Services
App design
Industries
Sport
Date
February - March 2022
Team
Project Manager
Product Designer(Me)
3 Developers
problem
Switching between various manual and online tools leads to disarray and wasted time of members and staff
The British Rowing members and crew were forced to rely on in-person
communication and traditional administration which is challenging and inefficient.
Organization had no digital tool that would enhance their workflow.
Members were using various websites for admin, training, purchasing and more activities associated with rowing activities.
It was confusing, time consuming and led to frustration.
solution
A unique and useful online tool for the specific
needs of British Rowing organization
The answer to their challenge was the British Rowing App – a versatile mobile application designed to cater to the daily needs of British Rowing athletes, administrative personnel, and coaching staff.
This app takes care of various aspects, including administrative tasks, training, event management, and fostering a social community among British Rowing members.
Now, it's not just efficient and scalable; it has also opened new revenue streams for British Rowing, helping the organization grow and better serve its community.
impact
Multidirectional enhancement
The introduction of the British Rowing App has brought about substantial positive changes for British Rowing and its members, primarily in following major aspects:
Operational Efficiency
The app streamlines administrative tasks, reducing time and effort, and centralizes resources for improved management.
Community Building
A strong rowing community through social features, loyalty programs, and partnerships.
Training and Performance Enhancement
Athletes access personalized training plans and resources, enhancing training experiences and performance.
Revenue Growth
Revenue is boosted via exclusive training programs and in-app offers, contributing to financial growth.
Collaboration with Users for Success
research
Market size
To begin, I wanted to know how large the market was. This was the first step in organizing a well-thought-out research plan and effectively structuring the project.
+530
Registered clubs
+30.000
Active members
+200
Events yearly
Objectives
To design a successful product that will serve both - the users and the business- it’s essential to conduct a brief, objective oriented research
Research objectives
Holistic Needs Understanding
Understand Members, clubs, coaches and admin staff needs
Landscape Assessment
Get familiar with the current tools (other rowing groups + other sports)
Holistic Needs Understanding
Workshop session with the Director of Member Engagement
Involving the key executive from the outset is crucial. They possess in-depth knowledge of the organization, business and structure. They understand the strategic vision, and are highly motivated to ensure the product's success above all others.
During the session we discussed openly to understand British Rowing organization long-term goals and expectations and narrowed down the first objectives and brainstormed ideas to achieve them.
1
From the workshop we understood that the board expectation is to engage with the current users and generate revenue.
2
Consequently, we cataloged sports items and clothing users were purchasing on regular basis, identifying offers that would naturally engage users.
3
As a result, the organization became prepared to establish new collaborations with trusted brands, enhancing their reputation as a valuable business partner.
Workshop session with 2 athletes
We ran a productive workshop session with two athletes, and we delved into the world of similar apps, identifying elements that resonated with users and those that posed challenges. Their valuable insights highlighted key areas of importance
Communication with each other
Users value the ability to communicate and interact with fellow members, highlighting the importance of fostering a sense of community within the organization.
Irrelevant ads
Users expressed dissatisfaction with irrelevant advertisements, emphasizing the importance of delivering targeted and contextually relevant content to enhance the user experience.
Easy registration to training and competitions
The ease of registering for training sessions and competitions is a key positive aspect, indicating the need to maintain a quick, user-friendly registration process.
Hollow Experience
It's important to focus on delivering meaningful and engaging content and features.
Landscape Assessment: similar-purpose apps
I wanted to explore other apps with similar purposes in depth, so I browsed Google Play and conducted searches for governing body apps related to sports similar to rowing, such as kayaking and sailing, as well as other sports and rowing apps in European countries.
Constraint
I reviewed other Sport governing body apps for players, athletes and members, however they all require active membership to be able to navigate them.
In this case I decided to explore Official Fan Apps that would probably have Events, Tickets, Stats and other features would be worth considering also for benefit the development of our app.
Selected apps
Belgian cycling
The official app for Belgian cycling fans. It provides all the essential features and information for the fans.
Features
social
shop
competitions
teams and members
more…
Style
experimental design
red and blue color combination gives dynamic, sport feeling
many photos and video thumbnails - is engaging for user
there are accessibility issues and icons and fonts inconsistencies.
World Surf League
The premier professional governing body for competitive surfing worldwide. App with real-time scores, insights and more.
Features
social
competitions
teams and members
statistics
videos
more…
Style
clean, light, content focused, standard design. it’s interesting and not disturbing for the user.
blue and black color combination gives impression of aquatic, dynamic sport
design
Crafting the British Rowing App features
After gathering and analyzing findings from the research phase we defined the main Principles for British Rowing app.
Is should be:
Functional
Core features will be easily accessible and serve their intended purpose effectively.
