Our Mission
There are two types of soccer players in the local community. Players who already have a team to play soccer on a regular basis, or individuals who go out to the field to play soccer with strangers, which is called pickup soccer. However, players with a team always need additional players for various reasons, and pick-up soccer players are always having to wait for game to join. Therefore, having to find additional players or having to wait for a game to join is a hassle for many players.
I focused on designing a simple flow. Our users can be players and also be the host. Here are my three main challenges.
1. Joining the game flow
2. Hosting the game flow
3. Community flow
The first challenge was deciding where to add the 'Invite Friends' feature. This feature was added after the user joined a game. This method appeared to be the most simple and user friendly.
The second challenge was how users manage the number of the players while hosting the game. Users are able to select the preset of numbers shown below instead of using a number stepper.
The ultimate mission is to build a strong local community. Therefore, a platform was created to make connections and interactions with other players easier.
The whole flow is mapped out based on the wireframes above.
Choose a date and check the time and place at where the game will take place. Also, your friends are shown if they have joined the game. The list of the games are shown in order by participating friends then, shown by the closest park based on your location.
Tap the game you want to join and it will show more detailed informations such as location, time, skill level, players, and restrictions. Among the players, the host will have a green circle around their profile. After you have read the description, join the game!
After joining, you can invite your friends. You can invite friends in the app as well as friends who do not have the app. Once you have been invited, send your guests a link to download the app!
You can also create the game. Host a game by gathering players on the app stress free. The complex process like choosing the location, time, number of players, the skill level is very easy to follow.
Just follow the steps and the game will be created!
Inbox is a small feature, but it will make it more convenient and fun. As soon as you join or create a game, a group chat will be created with the players in the game. You can see the invitation message as well. One more thing, when the game is over, rate your teammates for a little fun competition with your friends!
You can see all of your game histories such as how much you played, average rate, and which friends you played with the most. Look at the past games and make friends with who played with you.
A user interview of 10+ target users were conducted to validate by concept and usability of the wireframes and key screen. Based on the research, I developed and iterated my ideas. These are 3 examples of how I addressed the feedbacks received from my users.
1. "I want to bring my roommate with me, should he also download the app?"
2. "After joining the game, I want to chat with my teammates"
3. "There could be room for more fun interaction with players"
A feature called 'Bring your own friends' was added. This feature is not only good for players, but also crucial for the host. When creating a game, there is a risk in which the host can cancel the game due to the lack of the number of players. Therefore, players are able to reserve a spot for their friends. After, send them a link to download the app so they can also engage in our community.
A group chat is automatically created after you join or create a game and the chat room will be fixed on top of the message tap. In addition, a chat function was created for players to chat with their friends. This function helps users to have conversations with players before and after the game.
In real professional soccer games, players are always rated after the game. I thought it would be fun to incorporate a rating system into my product. After the game, you can have fun competing with your friends by rating them, and showing strangers your profile to build trust in pick-up soccer.
'Playful', 'Togetherness', and 'Unite' is the message I want to send to my users through my brand. These three words are my vision, mission, and position to seek and to build a strong local soccer community.
My initial idea was to gather people to play soccer and easily host a game. However, while working on this project, I believe I can expand the community features. Because pick up soccer is having to meet with strangers, it is interesting to have a community feature to help build a stronger connection with neighbors. Also, our product has a unique feature called rating players, which helps engaging and interacting with friends more fun. In addition, I believe this app can help create tournament games or more fun events in the future.