakeholders.
Internship experiences like this one serve as invaluable crucibles for my growth as a designer, benefiting both my personal development and the future of UX.
