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From blank canvas to app store in 10 sprints. Agile working masterclass.
The old app. Feedback from users was that it was slow and difficult to use.
Context and objective
Betfair had two apps on the market, both providing sub-optimal user experience. Betfair sought expertise for a comprehensive app redesign and development in the shortest possible time. We employed a blend of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and an agile framework to expedite the market launch while ensuring a user-friendly interface, high performance, and an aesthetically pleasing design. Our additional goal was to transition all existing users to the new app seamlessly.
My role
As Design Lead, I managed the Kanban board to ensure that all design activities, including research and testing, delivered quality within the sprint constraints. I also facilitated a continuous feedback loop with the client, ensuring we gathered all requirements and thoroughly discussed the design with the product owner and dev team, adding a lens of viability and feasibility.
The approach
Mapping all user scenarios with SMEs ensured that the design addressed the full range of user interactions, identified potential pain points, and created a seamless, intuitive experience that met the needs of different audiences.
The journey was not complex, but I had to capture all possible outcomes of placing a bet and ensure each scenario flowed seamlessly.
Determine. We ran discovery workshops with client stakeholders to gather their business requirements.
A competitive analysis drew the foundation of the design to leverage best practices. However, the uniqueness of this app's proposition raised challenges that cannot be found in traditional betting apps.
Discover. Discovery interviews with users helped us determine personas and betting styles. We also analysed the current user flows and designed the ideal one. We used the walls of a dedicated project room to draw different flows and have a bird's eye view of the whole experience.
Then, COVID-19 struck, and we had to establish new ways of working and move everything online.
Design & Test. Employing a pool of users with different betting styles allowed me to establish a design/test rhythm that fitted the agile sprint: design and walkthrough on week one, test and iteration on week two.
We were able to maintain the rhythm despite the limitations of remote working due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Iterate & Deliver. In the space of 10 sprints, the app went from a blank canvas to a fully functional MLP (Minimum Lovable Product), which was then taken to the regulator for approval and beta testing.
Establishing an efficient working rhythm
The key to success was establishing a tight operating rhythm that was fully integrated with the dev squad.
The agile sprints ran as follows:
Week 1
Day 1-2: concept development. We sketched a lot of different concepts in design studio sessions;
Day 3: workshop of the shortlisted concepts with the Product Manager (Viability), Business Analyst and devs (Feasibility);
Day 4-5: concept refinement and user testing preparation. We turned the best concept into a mid-fi level design, with possible micro-variants, and we prepared all stimuli for the upcoming user testing.
The design team rapidly generated a lot of concepts to be critiqued and shortlisted and then taken to users to test.
We used a Kanban wall to keep track of the tasks and prioritise what was essential to deliver an MLP by the set deadline.
Week 2
Day 1-2: user testing. I run six user testing sessions to receive feedback from real users. We looked for speed and breadth of feedback rather than depth. The goal was to identify potential macro usability issues and understand users' mental models for using the app.
Day 3-5: iteration, user stories and grooming sessions. The finalised hi-fi design was passed to the Business Analyst. I participated in story grooming sessions to clear any questions from the dev team.
The app before and after: the evolution of the design of the 'bet-slip'.
The core of the app is the 'bet-slip', the functionality that allows punters to place a bet. Contrary to the other wagering apps on the market, where a punter must accept the odds the bookmaker offers to place a bet, Betfair is a peer-to-peer market where every punter can set their odds and place a bet for someone to accept. Moreover, they can bet for a participant to the market to win or not-win. Because of the market dynamics, odds change dramatically in the minutes preceding the start of an event. In some cases, punters are also allowed to place a bet during the event.
All this is important to understand why speed is paramount: punters need to access a market, check the status and place a bet in a matter of seconds to get the best odds. This overview and actions happen through the bet-slip.
Bet-slip of the old app. The bet-slip appears mid-screen, lacking hierarchy and clarity. The odds are set by pressing the plus/minus button. The solution was slow and presented usability issues.
Bet-slip first design. We introduced a bet-slip container that slides up from the bottom, features some 'in-play' options, and a larger odds-setting box.
Bet-slip iteration 1. Introduction of an 'odds slider' to minimise typing. Introduction of 'take next' functionality. We faced issues with the size of the interface, including the fact that the native keyboard is too big.
Bet-slip iteration 2. We introduced a dark background and tested different colours and layouts to maximise readability.
Bet-slip iteration 3. We improved the layout by giving a more explicit hierarchy of the elements and introducing a vertical 'odds-setter' that is easier to operate. We also introduced a custom keyboard to save space.
Bet-slip iteration 4. Consolidated the 'at in-play' options; the keyboard was hidden by default and appeared only if a punter changed odds or stakes, thus optimising space.
Bet-slip final design. The final design emphasized the view of additional odds in the market. The customised keyboard featured quick stakes for one-tap action.
Bet-slip of the released app. Layout optimised for right-handed.
The outcome
The app was released to the app store (android and iOS) after 10 sprints.
Feedback from users was crucial to understanding current pain points, needs and wants. Constant communication with front-end and back-end developers allowed us to design within feasibility constraints and avoid re-work.
We also established a continuous improvement protocol to get user feedback and keep iterating.
Testimonials
We wanted an app which better represented the full suite of capabilities of our exchange. We had a highly productive relationship with RXP throughout this project, and we’re delighted with the outcome.
- Chad Jones, product manager at Betfair (on Mumbrella)
This was a complex build with many moving parts but the team, working collaboratively with Betfair, have created a future proofed product that now puts the customer front and centre of the experience. What made it even more challenging was most of the work was done entirely remotely during the peak of the pandemic.
- Jared Hill, group executive at RXP Group (on Mumbrella)
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