EA Sports’ Project RYVL

Exploring the future of sports fandom & sports gaming.

CONTEXT.

EA Sports was approached by the NBA to explore what a future product offering / collaboration could look like.

OBJECTIVE.

Explore what the future of sports fandom looks like for Gen Z basketball fans though a innovative mobile experience.

Preview of app prototype

Methodology

  • 20 x ethnographic interviews

  • Market Research

  • Stakeholder interviews & workshops

  • 10 x Quantitative Surveys (500 participants each)

  • A/B testing

  • Concept / Preference Testing

  • 20 x moderated usability tests

Supporting Business Unit

Strategy, Insights & Analytics, Creative, UX & UI Design, Production, EA SPORTS stakeholders, NBA stakeholders

Timeline

7+ months

Role & Responsibilities

 Lead UX Researcher

  • Led all cross functional research updates & communications.

  • Led and facilitated all stakeholder interviews.

  • Led and created assets for all client stakeholder workshops.

  • Supported in all market research & strategic planning.

  • Led all UX research operations (participant matrixes, NDA & consent form creation, schedule planning, incentive management, data management).

  • Led all usability testing and ethnographic interviews across NA (crafted discussion guides and testing plans, documented all research, and annotated screens.)

  • Mentored two junior researchers.

  • Led and crafted all quantitative surveys and A/B tests (concepts, features, monetization models)

  • Led all synthesis & analysis of all mixed methods research.

  • Supported with UX design (wireframes, user journeys, user flows, feature exploration)

Key Learnings

  1. Gen Z basketball fans fall within 3 categories Prospective Fans, Casual Fans, Super Fans. Regardless of type of fan, all three feel as though its difficult to keep up with their communities, so they seek streamlined and simple content.

  2. Fans want to be able to play to win prizes for their favorite players while getting to watch the game. They want their game choices to mean something during the live game.

  3. Fans want to be able to flex their creativity and voice their basketball opinions to their peers. They want the tools to be able to make their mark and create a shareable meme.

Client

EA Sports

Product Impact

  • Player Select & Infomation

  • Casual Fan Journey Map

  • Strategy & Positioning Decks

  • Personas

Impact & Awards

🏀 Insights were implemented in other EA Mobile experiences

💻 The concept was pitched to the NBA successfully and has opened doors to collaborations with other sports leagues.