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CHEESEHEAD CHEATSHEET
INTRO TO INTERACTION DESIGN CLASS | FALL 2018
To help new sports fans connect with their new team, I created a website prototype that would grow team/sports knowledge in a friendly and unassuming way.
The Context
A young Cheesehead in his natural habitat; "Cheesehead" is a nickname for a fan of the Green Bay Packers
The Context
I was assigned with developing a project based on any subject of my choice for class. As a huge sports fan and huger fan of community building, I knew I wanted to create a tool to help a sports fan community become stronger and more inclusive.
This got me thinking: if someone is new to sports and is considering being a fan of a team, where would they go for information? What would speak to them? What would make sense to them? These questions led to other exciting questions, including the two that would frame my research process.
I was assigned with developing a project based on any subject of my choice for class. As a huge sports fan and huger fan of community building, I knew I wanted to create a tool to help a sports fan community become stronger and more inclusive.
This got me thinking: if someone is new to sports and is considering being a fan of a team, where would they go for information? What would speak to them? What would make sense to them? These questions led to other exciting questions, including the two that would frame my research process.
A young Cheesehead in his natural habitat; "Cheesehead" is a nickname for a fan of the Green Bay Packers
The Challenge
Often people grow up being a fan, and learn everything they need to know over time. But what about adults that want to be fans for the first time?
What should a site that welcomes new sports fans look like? What should it feel like?
I looked to address these central questions, eventually using the Green Bay Packers football team and their potential fans as a test case. Though I’m not a Packer fan myself (Go Niners!), I thought it would be helpful to look through the lens of a team/team culture I wasn't familiar with in order to better uncover potential solutions.
Japanese Cheeseheads during their pilgrimage to a Packers home game
Japanese Cheeseheads during their pilgrimage to a Packers home game
The Design Process
2. Personas
1. Interviews
8. Final Prototype
4. Alternative Sketches
6. Paper Prototype
7. User Testing
3. Competitive Analysis
5. Story Map
Japanese Cheeseheads during their pilgrimage to a Packers home game.
1. Interviews
To gain a better understanding of the problem space, I talked with:
Sports fans about factors that led them to become and stay fans &
Non-sports fans about factors that have kept them from becoming fans and those that could encourage them to become fans
Here's what I heard:
Fandom is learned
Fandom is community
Stories drive interest
Fan knowledge is sports terms is learned over time; most often, someone picks it up by growing up in a sports-loving loving environment.
Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to.
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated from and intentionally avoid sports conversations.
Fan knowledge like player names, team history, and sports terminology is learned over time; most often, someone initially picks up this knowledge from friends or family members who want to share their passion for a team or sport.
Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to. Also, since teams represent locations, showing pride in a team also shows pride in the community it represents.
Rivalries, history, and other backstories often interest sports fans as much as the play on the field. There’s heaps of drama, comedy, and human interest stories in sports that keep fans constantly engaged.
There’s drama, comedy, and human interest stories -- both on and off the field -- that keep fans constantly engaged
Sports talk can alienate
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports media can be dense
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
belonging, community, solidarity. If there was an easier way to learn how sports, people. Sports has all the drama -- of course sporrts are interesting.
Sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports .
the synchnronized feats/of teamwork that came out of intense preparation and planning, or the one's improvised feats of a moment
2. Personas
Based on those interviews, I created user personas of new and potential sports fans.
I made user personas based on stories from interviews. These fictional profiles gave me "faces" that represent the user stories I could empathize with...
Ben wants to know about his local soccer team so he can understand what's going on when he goes to games with his girlfriend.
Ada just moved to a football-crazed town and is excited to learn more about what that craze is about.
Lana, whose boyfriend and son are bonding over college football, wants to rekindle her fanhood.
Sal is a big sports fan and likely wouldn't use the site (anti-user).
Here's what I learned:
Takeways
Why this step was important:
There has to be something that would make non-sports fan be a sports fan. It would have to be something deep, something driven internally, a moment that changed their mind...or else why would they change their regular habits to begin with?
Whether it's to spend more meaningful time with loved ones, learn about a new exciting subject, or help adapt to a foreign culture, these personas' new interest in sports is linked to their need to connect and belong. They're all eager to learn more, they just need sports content they can understand and that captures their interest.
3. Competitive Analysis
Then, I compared how different sports sites addressed needs and presented information.
