Summary
A fast-paced and proudly eccentric sport, flat-track roller derby has become a massively popular activity that now includes over 400 women’s leagues worldwide (WFTDA.org, 2016). Despite its increasing popularity, the sport is governed by an elaborate set of rules that are often misunderstood by spectators and, in some cases, the players themselves. Adding to the challenge, there are few applications available today that explain these complex rules in a digestible fashion. Enter Pivot, a conceptual application designed to provide players and spectators with easy access to derby rules and more from their mobile devices.
Named after a key position on a roller derby team, Pivot serves as an all-in-one resource for team information, live or recorded videos, game rules, and training exercises. The application also offers updates on global leagues, including recent scores, team standings, player bios, upcoming schedules, and more.
About
Course
UX Academy Capstone Project
Duration
Three Weeks in 2016
My Role
User Experience Researcher, UX/UI Designer
Tools Used
Sketch, Principle, Marvel
Process
The following process was closely followed when completing this capstone project:
Research
The research phase of this capstone aimed to gain a deeper understanding of 1) the target audience for a roller derby application and 2) the features that would be most beneficial to users. Through initial conversations with players, it became evident that there were few mobile applications to lean on when learning the rules of roller derby. Moreover, as an occasional spectator, I noticed a lack of user-friendly platforms that allow fans to comprehend the action from the stands. With this insight, I was confident that an all-in-one application catering to both players and spectators would be highly utilized by both groups. To validate this hypothesis, I conducted an online survey, individual interviews, and a competitive analysis.
Online Survey
The objective of this online survey was to understand the demographics and priorities of roller derby participants. Hence, the survey was tailored for and distributed exclusively to active players. This focused approach allowed me to collect valuable data that authentically reflected the needs and priorities of experienced roller derby players.
Demographic Breakdown
Pivot Feature Preferences
The following averages were compiled using a multiple choice grid that asked participants to rank the importance of potential features from 1 (not important) to 5 (very important).
Individual Interviews
To uncover inherent attitudes or behaviors that might be overlooked in an online survey, individual interviews were also conducted. Three individuals, varying in age, location, and occupation, were informally interviewed, allowing ample time for thoughtful responses to the posed questions. Sample questions from these interviews are provided below:
How long have you played roller derby?
How did you first discover the sport?
If talking to someone unfamiliar with roller derby, how would you describe the sport (i.e. culture, attitude, etc.)?
How did you first learn the rules of roller derby?
Is there anything that would help new players or spectators to learn more about the rules and culture of derby?
Have you ever downloaded a mobile application for roller derby? Why or why not?
If a new roller derby application was offered, what features would you most like to see?
“[Roller derby] is kickass, requires a ton of devotion, and is not for the faint of heart. I’ve rolled off the track with some painful bruises.”
“Rules would definitely be nice [in an application]. That way I can go to the app and look them up before a game starts.”
Competitive Analysis
In conducting initial research into Pivot’s market competition, I discovered there were no similar mobile applications available at the time of this capstone, free or for purchase. Instead, information about roller derby rules and leagues was scattered across various websites, primarily optimized for desktop use.
The only mobile application bearing some resemblance to Pivot, “RDTOM: Roller Derby Test O’Matic,” was a simple platform that quizzed users on their roller derby knowledge, but lacked access to exercises, league information, and WFTDA requirements. From these discoveries, I concluded that Pivot could dominate a market sector that has yet to be explored by potential competitors.
Concluding Insights
Insights distilled from the primary and secondary research above were then synthesized into a few key points:
For the purposes of this research, all respondents and interview participants were women. While male teams do exist, they are less prevalent than the larger, more recognizable female leagues. For Pivot’s first iteration, it would make sense to focus on women’s flat-track roller derby.
It was imperative to understand the market and how players or fans learn the rules of roller derby. The results were staggering and shed light on a bigger problem in the sport: rules, exercises, and league information were spread across the vast expanse of the internet. Even in my own research, I found it difficult to locate the rules of roller derby, and attempts to find training exercises for various players proved entirely unsuccessful. Pivot aimed to address this missed opportunity by consolidating rules and exercises scattered across the internet, making them readily accessible on mobile devices.
The inclusion of training exercises—first suggested by Grace, an interview participant—scored higher than anticipated when surveyed online. These exercises would therefore be included and sorted by muscle group or team position, giving users the ability to customize the information they see first.
Ideation
Keeping my target audience and their priorities in mind, I moved on to the ideation phase of the capstone. Initially, I crafted two user personas representing both roller derby players and spectators. These personas were then utilized to develop an application map that would cater to the needs of both groups. Below, you'll find the user personas and the application map.
User Personas
User personas created using Sketch, illustrating both a roller derby player (left) and spectator (right).
Application Map
Pivot application map created using Sketch.
Prototype
I initiated the prototyping phase of this capstone with pencil and paper, sketching out how users would access the rules and glossary section of the application. These sketches, along with two other workflows, were later translated into mid-fidelity wireframes using Sketch and prototyped in InVision. Upon completion, I shifted my focus to Pivot’s style guide, aiming to create a theme that encapsulates the eccentricity and boldness of the sport itself. This style guide was then applied to the pre-built wireframes, resulting in a series of high-fidelity mockups and Principle animations.
Paper Prototype
Paper prototype that demonstrates how users would discover game rules and the glossary (see below for mockups).
Wireframes
Sample wireframes created in Sketch covering Leagues, Watch and Rules pages.
Style Guide
Pivot style guide created using Sketch.
High-Fidelity Mockups
Once the style guide was completed, I transformed the wireframes above into a series of high-fidelity mockups outlining three user flows. Sketch, Marvel, and Principle were all used to create the following high-fidelity materials.
Loading Screen Prototype
Exploring the Rules and Glossary Pages (from Paper Prototype)
Viewing a Finished Game (from the League Page)
Viewing a Finished Game (from the Watch Page)
Concluding Thoughts
Choosing roller derby as a capstone project was fraught with hesitation, likely due to my unfamiliarity with the subject. Because I had little experience with the sport’s culture and style, I hoped this capstone would push the boundaries of my existing design skillset. By the end of the project, I had successfully met the capstone objectives and expanded my ability to produce design materials around a diverse set of subject materials.
Given mere weeks to complete this capstone, there were obvious limitations to the amount of work that could be completed. If this project were to continue, I would’ve focused on two subsequent priorities: usability testing of Pivot’s original wireframes and completing additional workflows for the Training and Schedule pages. Even with these constraints, Pivot succeeded in that it provided a resource for players and spectators to access crucial information about the sport that was previously unobtainable from a mobile device.
