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A Design Advocacy Success Story
BetMe (name changed) is a sports betting app, offering a fun and interactive platform for peer-to-peer betting and social networking, where friends can engage and wager together.
Sole designer
UI/UX Design,
Strategy,
Prototyping,
Marketing Assets
March'23 — Present
Customer Journey
The client came to our consultancy with the app designs to get it developed
I addressed the issue, rebranded, and refreshed the UI.
I advocated for more, enhancing flows and user experience.
We launched the app with a complete design overhaul
I am currently helping them plan for what is next
Mid-development, they felt the app lacked modern aesthetics.
The Objectives
1
Refresh the app’s identity with a UI that honors the client’s vision and aligns with our target users.
2
Advocate for enhanced user experience, and elevate the key user flows.
3
Strategically redesign modules to minimize developer workload, without pushing the launch date by a lot.
Crafting a Modern and Fresh Brand
Why?
The old identity of BetMe didn't align with the brand's vision of being "Young," "Social," "Gaming," and "Fresh." The generic style guide lacked distinction and didn't stand out against competitors. The muted color palette and outdated typeface failed to capture the fun and social essence of the brand.
How?
BetMe blends social interaction with betting, emphasizing fun and trust. The new identity is dynamic and fresh, featuring a bold, youthful look. We introduced subtle, impactful shapes to add a playful element without compromising the seriousness of real-money betting. The result is a balanced identity that reflects both the excitement of social media and the reliability needed for financial transactions.
Working through Constraints
I wished
But we had our hands tied due to legal constraints on using the actual logo/mascot of the sports teams
4/04 12:30 GMT
Orlando, CA
Ole Miss
+4.5
23-26
Florida Gators
+4.5
4/04 12:30 GMT
Orlando, CA
Ole Miss
+4.5
23-26
Florida Gators
+4.5
I tried
But no matter what shape we tried, they all seemed like a hack, giving us a rather amateurish look.
4/04 12:30 GMT
Orlando, CA
Ole Miss
+4.5
23-26
Florida Gators
+4.5
4/04 12:30 GMT
Orlando, CA
Ole Miss
+4.5
23-26
Florida Gators
+4.5
I reframed the question
from 'how do we create custom flags' to 'how do we make it easier for users to identify the teams.'
Restructured the flow so the user chooses an opponent before the bet amount to replicate the real life behaviour.
Displayed the most recent opponent upfront to simplify decisions and reduce steps. Similarly, customized bet amounts to show the most recent, commonly placed, and average amounts in ascending order.
Added ‘swipe’ feature so the user makes a conscious decision before real money is debited
Small features big impact
Quick bets in chats
We introduced quick bets in chats and group chats, making it easier for users to place bets instantly. This led to a 50% increase in bets placed through the quick bet feature.
Improved KYC process
We made KYC simpler by switching from a lengthy form to scanning a driver's license. This resulted in a 30% increase in users completing the sign-up process.
Easier money addition
Linking a bank account was a major drop-off point. Adding Apple Pay, and cards simplified the process, reducing the drop-off rate by 10% and making it easier for users to add money.
Making social app social
Positive outcome posts
On our social feed, I suggested showing posts with positive outcomes (users winning) instead of losing, leveraging the UX law of the Halo effect.
Games Feed
I added a new view called the games feed, grouping content by matches. Users placed more bets through the games feed compared to the existing social feed.
Gamification
Coming soon
As part of our product-led growth strategy, we decided to prioritize gamification for the next quarter.
Running a parallel
design - dev process
I built a structure to foster better communication between designers and developers, turbocharging the hand-off, and reducing the QA iterations time by ~50%!
Logic
For Spread and Moneyline: [Name of selected team/side][Odds selected] vs. Name of opposite team/side
South Carolina +4.5 vs. Florida
South Carolina -250 vs. Florida
For Total: [away team] / [home team] [Selected Bet][Odds selected].
South Carolina / Florida OVER 65.5
[Friend] won against [Friend/Not Friend]
NBA
[Visiting Team] 28 - 24 [Home Team]
5/12
23
7
Jim Halpert
Looks like Pam just schooled Andy in the betting world!
Kevin Malone
I won big betting on Pam! Time to celebrate with some chili!
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Objectives Achieved
1
We onboarded over 1000 users within one month of our soft launch. We've maintained a stellar 5-star rating on the App Store throughout.
2
At least ~70% of users completed key user flows successfully within the first month.
3
We completed 80% of planned features within the initial development timeline.
Planning for what’s next
User feedback
We're actively diving deep into usability through targeted sessions with users closely aligned with our target audience. These efforts have proven fruitful, and we're now gearing up to conduct user interviews with our actual target user group.
Product-led growth
Initiating a robust Product-Led Growth (PLG) strategy, we've established clear milestones and KPIs for each quarter to drive our product's evolution and user engagement. However, we are pivoting to prioritize enhancing user acquisition.
Increasing user acquisition
We realised our PLG efforts weren't as fruitful as we still lacked awareness. I'm currently collaborating closely with the marketing team to design and execute an advertising strategy (App store and Reddit) to increase app awareness.
Our wins as a consultancy
1
Initially tasked solely with revamping the UI, I now hold a prominent position within the boardroom and guide our PLG strategy.
2
The client now fervently advocates for a superior user experience (turning business stakeholders into design advocates, one project at a time)
3
The QA system I designed has became the benchmark and framework for all our client endeavors.