Leicester City Football Club
LCFC, unlike most other Premier League clubs, do not currently have an app. Apps are a great way to boost revenue and drive engagement, which is particularly important for LCFC given that a large part of their fan base is international.
I completed extensive research, and was asked to create an MVP concept and ideate various new features to make a truly unique app experience. The artwork was was well-received and the contract is expected to sign imminently.
Project length: 4 weeks
Role: Service, UX & Visual Designer
With thanks to Katy Oldfield, Rikki Storey & Tom Tillin
Our design requirements:
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Engage both local and international fans
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Create a 'brilliantly basic' MVP journey with several stand-out features
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Design a strong and memorable brand
The previous team had created some basic designs using IBM's design system: Carbon. However I felt there was room to develop these designs to create something personalised to LCFC, their user needs and their brand design - I wanted an app that felt like an LCFC product. This involved extensive research and plenty of iterations to produce two development-ready user flows, that tie in with the LCFC brand.
This process began by completing a thorough competitor analysis, benchmarking the experience and designs using references from both inside and outside the sporting industry. From this research, key insights were taken from the Liverpool FC's app, England Rugby's website, Instagram and YouTube. I focussed on how I could build an experience that complimented both local and international use, referring to the provided personas to do so.
User journey
To underpin the UX and UI, I also took ownership of the Service Design flow, creating a user journey map highlighting the touch points for both local and international fans. This was vital for communicating with our stakeholders the various features we intended to offer with our app and how they would benefit LCFC fans globally.
Inclusivity was at the heart of this app. The ‘Virtual Viewing’ feature was created specifically to allow all fans to access the experience of being in the stadium. Users can watch the game live on their phones, minimise the view to chat with fans anywhere in the world, or interact with the gamification feature, all without leaving the LCFC app.
Colour
Starting with the LCFC blue, I generated a darker shade to add depth, allowing for a sleek and sophisticated dark mode app. Designing in dark mode allowed us to use the LCFC brand colours in a way that is in-line with competitor apps, while also meeting colour contrast guidelines. The darker shade of blue I created contrasts the primary blue, helping to create a clear hierarchy and sense of depth, while also allowing the app to integrate the LCFC brand at every level.
According to colour theory, yellow or gold is associated with success or winning. To utilise this association and add depth to the experience, I added a gradient on top of the primary LCFC yellow to give this 'golden' feeling to the app's buttons and in-app notifications
Personalisation
To create a meaningful, user-centred experience, I designed a personal progress tracker as part of the LCFC Academy. This enables anyone anywhere in the world to view their tailored stats and goals within their own personal profile. The skills profile is tailored to the end user, displaying trend-led tutorials and elements of gamification to engage and inspire their fan base, while visually illustrating their progress through the LCFC Academy.
On a similar note, I designed a seat locator for the in-stadium journey that directs users to their seats, contributing to a seamless and personalised experience.
The Response
I knew that the most immersive way to present my concepts and allow the client to visualise the end result, would be by creating a fully clickable prototype that they could interact with on their own phones. This was time consuming, but I am delighted that I took that initiative as it really allowed the client to understand the depth of the designs and to depict their intention clearly.
Leicester City Football Club were thrilled with the end result, and the depth of research and understanding of their needs that the wider team and I undertook. Collectively, we will be moving forward with the contract due to sign in 2023.
On a personal level, I loved being able to explore design from Service to UX and UI, from problem solving and generating concepts to implementing my visuals was a huge learning opportunity. I hugely enjoyed being able to follow a design through, bringing the ideas to life and re-affirming my interest in visual design as a career path I want to continue to follow.
Reflections
I completed this project just 3 months into my internship at IBM iX, and I am exceptionally proud of what I was able to achieve. Since then I have massively improved my design skills. As always there are now many areas I would have approached differently, with the subsequent 10 months of experience.
One example is that I wouldn't use a blue or yellow background on cards, as it made it hard to separate the information from the background.
Since this project, I have gained knowledge on the importance of designing accessibly and testing colour contrasts, along with the value of introducing brand authentically - bringing in elements that enhance the experience rather than dominating it.
