PicklePlay
PicklePlay set out to revolutionize the pickleball experience, bringing players, clubs, and facilities together under one seamless digital platform. They entrusted us with the challenge of building an intuitive ecosystem that simplifies court reservations, enhances club management, and fosters community engagement. This wasn’t just about building software, it was about elevating the sport and making it more accessible for everyone. A frictionless experience, from finding a court to organizing events, ensures that players can focus on what matters most: getting in the game.
Task
Building a seamless digital ecosystem for the pickleball community was no small feat, but with the right strategy, it became a game-changer. We designed and developed a unified platform—mobile apps, a club management system, and a real-time court reservation tool—to connect players, streamline club operations, and simplify bookings. By focusing on user experience and scalability, we delivered a solution that makes it easier than ever to play, organize, and grow the sport.
Our Approach
Discovery & Strategy
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- Conducted thorough market and user research to identify the core features pickleball fans and clubs needed.
- Collaborated closely with the PicklePlay team to define scope, prioritize functionalities, and craft a seamless user experience.
Design & Prototyping
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- Created wireframes and prototypes for the mobile apps (iOS & Android) and web platforms.
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- Focused on an intuitive UI to accommodate users of all ages and tech backgrounds.
Development & Integration
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- Built two native mobile apps (iOS, Android) featuring user profiles, court search, and reservation capabilities.
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- Developed a Club Management System (clubs.pickleplay.com) to handle memberships, event scheduling, and internal communications.
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- Implemented a Court Reservation System (reserve.pickleplay.com) with real-time availability and booking.
Testing & Iteration
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- Performed multiple testing rounds to ensure system stability, user-friendliness, and data security.
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- Gathered feedback from a pilot group of clubs and players, refining features before launch.
The Solution
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- iOS & Android Apps: Unified login, geo-located court finder, social features (connecting with other players), push notifications for events and reservations.
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- Clubs Portal: Tools for club managers to create and manage events, track memberships, send announcements, and organize leagues/tournaments.
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- Court Reservation Platform: Allows players to easily find available courts, book their slot, and receive instant confirmations.
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- Seamless Integration: All platforms sync user data, reservations, and membership info to ensure consistent user experiences across devices.
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- Increased Engagement: Within12 months of launch, PicklePlay grew to over 100,000 users (and still growing).
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- Enhanced Efficiency for Clubs: Club managers can now handle 100% of reservations and event sign-ups online.
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- Growing Community: PicklePlay has expanded to globally to 30 different countries and continues to onboard new clubs weekly.
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- Customer Satisfaction: Players report 285x% satisfaction increase with the ease of finding matches and booking courts.
Key Highlights & Lessons Learned
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- Rapid Iteration: Frequent beta testing and feature prioritization ensured the product served real pickleball community needs.
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- Scalability: Designing the back-end with future growth in mind allowed the platform to handle spikes in user activity.
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- User-Centric Focus: Intuitive design was crucial for a varied audience, from casual weekend players to competitive club members.
