FanDrafter

{
SUMMARY
}

As a Designer Co-founder, I developed strategy and all UI/UX design from Beta launch - v2.0 of Fandrafter, a Daily Fantasy Sports iOS app combining fantasy sports and mobile gaming in an asynchronous environment, resulting in turning a months-long invite-only process into an 11-second game setup. I secured early-stage funding, thousands of games were played, 73% revenue growth, 84% increase in user engagement over competitors & 90% app stickiness (Daily average users/Monthly average users).

FanDrafter v2.0

{
Double Diamond & Agile method
}

● Bi-weekly scrum meetings for 3 cross-functional teams.

● 3 Back-end developers, 2 iOS developers, 1 Designer.

● Weekly reviews with company stakeholders.

{
Role & RESPONSIBILITIES
}

My Role:
UX Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer, Visual Design, Product Manager, Business Development.

My Responsibilities:
● Apply a user centered design approach, based on research, to innovate a new way fantasy users could play

● Develop a business strategy, present to Venture Capitalists and secure financing

● Worked closely with international cross-functional teams in an Agile framework to ship a Minimum Viable Product

● Managed user acquisition and app distribution campaigns via social media & mobile ads by focusing on user traffic and install rates.

● Iterate based on feedback, testing and scalability

{
PROCESS
}

Research
(Who are the users? What is the industry? Where are the opportunities for Users and Business?)
Define
(users, stakeholders, find patterns, define the challenge)
Decide
(How Might We…?, validate the problem)
Ideate & lo-fi prototype
Iterate & test
(user test where possible)
Create wireframe prototype & test
(user test where possible)
High fidelity interactive prototype, handover & ship
Results

{
PROBLEM
}

FanDrafter was born out of frustration.

‍The fantasy sports market consisted of desktop-only experiences where small private groups of users played in invite-only networks with onboarding and games lasting months. I built a mobile, free to play, asynchronous multiplayer experience with a customizable single game, daily or weekly challenges without season-long commitments (think Words With Friends but for fantasy sports), an innovative, first of its kind experience.

Who We Are: FanDrafter Kickstarter Video.

{
SCOPE & USERS
}

This project had a small co-founding team with limited access to fantasy users, no engineering team, and a limited initial budget. The research consisted of external industry analysis, competitive research, user interviews, and comparative analysis of established mobile gaming.

I surveyed 16 users with varying degrees of experience from no experience to expert level. All participants answered a 34 question survey and we followed up with in-depth interviews.

“The CBS app sucks.”
-10 year fantasy sports user

FanDrafter user survey

{
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
}

I compiled internal industry data, utilized industry whitepapers from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association who published in-depth studies on the existing demographics, marketplace, trends, and forecast for upcoming years.

Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) whitepaper

{
COMPETITIVE & COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
}

I looked at leading sites like Yahoo, CBS & ESPN to see, while still successful, how they were leaving their consumers with UNMET needs (if any). I also played and spoke to users who played games like Draw Something & Words With Friends to help me understand what their best gamification practices were and how that set a level of expectation for mobile users.

CBS & Yahoo fantasy apps; Words With Friends app

{
KEY FINDINGS
}

Key findings included:
‍
● Industry leader adoption of disruptive technology was slow to non-existent, possibly due to their inability to be agile enough.
‍
● Rising use of smartphones (iOS Primary) as the main method of checking sports and fantasy games, created a perfect vehicle for a new fantasy game platform.

● Mobile game players expect a new level of experience: Mobile onboarding (not desktop only), short queue to begin games, play with existing contact lists or strangers without a need to be invited to private leagues.

● 56-66% of all users said they play fantasy sports because It’s something fun to try, to play with friends, and they were invited to play.

● 35 Million fantasy users generate a 4.5 Billion dollar impact over the sports industry, growing 20% a year.

“The site I use never updates the app. I’d love the ability to pick my favorite team, such as Steelers, to play a friend's favorite team without having to pick each player.”
-Fantasy Player, 8 years experience

FanDrafter research synthesis

{
DEFINE & DECIDE
}

Industry leaders, while still successful in a booming industry, were leaving their consumers with unmet needs.

How might we create a more engaging experience for underserved fantasy sports enthusiasts that leverages today's technology and allows them to play customizable games with no season commitment?

{
IDEATION & SKETCH
}

I used gamification and mobile pattern best practices to sketch out the initial concepts of the platform that our users would easily recognize and feel comfortable using.

The sketches were tested with users and I adjusted our flow so we could update the fidelity for use in a “vaporware” demo.

FanDrafter beta paper sketches

FanDrafter beta whiteboard wireflow

{
ITERATE, PROTOTYPE & TEST
}

Problem: How do you validate a totally new innovative style of play on an existing game without spending six-figures?

Answer: Use vaporware with static screens.

