Play Connect
Play Connect
Play Connect is a mobile app designed to increase reliability and efficiency in organizing local sports by seamlessly matching players to games and building consistent communities.
"Real Games. Real Players. Right Now."
Creating a way to connect to the community around via sports and convenience.
Problem Statement
Local athletes lack a simple, efficient, and reliable platform to spontaneously find quality games and consistently build social sports communities, resulting in high rates of coordination failure and missed opportunities for social activity.
Target Audience
The primary target audience consists of active, technologically-savvy young professionals and recent graduates (ages 18-40) who are driven by either competition or social connection but are severely constrained by time and inefficient coordination methods.
Possible Solution
The seamless solution to the problem is to create PlayConnect, a mobile application that overcomes coordination failure by providing guaranteed reliability through data-driven commitment metrics and real-time skill-matching, while simultaneously fostering consistent community building to meet the diverse needs of all local athletes.
Constraints
The app must overcome the constraint of static, pre-planned scheduling and deliver dynamic, verifiable, real-time opportunities.
Design Thinking Process
Qualitative Research
Interviews: I conducted interviews with local athletes who regularly participate in team sports (like basketball, pickleball, tennis, rock climbing, and golf).
Observation: I observed at sport events I attended to see how long each game last, and observed wait time for players on sidelines.
Synthesis:
Players felt personally annoyed or frustrated when a game was canceled or delayed.
Serious players explicitly stated that they would rather stay home than play a game far below their skill level, or beginner players looking to improve their skills tend to feel inferior to pro players - resulting in less game time.
Social players described giving up on organizing recurring games due to the stress of constantly planning - fluctuating amount of players at times
EMPATHIZE PHASE
Interview Questions
Tell me about the last time a game or activity you tried to organize or join fell apart (was cancelled, mismatched, or disorganized). What specific steps did you take to organize it? What lead to it failing?
When looking for mutuals to play a game, how do you know your skill levels will be met? What percent of the time do you end up playing against someone with the same skill sets?
How do you apply a routine to playing [the sport the user plays]?
Imagine an ideal app could solve your sports coordination problems entirely. What is the very first thing that app would need to show you or do for you to make you trust it and stop using your current methods? (Such as planning through GroupMe, Facebook Groups, Creating Organizations)
Quantitative Research
The percentage of newly formed groups that disband within the first month.
87% of newly disband completely after a month
92% of attendees remove themselves from the group
1/5 players never attend the game after agreeing
The percentage of organized games that are cancelled last-minute
85% of athletes experience a last-minute cancellation at least once a month
The average number of minutes or messages spent organizing a single pick-up game.
Minimum 20 minutes to plan a game in a short notice.
DEFINE PHASE
User Personas
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Mike Davis
FITNESS TIME CRUNCHER
Mike is the time cruncher because his busy schedule and demanding job require him to find a quick and efficient way to play.
"I just want to get back on the court for an hour or two without the hassle of organizing a full game. It's tough to find a time that works for everyone."
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Tony Nguyen
SOCIAL NETWORKER
A recent graduate looking to build a consistent community and make new friends through sports.
"I just want to find a group of people who are as serious about getting a game in as I am. It's frustrating to show up and have to sit around and wait."
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Lena Parks
GOAL-ORIENTED ENTHUSIAST
Prefers quiet, focused sessions. She requires a belay partner for sport climbing but views the partnership as a necessary tool for her progress, not the main social event.
"It takes me longer to find a trustworthy partner who can belay my grade than it takes me to climb the route. I spend half my rest days sifting through group chats and begging people to commit to a specific time, and half the time they flake anyway."
Empathy Maps
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Frustrations
Frustration:
They want to play a specific sport but don't have enough people to form a game.
They struggle to find a partner for a two-person sport like pickleball or tennis.
Need:
They want a simple way to find and connect with other players nearby.
They need to be able to find and book a court or public space where they can play.
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Initial Goals & Objectives
User Goals:
Help users connect with other: Help users find a match to each other who want to play the same sport at the same time.
Location and Court Map: Help users have a meet up spot and be able to view availability or busy hours of each court and their location.
Scheduling: The users will be able to communicate their open time to figure out schedule alignment to meet up.
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Problem Challenge
Finding someone to play sports with can be a significant challenge for many people. Individuals often want to play a sport like pickleball, basketball, or volleyball but lack a partner or enough people to form a full game. This problem is particularly prevalent in local communities where people may not know others with similar interests or have easy ways to connect. Issues that may rise are:
More health inactivity
Missed social opportunities
Ability to find a new hobby
IDEATE PHASE
“Find an Existing Game Now”
This flow is designed for Mike, the busy professional. His priority is to find a high-level game that's happening immediately, with minimal planning.
Open the App: Mike launches the app on his phone.
View Live Map: The app defaults to a map showing live games in his area.
Filter Games: He applies a filter for "Competitive" games and his preferred sport, such as basketball.
