TEAM
Sunny Lee - Interaction Designer
John Grace - User Researcher
Irene Huberman - Visual Designer
DURATION
2 Weeks
CLIENT
Jason Evans - Developer & Pool Shark
TOOLS
Sketch, InVision, Omnigraffle, Pen & Paper, Post-Its, Whiteboard, Keynote
PLATFORM
iPhoneX, iOS
OVERVIEW
Play Pool is an existing digital product that was designed to help pool players find and schedule matches with other players of similar skill and experience. Founder, Jason Evans, was in the early stages of development when we were brought on to develop a minimal viable product and adoption strategy.
First look at the original prototype of the Play Pool app by Jason Evans.
PROBLEM
After evaluating his goals and performing heuristic evaluations on the current prototype, we determined that the app in its current state was not robust enough to satisfy his intended objectives. Three main pain points emerged: the current ranking methodologies were inconsistent therefore resulting in poor initial matches; the system in place for managing games was not intuitive; the social networking infrastructure vital to the app needed to encourage a constantly evolving community.
User researcher, John Grace, conducting heuristic analysis.
Journey map of expert and beginner players as they use the existing app for the first time.
Spectrums and situations framework mapping contextual constraints
Feature prioritization matrix for MVP development
GOAL
To further develop the app to make it easy for pool players local to Seattle to expand their network and encourage new connections. We concluded that developing a billiards social network which recognizes skill, competitiveness, and network associations will create new opportunities for great matches.
Cumulative results from interviews with pool players.
Early paper prototype wireframes for joining, hosting and managing games.
SOLUTIONS
- Developed an interface that allowed users the choice to either join an existing game or host a new game.
- Allowed users to quickly see recommended games based on their profile settings (location, skill level, distance their willing to travel, favorite pool halls, weekly availability, preferred games) in order to encourage new connections.
- Culled a list of regionally preferred games.
- Combined the top two national ranking systems (Billiards Congress of America & American Pool Association) with additional descriptions so users could more accurately evaluate their skill level.
Mid-fidelity InVision prototype for joining, hosting, and managing games.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
- Network growth rate
- New friends and social engagement
- Total scheduled games
Visual designs by Irene Huberman
NEXT STEPS
- Expand the social capabilities by adding a community section which would host local tournaments and schedule events with community leaders.
- Allow players to endorse each other with badges for specific skills after matches.
- Develop digital platform for players to reserve tables.
CONCLUSION
Our client, an accomplished pool player, expressed that he wanted the application to cater to Seattle. His motivation was to support owners of local pool halls and he saw an opportunity to use Seattle as a test market. Rather than suggesting that he focus on scalability, we encouraged him to tailor the app for people like him. Designing around actual user stories and interviews, not personas, gave us a viable entry point into the market and an opportunity to understand our audience on a deeper level.
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE
Click the screen below for a live demo.
CASE STUDIES
COMPARISON SHOP
RESPONSIVE WEB
3D RENDERING
MOBILE AR