‍Before we spent any startup funds, I needed to validate the concept with real fantasy users. To do this I created a "vaporware" demo, a visual prototype mockup of a basic user experience flow.

I asked users to complete a pre-selected task:
1: Set up a new game
2: Select a contact to play against
3: Select your team
4: Begin the game

I was looking for users to have that “A-ha!” moment. In each test, about halfway through, every participant began to recognize this was a quick and easy way to play a game that normally took months to participate in. Every user understood how our experience stood out from existing platforms, THIS validated the concept.

FanDrafter Vaporware, designed for iPhone 4 & iPad v1.0

FanDrafter vaporware test screens

{
WIREFRAME
& BETA BUILD
}

After testing, we committed to develop an MVP of FanDrafter BETA. This required more detailed UX work on wireframes, UI assets, user flows, and adhering to the iOS Human Interface Guidelines. I outsourced the build with a cross-functional third-party solutions team consisting of front-end and back-end developers.

FanDrafter beta wireflow

{
PRODUCT STRATEGY & SHIPMENT
}

Our Beta test was a huge success! Fandrafter users played 1.8 times more games per week than other leading sites and user engagement increased by 84% compared to the rest of the industry. Our app stickiness was 90%, meaning 90% of our monthly users checked the app daily.
‍
In 2012, FanDrafter released a Minimum Viable Product to 45 beta testers and became the first fantasy sports company to offer an iOS Daily Fantasy Sports experience.

FanDrafter Beta & MVP in the Apple App Store

FanDrafter Daily Fantasy Sports: Draft Your Team Demo

FanDrafter MVP

{
KICKSTARTER & VERSIONING
}

Problem: How do you raise funding without a Round A funding backer?
‍
Answer: Go to Kickstarter.

Now that we had launched, we had real overhead costs and we needed more funding. Successful Kickstarter campaigns don't just happen and after our successful beta, we looked to raise $30,000 to keep the lights on and iterate to our version 1.0.

We were successfully funded on September 18, 2013, using these funds, we optimized FanDrafter for the new iOS system, adding new ways to invite users and challenge players. FanDrafter’s revenue grew 73%.

Visit FanDrafter on KICKSTARTER >

{
RESULTS
}

“My wife, father-in-law and I would select new teams each week and all played against each other while we watched the games every Sunday, it was great!”
-Mike V. (FanDrafter User)

At our peak, we had over 3,000 users and were running over 15,000 games every NFL week.

Unfortunately, after designing our v2.0 we were unable to secure funding needed to develop and were forced to shutter our endeavor.

Many hard lessons were learned and have served me well in the years that followed.

FanDrafter: Version 2.0

Previous NEXT

{
SUMMARY
}

{
Double Diamond & Agile method
}

{
Role & RESPONSIBILITIES
}

{
PROCESS
}

{
PROBLEM
}

{
SCOPE & USERS
}

{
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
}

{
COMPETITIVE & COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
}

{
KEY FINDINGS
}

{
DEFINE & DECIDE
}

{
IDEATION & SKETCH
}

{
ITERATE, PROTOTYPE & TEST
}

{
WIREFRAME
& BETA BUILD
}

{
PRODUCT STRATEGY & SHIPMENT
}

{
KICKSTARTER & VERSIONING
}

{
RESULTS
}

{
contact
}

REVITALIZING IN APP MESSAGING EXPERIENCE

CASE STUDY | BRIGHTWHEEL

Design a real time iOS threaded messaging system creating deeper connections between Educators and Parents.

{SUMMARY}

{Double Diamond & Agile method}

{Role & RESPONSIBILITIES}

{PROCESS}

{PROBLEM}

{SCOPE & USERS}

{INDUSTRY ANALYSIS}

{COMPETITIVE & COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS}

{KEY FINDINGS}

{DEFINE & DECIDE}

{IDEATION & SKETCH}

{ITERATE, PROTOTYPE & TEST}

{WIREFRAME& BETA BUILD}

{PRODUCT STRATEGY & SHIPMENT }

{KICKSTARTER & VERSIONING}

{RESULTS}

{contact}

REVITALIZING IN APP MESSAGING EXPERIENCE

CASE STUDY | BRIGHTWHEEL

Design a real time iOS threaded messaging system creating deeper connections between Educators and Parents.

{
SUMMARY
}

{
Double Diamond & Agile method
}

{
Role & RESPONSIBILITIES
}

{
PROCESS
}

{
PROBLEM
}

{
SCOPE & USERS
}

{
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
}

{
COMPETITIVE & COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
}

{
KEY FINDINGS
}

{
DEFINE & DECIDE
}

{
IDEATION & SKETCH
}

{
ITERATE, PROTOTYPE & TEST
}

{
WIREFRAME
& BETA BUILD
}

{
PRODUCT STRATEGY & SHIPMENT
}

{
KICKSTARTER & VERSIONING
}

{
RESULTS
}

{
contact
}