Impact
Introduced pioneering GLI-certified microbetting sportsbook within 6 months
Earned a 4.5 star App Store rating
as of November 2023
Earned a 4.8/5 user experience review
from Covers.com
Over 90% of users placed multiple bets
with over 50% betting 10+ times
and over 15% betting 50+ times
as of March 2023
Well over half of January users returned to bet the following month
Context
Traditional sportsbooks focus on core markets which requires the user to wait the entire match to see if they won their bet or not.
Microbetting focuses on quicker sports moments to reduce waiting time and retain user engagement throughout the whole game.
This form of betting is Simplebet and Betr’s bread and butter.
Betr additionally wanted to break away from the cluttered spreadsheet design of other sportsbooks and tasked Simplebet with creating a layout and navigation that would be more appealing and understandable for a new wave of casual sports fans.
Simplebet had previously worked on proof of concept microbetting sportsbook prototype called Playbook which can be found here.
Consistent rounds of user interviews and iterations had led the team up to this point but there was more work to be done.
The goal
Leverage Playbook as a foundation to create a complete GLI-certified sportsbook for Betr
Successfully launch Betr within 6 months to align with Ohio's sports betting legalization
Approach
Another product designer, the lead product manager and I quickly sprung into action and started breaking down and prioritizing what we would need to convert our existing free-to-play Playbook app into a fully-fledged regulation-compliant sportsbook.
From that list I focused on these sections of the app.
Betr's designer led the visual design direction, while on the Simplebet side, we efficiently adopted it. We established a design system, referencing Betr's high-fidelity mockups to create the remaining screens.
Bet Discovery
In our goal for an optimal landing screen, our primary focus was user-centricity.
We focused on ideas that ensured easy access to preferred games and critical betting moments.
I sketched, wireframed, iterated and presented Betr with a range of ideas from ambitious to more conservative.
In game experience
For the in-game experience, live game status, market layout, market ordering, and clear UX writing for basketball, baseball, and football was prioritized.
Future plans include customizable market displays and a queue feature for immediate notifications on specific player markets, especially useful in fast-paced sports like basketball.
Log in & sign up
In collaboration with Betr's Chief Product Officer, I streamlined login and signup processes, notorious for drop-offs in traditional sportsbooks. Leveraging extensive knowledge of GLI regulations, we meticulously mapped all flows and edge cases.
Key stats from these efforts
41% of users placed a bet within 4 minutes after KYC (know-your-customer) verification
51% of users successfully complete KYC in first attempt
27% of real money betting users signed up and made successful deposit within an hour
There is still room for improvement with this UX to include some level of customization to the onboarding flow so that users can choose which players and teams matter to them right off the bat.
More research could also be conducted to learn more about how to improve the sign up experience for users who failed to complete the flow the first time to help them back on track.
Scripts
After completing the core Betr sports experience, I delved into exploring a potential Simplebet feature: microparlays or scripts. These condensed parlay bets group multiple markets within a shorter time span, offering a bigger payout if all scenarios occur.
To assess user interest, I focused on baseball markets to start and conducting brainstorming sessions involving engineers, product, and traders at Simplebet.
I synthesized ideas from these sessions and presented them internally and to Betr for feedback. Through iterations, we narrowed down the directions and I created prototypes tested via Usability Hub. After rounds of testing, I elevated the design fidelity, guiding our engineers through the refined designs.
While initial considerations included adding icons for parlay categories for easier scanning and crafting catchy names for parlays, Betr expressed concerns regarding added complexity.
We also discussed implementing social proof to showcase popular parlay participation but deferred it for future consideration. Another future feature that should be explored is customizable parlays that users could build themselves.
Despite these limitations, the thorough exploration of the feature was commended by the Betr team.
Indoor Football League
I also explored incorporating live video into Betr through Simplebet’s Indoor Football League (IFL) partnership. This involved designing a phase 1 version for IFL within Betr and exploring advanced designs for full-screen video betting. Future video ideas include incorporating game highlights for users joining mid-game and adding video clips to resulted bet cards for a clear understanding of bet outcomes.
Challenges & limitations
Due to time constraints and a restricted sports selection, we conducted limited upfront user research to expedite development, prioritizing quick iterations for subsequent assessment.
Challenges arose due to constrained access to final users and analytics, hindering our ability to conduct comprehensive assessments.
Lessons learned
Early client involvement in the design process is crucial for effective collaboration, especially for projects as ambitious as Betr. Adapting to their preferred feedback delivery methods ensures quicker and smoother communication channels.