Local League
Finding or managing sporting activities can be a hassle. Whether a quick kick around down the field or an intense battle on the courts, you shouldn't have to stress about finding and managing players every time you want to get active.
Local League helps individuals or organizations host, manage or join local sporting events. Whether you are new to an area, new to the sport, or just need a few more players for a full match.
Not only that, but it allows you to find others of a similar skill set, mindset, or drive as you and connect in future activities.
User Considerations
With Local League, there are 3 main things to consider when designing the experience. User type, skill level, and mentality.
Local League intends to cater to those playing for fun, looking to make friends, or trying something new. However, we also do not want to alienate those looking for serious matches. That brings us to our second hurdle, skill level. It may not be fun for individuals who are new to a sport to be playing against someone who has played every week for 10 years. And vice versa, it may not be fun for a pro to play against or alongside someone who has little experience.
Finally, mentality. It is crucial to play with people with who you get along. Whether they are chilled and laid back regardless of the outcome of dedicated players passionate about playing the game. These 3 things need to be taken into account to create an inclusive experience.
Concept & Approach
Have you ever opened an app and thought, "what now?". You are offered a search bar, but still not sure what to search. It is a common issue and can cause many users to leave unsatisfied. We offer a friendly welcome alongside initial suggestions upon opening the app to overcome this. From here, you can either select an activity to learn more or search/filter results.
Filters are an essential feature, as again, users may not know what to search directly but know certain factors such as time, location, or category. Allowing the user to combine filters and/or searches improve the experience and allows them to finetune their results.
Local League has a pretty simple user flow at its core. Search activities, select an activity, see activity info, see who is already signed up, and join/continue searching. Obviously, there is more to it, such as user profiles, invitations, social chatting, etc. But, as an MVP, the core features are to focus on.
Project Conclusion
When working on an MVP, it can always be hard to draw a line in the sand when you feel so many features would boost the user's experience.
However, planning what a launchable MVP looks like allows you to focus on making the app's core experience as good as it can be, noting any feature ideas to be explored in the next phase.
Overall, though a small project due to its MVP scope, Local League was fun to work on. Getting to be part of the process from conceptualization, strategy, & planning to final designs & direction, you really get to feel part of it, which I strive for with all projects.