Quick View & Join: He taps on a pin and sees a competitive game with an available slot. He taps "Join Game."
Confirmation: A notification is sent to the other players, and he receives a confirmation with the court address and directions.
User Flows
“Build a Social Group”
This flow is for David, the social networker. He's looking for a consistent group and new friends, so his journey involves more discovery and interaction.
Open the App & Navigate: David opens the app and goes to the "Find a Group" or "Community" section.
Search for a Group: He searches for groups in his area based on sport and location.
Browse Group Profiles: He browses group profiles, looking at descriptions and member lists to find a good fit. He finds a group that plays consistently and looks welcoming.
Request to Join: He sends a request to join the group, along with a brief message introducing himself.
RSVP for a Regular Game: Once accepted, he receives an invitation for the group's regular weekly game. He RSVPs, sees who else is coming, and starts a chat with the group members.
“Match Making”
This flow addresses the need to find a partner for sports like tennis or pickleball, a common pain point for both Mike and David.
Open the App & Select Matchmaking: The user opens the app and navigates to a "Find a Partner" or "Matchmaking" feature.
Set Preferences: The user selects their sport (e.g., pickleball), their skill level, and their preferred date, time, and location.
Browse Potential Partners: The app shows a list of available players who match their criteria. Each profile includes a photo, skill level, and a short bio.
Send an Invitation: The user selects a potential partner and sends a game invitation with a suggested time and court.
Chat & Confirm: The other player accepts, and they can chat in the app to finalize details before meeting up to play.
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![Sketch Variation III]()
Sketch Variation III
Low Fidelity Wireframe Sketch for users to navigate and plan a quick new game.
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![Sketch Variation I]()
Sketch Variation I
Low Fidelity Wireframe Sketch with straight navigation to joining an existing game as a user.
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![Sketch Variation II]()
Sketch Variation II
Low Fidelity Wireframe Sketch for task of joining an existing group or live game.
PROTOTYPES
Hi Fidelity User Flow - Figma
Dynamic Repeater Table Interaction - Axure RP
Reusable Variable (Color Palette) - Figma
SOFTWARES USED
PROTOTYPE IMPROVEMENT & HYPOTHESIS TESTING
H5: Error Prevention
User Testing: Users frequently create recurring schedules without checking facility hours or conflicting public events (a common planning error).
Potential Fix: The app should proactively check external data (open/close time or busy hours) and alert the user before the schedule is finalized.
Hypothesis: IF the app proactively flags and suggests solutions for scheduling conflicts (e.g., facility closures, conflicting recurring bookings) during the group creation flow, THEN the rate of organizer-initiated schedule changes (decrease in interference.)
JAKOB’S USABILITY HEURISTICS (BASED ON USER TESTING)
H2: Match Between System and the Real World
User Testing: The user trying to set their skill level in the app's filter, faces a confusing numerical scale (e.g., Level 1-5) that doesn't match real-world athletic terms, making them feel hesitant, uncertain, and frustrated about the quality of the matches they'll receive.
Potential Fix: Create a three level defined filter alternative for user to simply differentiate skill level.
Hypothesis: IF the skill filtering uses real-world language, THEN users will complete the filter setup 30% faster and report higher confidence in the quality of the matches found.
AI IMPLEMENTATION SUMMARY
AI for Reliability & Revenue (The Commitment Score)
Problem Solved: Unreliability (addressing the 85% cancellation rate).
AI Feature: Reliability/Commitment Score Engine. This system uses predictive analytics on user history (cancellations, no-shows, attendance success) to generate a dynamic Commitment Score (0-100).
Key Function: Organizers can set a minimum Commitment Score requirement to join games, effectively filtering out flaky users and guaranteeing game quality.
Revenue Impact: The score can be monetized by offering a "Reliability Pass" premium subscription or micro-transaction that temporarily boosts a low-score user's rating, allowing them access to high-demand games. This converts a critical user pain point into a revenue stream.
H1: Visibility of System Status
User Testing: When the user attempted to join a full or restricted game, the "Join Game" button should not disappear or be disabled.
Potential Fix: Instead, it should immediately trigger a brief, clear modal window explaining why the action failed.
Hypothesis: IF immediate, explicit feedback is provided via a modal, THEN users will report significantly less confusion and require fewer attempts to successfully find and join an alternative game.
AI for Quality & Retention (The Skill Verification Engine)
Problem Solved: Skill Mismatch (addressing Lena's need for verified partners).
AI Feature: Skill Verification Engine. This system uses ML to analyze peer ratings, logged performance data (e.g., verified climbing ascents, running times), and external integrations to move beyond self-reported skill.
Key Function: The app grants an objective "Verified" status, ensuring high-level users find competent partners.
Revenue Impact: The app can create exclusive, high-value Skill-Verified Leagues or Tournaments that require the certified badge to participate, justifying a higher-tier subscription fee for the most dedicated users (like Lena).