Sports talk can alienate
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports media can be dense
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Acme Packing Company, a Packers news site by SB Nation, can be overwhelming for a new fan who may not have much context about the team.
ESPN's Green Bay Packers team page provides a lot of information up front, including statistics, that won't likely be understood by someone new to sports.
Packers Everywhere, a place to see fan photos and find Packer friendly bars, is very simple and a great visual reminder for fans that there are so many more people in the world just like them.
Packer Forum, a site for fan-generated news and gossip, has simply organized information and does a great job of building fan community. However, it presents lots of information and its text-heavy interface could get tiring.
4. Alternative Methods
Websites are, of course, one of many ways to learn about sports. I brainstormed a few other methods, inspired by interviews and my own experience, that could help inform the website's future design.
An aspiring fan might learn about sports through a) a sports video game, b) going to a game, c) watching a sports movie, d) playing the sport themselves, e) online research, f) talking to a patient, sports loving friend, g) printed media.
This is an expanded version of the first sketch, laying out steps and the expected/hoped for result of each method.
5. Story Map
Then, I wrote up a list of topics and subtopics a new fan may be interested in researching/doing. These would serve as guideposts when creating the paper prototype.
There's a lot for new fans to learn and digest; presenting information to them in simple and engaging ways might help them do that.
6. Paper Prototype
With the previous insights and ideas in mind, I sketched pages and planned interactions for the website.
These are a few examples of pages I sketched out. Throughout the sketches, there's lots of space for pictures, videos, and infographics to keep the fan engaged. There's also resources for quick reference and interactive ways for them to learn about the team and football in general. To view all the pages and how they interact with each other, please see the video below.
A translator
A translator
Yeah, you got me -- the paper prototype is about the Michigan Wolverines football team and not the Packers. For a moment, I had considered switching the site to be about the Wolverines, but days after I sketched, Michigan lost bad to arch-rival Ohio State in the "Big Game." My heart was broken and I couldn't bear spending the rest of the class reliving those bad/sad memories. So, I switched back to the Pack.
I wanted the user to see the site as:
A patient friend
Understanding/assuming that the user knows very little about sports; the site would talk to the user in a casual, friendly, and accomodating way.
A translator
Showcasing some of the history, off-beat stories, and eccentric personalities behind the team; while also making the user feel like part of the team's ongoing story.
A place for rich stories
Showcasing some of the history, off-beat stories, and eccentric personalities behind the team; while also making the user feel like part of the team's ongoing story.
A concise and visual resource
Using short/simple descriptions, pictures, and infographics since something too long or technical can be overwhelming to the new fan.
A place for stories
Showcasing some of the context, off-beat stories, and eccentric personalities behind the team; while also making the user feel like part of the team's ongoing story.
With the previous insights and ideas in mind, I developed some concepts I wanted the prototype to embody.
To help new Green Bay Packers fans connect with their newly adopted team, I created a website prototype intended to model a welcoming and non-judgemental fan onboarding experience.
My Role
An information 'on-ramp'
Gradually building the new fan's sports knowledge to the point where they could understand team/fan sites and keep up with other fans.
I was assigned with developing a semester-long project based on any subject of my choice in my Introduction to Interaction Design class. As a huge sports fan and huger fan of community building, I knew I wanted to create a tool to help a sports fan community become stronger and more inclusive.
I was the only person working on this project, though I did get great insight from others.
In my Introduction to Interaction Design class, I was assigned with developing a semester-long project based on any subject of my choice. As a huge sports fan and huger fan of community building, I knew I wanted to create a tool to help strengthen a sports fan community or make it more inclusive.
A young Cheesehead in his natural habitat; "Cheesehead" is a nickname for a fan of the Green Bay Packers.
2. Personas
The Process
Story Map
The Approach
I also had the following assumptions throughout the design process:
-
anything can be made interesting
-
sports is not always macho or stoic, there's lots of humanity and emotion involved as well
-
passion for the same thing can unite
The Context
Ah, football. A game of honor, of tradition, of beauty. And yes, it's a game of very large men smashing into each other quickly. But to many fans of the Green Bay Packers, football means a lot more than that. To them, being a "Cheesehead" is practically a way of life.
But, if someone is new to sports fandom and wants to know more about the team, or even about the sport the team plays, where would they go? What would speak to them? What would make sense to them? I wanted to answer those questions during this project.
What should a site that welcomes new fans look like? What would it feel like?
