PlayerPursuits
Web Design & User Research
Shaping the future for collegiate golfers.
user GROWTH
~18%
increase in user acquisition from collegiate & coach user bass.
DESign Awards
+15
awarded across numerous categories within UX, social design, and app development.
adoption rate
~85%
of surveyed participants recommended this new feature to fellow golfers.
INitial observations
A missed potential in one of the fastest growing sport sectors.
While accounting for almost over 56% of the US golf community, PlayerPursuits' active user base only accounts for less than 5% of collegiate golfers and coaches.
RESEARCH
Full disclosure…I had no idea how to play golf.
From watching YouTube videos to interviewing some of our school's team members, I spent 35+ hours studying golf mechanics and scoring to deeply understand the game.
Interviewing students and collegiate coaches.
In order to understand this user-base gap, I reached out personally to 15+ junior (highschool) golfers, collegiate golfers, and recruitment coaches across the US.
3 Student Interviews
2 Junior Golfers
1 Collegiate Golfer
23 Survey Results
14 Junior Golfers
9 Collegiate Golfers
1 Recruiter Interview
Michael Burcin
1 NCAA Division 1 Coach
Key insights
Student golfers feel unprepared
Without having a contact who has an "in" within the industry for help, student golfers feel they are unprepared to share their resume for recruiters to see.
Logging golf scores is not accessible
82% of students surveyed answered differently to how they logged their golf data; some methods analog, some digital, and some relying solely on their parents for help.
"I feel behind during application season compared to others whose families have been in the industry and already know what to show off. I just wish I knew how to impress coaches and what to show."
Andrew Chang, Junior Golfer
Recruiters struggle to scout student talent
10+ year NCAA coach Michael Burcin commented on how, while scores are good, theres a lot of other skills he scouts for. But to do so takes an unnecessary amount of time that he doesn't have.
discovery
A golden opportunity to connect golfers & coaches.
Our research presented an opportunity to situate PlayerPursuit’s as a possible middle ground for both student golfers and recruiters.
From scouting gaps into product features.
In pursuit of bridging this gap, we believed that the PlayerPursuit's user profile was an essential starting point to implement our findings.
3 Student Interviews
2 Junior Golfers
1 Collegiate Golfer
23 Survey Results
14 Junior Golfers
9 Collegiate Golfers
1 Coach Interview
Michael Burcin
1 NCAA Division 1 Coach
design decisions
Unexpected places, proven patterns: How E-Sports guided our UI
Drawing from over 50 sports platforms, we looked to shape a profile experience that motivates student athletes to keep their profiles up to date while remaining scannable for coaches.
What E-Sports gets right about profiles.
In pursuit of bridging this gap, we reapproached our clients with a clear direction to implement: we would position the User Profile opportunity area for documentation and scouting.
3 Student Interviews
2 Junior Golfers
1 Collegiate Golfer
23 Survey Results
14 Junior Golfers
9 Collegiate Golfers
1 Coach Interview
Michael Burcin
1 NCAA Division 1 Coach