Effortless
User interactions within the app are designed to be intuitive and require minimal effort, enhancing the user's ability to navigate and achieve tasks seamlessly.
Engaging
Through a visually appealing and interactive design, the app captivates users, encouraging prolonged engagement and exploration of its content and features.
Profitable
Strategic elements enhance revenue without sacrificing user satisfaction.
Selected features
Homepage
A user-friendly hub, provides quick access to essential features, content, and navigation, enhancing the overall user experience.
We organized the content in a way that user can quickly digest the recent news and events from all the app features and navigate to dive deeper into interesting details.
Events
The events feature allows users to effortlessly explore, access event details, register, and efficiently manage their event-related activities.
The implementation of a seamless registration flow has resulted in substantial time savings for users. Additionally, users now have constant awareness of all ongoing events, reducing the likelihood of missing out on any of them.
Head of the Lake
Lake Washington RC
2 Nov 2021
Wednesday
Seattle, WA (USA)
1st Washington
1st Washington
Bryant, M.
Mens Collegiate:
Region:
Champ Women's:
09 - 10
July
2021
Upper Thames Rowing Club
(UTRC)
Hosted by
Course
Entries
The Regatta takes place on the River Thames within a boomed 1000m upstream course between Temple Island and Upper Thames Rowing Club on the same reach as the world-famous Henley Royal Regatta.
HMR Circulation Pattern
2021
2022
Loyalty
Users earn the points by regularly using the app and redeem them in special in app offers
Attractive gamification element, not only fosters a sense of community among British Rowing members but also establishes partnerships and generates additional revenue
Shopping
-€129.90
20 Apr 2022
Restaurants
-€66.50
17 Apr 2022
Restaurants
-€48.10
9 Apr 2022
John McDoe
+€204.00
14 Apr 2022
Brian Warden
+€700.00
10 Apr 2022
Today
2 for 1
when using your club card
ZoomErgo
Special training plan available only to British Rowing members. Users can access the plan from the app.
The feature enhances users' fitness journeys and facilitates valuable partnerships and contributes to additional revenue streams for the organization.
4x8' with Matt Brittin
4 Nov 2021
Thursday
6.15 pm
The regular Saturday session of 4x8mins with
2' recovery is led by former triple blue and international oarsman Matt Brittin this week.
RSVP
Sign up for Zoom link
+ more
Guin and Glutes!
4 Nov 2021
Thursday
6.15 pm
Andrew Jones,
British Rowing Marketing department.
Primary
#1B3156
Accent
#DC2B28
Accent
#C3DC28
Accent
#1B3156
Accent
#DC2B28
Accent
#C3DC28
Accent
#C3DC28
Testing
Having assumptions is good but taking feedback takes us further
Users explored the app and performed for us principal tasks as:
to register for a competition
sign up for an online training
make a purchase of clothing item using in-app payment.
The first impression of the app was positive across all user groups.
As part of our commitment to data-driven decision-making, we meticulously measured the impact of the product development process. The following results underscore the success of our efforts:
Positive Reception
Users enthusiastically embraced the British Rowing app as a valuable addition to their rowing toolkit.
Coaches and admin staff appreciated time-saving features, while team members found personalized training plans motivating.
Resource Accessibility
Admin staff and coaches lauded the centralized resource management system for convenient access to documents, videos, and rowing resources, streamlining workflows.
Efficient Communication
Real-time chat and notifications delighted users, simplifying coordination for team members and coaches.
Insights from testing phase guided us to make valuable improvements
We noticed an increasing curiosity as they engaged with the new British Rowing app, with a tangible sense of excitement and engagement evident among them.
Groups
As users appeared to be significantly excited about the social side of the app, we attended the Groups feature with special attention.
Improvements
Added last multimedia preview
Made posting more personal by adding photos, videos, emojis
Offers
Users found outstanding the possibility to receive a good deal on an every day purchase through the app that’s first purpose is serving for the Rowing activities management.
Improvements
Contracted the most attractive set of offers with the offers provider
Takeouts
The balance between user and business goal
Following the successful launch of the initial British Rowing app with its features and structure, our next step is to closely monitor user interactions with the app and define the direction accordingly.
A Happy User is a Loyal user
It is indeed important that the app brings revenue, certainly, but also remember that unsatisfied user is a lost user.
Overloading the app with purchase offers, paid features and ads may tire and repelent users which would cause an opposite to revenue growth outcome.
Product evolution vs trying to make it perfect from start
While considering a long-term strategy is important, focusing on defining and achieving short-term goals one step at a time ensures a steady and gradual path to success.
We met our audience, got to know their needs and goals and we developed the first shape of our app.
And we’ll evolve adequately to serve the users and broaden the business gains.
Discover and explore solutions to keep user and business happy long-term
