User Interviews

To start this project, I interviewed five users to learn what they like and dislike about the Sleeper platform and app.

1:1 Objectives

• Understand the needs and frustrations of users
• Learn the daily task flows that users on the app go through
• Discover the thought process of people planning out player trades

Findings and Insights

Overall, users struggle with planning for the future and figuring out which players to trade for.

User Interview Affinity Map

With each major insight on a sticky note, I grouped the insights by discussion question and topic. The following insights were:

It’s hard to figure out how many years are left on players contracts. It would be nice to have that info and how much money is left.

- Participant R.S.

I want detailed information and stats that help me think about trades critically. Doesn’t matter if its brief or long, I just want tools that are well designed visually and easy to read to comprehend.

- Participant R.K.

My expectation of buttons don't work as intended. If I click on the "see more button" next to a player performance, I’m expecting to see the entire team’s stat lines of that particular game, not a list of previous performances.
‍
- Participant M.F.

Ideation and Design

I created diagrams that successfully explain the flow and structure of Sleeper's mobile app.

Information Architecture

One crucial piece of information I learned from user interviews was that some users discovered app functionalities by accident after misclicking. The match tab's head-to-head page contained redundant information. I changed the app's information architecture to help put information in the proper places.

User Flows

After I was satisfied with the way the content was organized, I considered how I wanted the user to utilize the app to achieve two key objectives: look up player information and view previously set opponent rosters.

Testing Early Concept Mockups with User Testers

During my in-person and remote 1:1 usability tests, I discovered that my ideas needed to be expanded upon. The tests revealed that users wanted a separate section specifically for displaying player contract details. Users also desire both detailed screens and information that is easy to scan.

1

All the people in my league don't use the history section. It would be cool to see more in-depth information of the player's contract in that area instead.
‍
- Participant M.F.

High-Fidelity Prototypes

Re-iterating visual designs based off of insights I received during user testing.

In addition to the "years left" information next to the player's details, I created a section that displays future contract years and income. With this data, fantasy managers can assess a player's likelihood of transferring teams and decide whether to trade for them.

Analyzing a player's contract and salary

This new contract feature allows fantasy managers to value trades based off of how many years are left on their current roster.

Viewing an opponents previously started roster

4 participants struggled with determining what positions their opponent was lacking. My participants wants to view their opponent's weekly lineups to figure out if they were subbing out quarterbacks frequently.

Understanding your team's strength the rest of the season

All 7 of my participants wanted to have a feature that allows you to understand how strong your player's game schedule is.

Branding

I re-designed components and typography to keep the desktop and app consistent in style and design elements.

A common piece of feedback I received during my user interviews was that the desktop version of Sleeper was vastly different from the mobile app. To combat this issue, I created a style guide that would ensure consist responsive designs for desktop and mobile.

Reflection and Next Steps

Every user is special. My goal is to improve user needs and make sure they are heard.

One important lesson I took away was that not every participant had the same needs. Every participant I talked with has different in-app features that they don't utilize. Talking with participants and getting their opinions on a fascinating topic that we all enjoy discussing was the most enjoyable aspect of this project.

My next project phase will involve conducting two additional rounds of usability testing based on my current designs. One reason fantasy football is so popular is because of its strong communication aspect, which is why I'm considering adding community features to my future iterations.