Connecting People to Play a Sports Game
Yalla Game
September 2020
YallaGame is a mobile app that aims at providing people with a platform that allows them to effectively and efficiently form sports groups to play a game. It gives the facility for everyone to meet play pals, discover venues, manage playgroups, and organize sports games.
Problem
Sports games are becoming more popular in Jordan and the Gulf Area. Most of these games are currently organized using phone calls or social media groups. These two methods have been raising challenges for game organizers and players as well. Most of these challenges are seen in the form of finding a player or group of players, the ability to find a suitable nearby venue, or agreeing on a time of the game.
Competitive Analysis
We started with a competitive analysis to have a better understanding of the market locally and internationally. The majority of players use phone calls and social media groups because no other platforms were available. Therefore, we extended our competitive analysis to include platforms that are widely used worldwide. The list included: Got Courts, Playo, Blue Feet, and IntoTheBasket. The following is a summary of the outcomes:
User-Centered Design Process
User and Task Analysis >
We conducted a contextual-inquiry to understand the user needs and their challenge of organizing a sports game. Sessions were followed by affinity diagrams and analysis.
Design Sprints >
At this phase, we started with sketches to translate our understating of the user needs into interfaces. Each sprint was followed by user testing for feedback and an update in the sketch, wireframe and user interface.
User Testing >
Each design sprint is followed by a user testing in an incremental methodology. User testing is then followed by a design update.
Outcome Sprints
Final Deliverable
The final deliverable was a set of simple, yet usable, User Interfaces. These interfaces were a result of 3 cycles of design and user testing to ensure all usability issues are fixed and an effective and efficient app is delivered.
Our Reflection
Although we consider this to be a simple project, it made a huge impact on the users’ satisfaction. Moreover, users have reported that they now trust the new tool and are not confused about the time and location of their assignments. The client requested a stand-alone tool. However, we believe that this should be integrated with the phone’s calendar for future updates.