ESPN Customization Feature
Problem:
ESPN is a trusted network amongst most all sports fans and enthusiasts. Currently, their app offers a wide array of sports news, info, and statistics. Users need a way to customize the app to their personal preferences in regards to teams, athletes, and specific sports and leagues, in order to get their relevant news and information quickly, rather than having to wade through the multitude of information available.
Hypothesis:
That by developing an initial feature / page within the app dedicated to the users specific pre-selected teams, sports and leagues, and athlete preferences, we can alleviate overstimulation and frustration amongst the users who feel stressed sifting through general news to find their relevant articles, stats, scores, and videos.
We will know this to be true when there is an increase in user engagement, higher satisfaction ratings, and a surge in the usage of the customization features across the app.
Personas
Based on our research and qualitative interviews, we formulated two personas. These personas represent two people struggling to navigate the app and find what they need. Understanding this, we will utilize these personas to inspire the next steps in the creative process, and to create a feature within the app that has the simplicity and attention to detail they are looking for.
Garth J.
VIKINGS SUPERFAN
Garth is a Vikings superfan who wants team updates immediately upon opening his app. He knows there are customization options within the app, but often gets confused and frustrated when trying to navigate it himself. He feels the app can be convoluted, and not user friendly for an older generation who haven't grown up with knowledge of this type of technology.
“I love the ESPN app, but I get confused trying to find news about my favorite team.”
Needs:
A quicker, simpler way to see his catered news and stats
An easier and more straight forward customizing process
Pain Points:
Gets confused with new technology
Doesn’t want to have to sift through teams to find his favorites
Kennedy P.
VOLLEYBALL ENTHUSIAST
Kennedy is a former collegiate volleyball player who avidly keeps up with the sport since her departure. She gets upset with the lack of coverage and spotlight put onto women’s volleyball, and doesn’t like being bombarded with news and stats of more popular male sports. She is tired of having to search for information rather than it being upfront on her personal devices.
“I want a place I can see all things volleyball; stats, game recaps, and news without having to sift through tens of other sports.”
Needs:
Her favorite sports news highlighted
Less information about teams and sports she is not interested in
Pain Points:
Women’s sports tend to be lost in the background
Is tired of scrolling through pages of football and basketball news to find her interests
“This feature is exactly what I need to simplify the process of finding my team's news. It's clean and concise, and much more efficient than the customization they have now.”
- Garth (Tested User)
Research
Most users were unsatisfied with the current personal customization of the ESPN app. Many users felt they wasted time looking through stories to find the information relevant to their preferred teams. Tested users were also unsatisfied with the current favorites tab within the app, as they found it uneasy to find initially, and desired something more upfront and obvious. Our qualitative research also showed most users interviewed used the app solely for their preferred team’s news and scores.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
HOME PAGE
SET YOUR PREFERENCES - GENERAL TAB
SET YOUR PREFERENCES - SEE ALL OPTION
USER PREFERENCES PAGE - COMPLETED
USER NEWS PAGE
High Fidelity Wireframes
Conclusion
Most users were unsatisfied with the current customization of the ESPN app. They felt overstimulated and bombarded with unnecessary information when trying to learn about their preferred teams. Many felt the current favorites tab was not easy enough to locate, and was clunky in design. Users preferred the idea of an app that highlights their preferences first, and delivers the rest of the information secondary to that. With this new customization feature, we hope to see a spike in user satisfaction because of the more catered and personal experience one will have, as well as seamless process of choosing their preferences.
