Project
This project was done as a part of Google's UX Design certification.
Timeline
2 Months
2021-22
Problem Statement
There is currently no single platform where fans can easily discover and purchase products endorsed by their favorite athletes.
Athletes have a strong influence on sports fans, and many fans trust the products they endorse due to emotional connection and perceived quality.
But, these endorsements are often limited to temporary social media posts, which are hard to find later. When fans try to search for athlete-endorsed products on e-commerce platforms or Google, the results are often inaccurate, confusing, or incomplete.
Why do fans buy athlete-endorsed products?
Trust in product quality
Emotional connection with the athlete
Let's understand with an example
A fan browses popular e-commerce websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra or searches directly on Google.
Results are not always 100% accurate. Let's look at an example:
Even though Flipkart has the product(Too Yumm Chips - Virat Kohli Chips Brand) listed on their website, searching with "Virat Kohli Chips" gives a completely different result. We have to search specifically for the Brand Name - "Too Yumm Chips".
Although Google displays the right product, it does not provide a website to purchase it.
1
User Research
I conducted primary user research to understand how sports fans feel about:
- Sports and athletes
- Athlete-endorsed brands
- Their buying experience
Participants: Sports fans
Session length: ~30 minutes
Key Findings
Fan communities for sports like tennis, hockey, and badminton are small.
Male athletes still dominate popularity and endorsements.
Discovering all products endorsed by athletes is difficult.
Differentiating genuine merchandise from copies is challenging.
Options for female merchandise are extremely limited.
International sports merch is expensive due to high handling charges.
Pain Points
Searching Across Multiple Platforms
Fans must browse multiple apps and websites to find athlete-endorsed products.
Hard to Find Official Merchandise
Official merch for non-cricket sports is limited and hard to verify.
Limited Options for Female Fans
There is very limited range of style options available to female fans.
2
Secondary Research
To understand the competitive landscape, I analyzed key direct and indirect competitors, comparing their product offerings, target users, and shopping experience across web and mobile.
Key Observations
Most platforms focus heavily on cricket and IPL merchandise.
Non-cricket sports have limited visibility and product depth.
Mobile and desktop experiences are often inconsistent.
Discovery and navigation vary widely across platforms.
Based on interview insights, I mapped user expectations and created a user journey to identify key pain points and opportunities across discovery, selection, and purchase.
3
Based on research insights, I structured the app to guide users from onboarding to discovery and purchase with minimal friction.y product that is related to sports and athletes.
4
I studied popular e-commerce platforms to understand common patterns and flows.
I began with paper sketches to explore ideas quickly, then translated them into low-fidelity wireframes in Figma.
The wireframes focus on the core user flow - home, search, product discovery, and checkout—to validate structure and navigation before moving to visual design.
5
After finalizing wireframes, I focused on creating a visual language that supports clarity, trust, and ease of use for sports fans.
Moodboard
Visual direction was inspired by Indian sports culture - energy, unity, and pride - drawing from real athletes, teams, and sporting moments.
Color Palette
Blue as the primary color to represent Indian sports and trust.
Yellow as a secondary color, associated with energy, medals, and achievement.
Neutral greys for text, borders, backgrounds, and disabled states.
Typography
4. Accessibility
After selecting the colors and typography, I ran the accessibility check on the initial frames to ensure text is readable for users. Below is the result:
6
1. SignUp/Login Screen
Home Screen
Current Sports Tournaments Merch Store
4. Athlete Stores
Place an Order
7
To scale the product and expand its reach, the following enhancements can be explored:
More Athletes: Include athletes from a wider range of sports to improve diversity and discovery.
E-Sports Stores: Add official stores for popular e-sports players, tapping into their growing fan base.
Sports Theme Spaces: Introduce curated sports-themed decor and setup ideas for homes and workspaces.
