Diamond Kinetics (DK) had a game-changing idea: develop the PitchTracker Smart Baseball, an intelligent baseball capable of recording data while a player practiced. This data could then be used to provide the player and coach with a comprehensive pitching analysis, assisting them in improving their performance on the field.
Project overview
DK was looking for a Lead Product Designer who could create a consistent UI for its mobile applications. In addition, the designer would work with and improve an existing Design System to ensure that the user interface was intuitive and visually appealing.
DK also wanted to ensure that its brand story was effectively communicated and that the needs of its customers were aligned with its business objectives. This necessitated hiring a designer capable of creating an optimal user experience, ensuring that the product was useful, simple to use, and enjoyable.
Overall, DK's vision for the PitchTracker Smart Baseball was revolutionary, and it demanded a designer capable of bringing that vision to life.
My Role
Lead Product Designer
As the Lead Product Designer, I combined product strategy, UX design, and UI design.
Analyzing market trends
Conducting user research
Create intuitive and visually appealing interfaces
Developing a strategic roadmap for product development
Ensuring the product meets user needs and aligns with business objective
Mentor team members
The problem
Diamond Kinetics had created an innovative product, PitchTracker Smart Baseball, that could record data while a player was training and provide comprehensive pitching analysis. However, the company was facing a problem: many players and coaches were having trouble correctly configuring the product to capture and consume data. DK was concerned about the lack of adoption of the product's core features and technology as a result of this.
Challenges
Short Deadline
Reports needed to be easier to consume
Getting users set up correctly to capture video data effectively
Discovery
Diamond Kinetics (DK) had already laid the groundwork for the success of their product by creating well-defined personas for coaches, players, and parents. As the Lead Product Designer, I had access to these personas, which gave me a clear understanding of our users' needs and behaviors.
We were able to streamline my research process and solve problems quickly by using Design Sprints methods. I collaborated with the team to conduct user research, identify pain points, and prioritize features that would be beneficial to our users. We were able to create intuitive and visually appealing interfaces that met the needs of our user personas using this approach.
We were able to develop a product that resonated with our users while also meeting our business objectives by leveraging DK's personas and utilizing Design Sprints. Our emphasis on user-centered design ensured that the PitchTracker Smart Baseball was simple to use and offered comprehensive pitching analysis to help players improve their performance. The end result was a product that exceeded our users' expectations and set the stage for Diamond Kinetics' continued success.
Qualitative Research
Interviews were conducted with key internal and external stakeholders to understand their needs and how they aligned with the current system. The goal was to know where DK's mobile app fits into the customer's process and where it could add more value.
Interviews confirmed users were confused about how to position their cameras to capture the best results.
Validated the need to highlight certain features to streamline data consumption.
Identified high-level user flow.
Competitive Analysis
Conducting a competitive analysis gave a better understanding of what features and functionality the top competitors are using. This analysis enabled me to gain valuable insight into the current expectations for the users and identify areas for opportunity.
Results
We identified a key opportunity to improve the core capture experience of the PitchTracker Smart Baseball through extensive user research. We discovered that users were having difficulty capturing videos and effectively utilizing new pitch identification features. Furthermore, we discovered that users were overwhelmed by the volume of data and struggled to make sense of it.
Contextual Observations
In-person observation and task-based usability testing were used to gain more empathy for how DK’s users currently interact with the products in a real-world setting.
We developed the testing plan and facilitated the study.
Defining A New Experience
Focusing on improving the experience to promote video capture, new pitch ID, and motion efficiency reporting, We worked closely with the development team to simplify the user interface and make it more intuitive. We also developed a streamlined capture experience that made capturing videos and identifying pitches easier for users. Finally, by focusing on user-centered design, I created an experience that met our users' needs and made it easier for them to consume and interact with data.
We used sketching, and user flows to map out the steps the user would take to accomplish their objectives. This aided me in identifying potential pain points and ensuring that the product was simple to use and intuitive.
Development
We used Sketch to design the mobile screens.
Onboarding - Camera Setup
Core motion Capture
Motion Efficiency report
Results
By fixing the video capture window to landscape and building a camera setup onboarding flow, we saw a 60% increase in user adoption of the core capture features and new pitch identification technology. This validated our design decisions and helped Diamond Kinetics stay ahead of the competition. By prioritizing user needs and delivering an exceptional user experience, we created a product that exceeded our users' expectations and helped Diamond Kinetics achieve continued success.