Potential new sports fans can have trouble learning about their newly adopted team or sport.
This could lead to frustration of the would-be fan, abandoment of their growing fandom, and being deprived of the built-in community that comes with loving a team.
I looked to address this challenge, using the Green Bay Packers and their potential fans as a test case. I’m not a Packer fan myself (Go Niners!), but I thought it would be helpful to think about another team, its fans, and its culture when thinking of solutions to this problem.
The Context
2. Personas
1. Interviews
8. Final Prototype
4. Alternative Sketches
6. Paper Prototype
7. User Testing
3. Competitive Analysis
5. Story Map
I was assigned with developing a project based on any subject of my choice for class. As a huge sports fan and huger fan of community building, I knew I wanted to create a tool to help a sports fan community become stronger and more inclusive.
This got me thinking: if someone is new to sports and is considering being a fan of a team, where would they go for information? What would speak to them? What would make sense to them? These questions led to other exciting questions, including the two that would frame my research process.
e.
a.
c.
b.
d..
f.
7. User Testing
8. Final Prototype
1. Interviews
2. Personas
4. Alternative Sketches
6. Paper Prototype
7. User Testing
8. Final Prototype
5. Story Map
3. Competitive Analysis
Sports media can be dense
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports talk can alienate
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Fan knowledge like player names, team history, and sports terminology is learned over time; most often, someone initially picks up this knowledge from friends or family members who want to share their passion for a team or sport.
Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to.
Rivalries, history, and other backstories often interest sports fans as much as the play on the field. There’s heaps of drama, comedy, and human interest stories in sports that keep fans constantly engaged.
Fan knowledge like player names, team history, and sports terminology is learned over time; most often, someone initially picks up this knowledge from friends or family members who want to share their passion for a team or sport.
Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to.
Rivalries, history, and other backstories often interest sports fans as much as the play on the field. There’s heaps of drama, comedy, and human interest stories in sports that keep fans constantly engaged.
Stories drive interest
Fandom is community
Fandom is learned
Here's what I heard:
Fan knowledge like player names, team history, and sports terminology is learned over time; most often, someone initially picks up this knowledge from friends or family members who want to share their passion for a team or sport.
Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to.
Rivalries, history, and other backstories often interest sports fans as much as the play on the field. There’s heaps of drama, comedy, and human interest stories in sports that keep fans constantly engaged.
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Sports media can be dense
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports talk can alienate
Potential fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports -- which can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
Sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large; non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
2. Personas
The conversations with big fans centered around the factors that led to them becoming and staying fans. The conversations with future fans centered around the factors that kept them becoming fans and those that could lead them to become fans.
3. Competitive Analysis
2. Personas
4. Alternative Sketches
3. Competitive Analysis
5. Story Map
Fandom is community: Fandom gives fans a built-in community, something they have in common with strangers, and rituals and traditions to learn and look forward to. Also, showing pride in a team shows pride in the place and community that team represents.
Fandom is learned: Fan knowledge like player names, team history, and sports terminology is learned over time. Most often, someone initially picks up this knowledge from friends or family members who want to share their passion for a team or sport.
Final Prototype
Stories drive interest: Rivalries, history, and other backstories often interest sports fans as much as the play on the field. There’s heaps of drama, comedy, and human interest stories in sports that keep fans constantly engaged.
Sports talk can alienate: Whether seen on television or heard around the water cooler, sports take up space in conversations, media, and American culture at large. Non-sports fans can feel alienated when sports are brought up and may intentionally avoid or leave sports related conversations.
Sports media can be dense: Potential new fans can have a difficult time learning about their newly adopted team since sports media can be overwhelming, confusing, and way too technical for people new to sports. This can lead to frustration of the would-be fan and abandonment of their growing fandom.
With the problem statement in mind, I knew I wanted to:
-
entertain new fans in a way that doesn't require a deep knowledge of the team or the game to understand
-
build up new fans' sports knowledge gradually
I also had the following assumptions throughout the design process:
-
anything can be made interesting
-
sports is not always macho or stoic, there's lots of humanity and emotion involved as well
-
passion for the same thing can unite
Potential new sports fans can have trouble learning about their newly adopted team or sport.
This could lead to frustration of the would-be fan, abandoment of their growing fandom, and being deprived of the built-in community that comes with loving a team
A young Cheesehead in his natural habitat; "Cheesehead" is a nickname for a fan of the Green Bay Packers
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