Product Design
Playground
Hi I’m Karen
Overview
SportPals is the social app for people who want to move and connect. It helps everyday users find casual games, local sport partners, and real motivation through shared activity.
Making movement more social, one match at a time.
Timeline
10-Day Hybrid App Sprint
Framework
Flutter (iOS + Android)
Goal- Functional MVP
Matchmaking
Social game discovery
01-01 Survey Summary
Listening to the Lonely Movers
We surveyed 12 casual players in Germany to learn how they stay active — and whether they feel socially connected while doing it.
12+
Quantitative Insight
Q1: How do you currently stay active?
Alone
With a friend
In a team
At a gym
I don’t exercise
58%
25%
8%
9%5%
Q: Do you wish you had someone to train or play with more often?
Yes, regularly
Sometimes
No
67%
25%
8%
Q: What prevents you from finding a sport partner?
Don’t know where to look
Feel awkward reaching out
Friends aren’t into the same sport
Lack time to plan
75%
42%
33%
25%
Q: What apps do you currently use for social or sport activity?
Strava
Meetup
None
58%
50%
33%
25%
17%
Feel
Think
Do
01-02 In-Depth Interviews)
Real Talk, Real Frustrations
We surveyed 12 casual players in Germany to learn how they stay active — and whether they feel socially connected while doing it.
Qualitative Insight
I go for runs alone. Not because I want to just because I don’t know anyone nearby who’d join.
I feel weird asking someone to play, especially if I don’t know them well. It’s awkward.
I’d join a game, but I don’t want to organize it. I just want to show up.
Most fitness apps feel like they’re for serious athletes. I’m not tracking splits — I just want to move.
When I see people I follow post their workouts or share results, I feel a kind of push like, maybe I could do that too.
01-03 Kano Model
What They Asked for Without Asking
We mapped the highest-impact needs into a clear opportunity graph, shaping what our MVP should prioritize.
Join a casual game nearby
Discover people by sport and skill level
Badge or streak icon next to user names in Explore
See player or session location on a map
Express availability & status easily
Invite Nearby Player to Join Game
The More, The Better
Highlight trending or “on fire” challenges
Sport challenges
Short stories or recap posts after sessions
Long-term tracking or competition features
Exciters
Indifferent
Basic Need
02 - 01 Core Task Flow
Flow to MVP
Mapping the key tasks users must complete to discover, join, or create a nearby game, with minimal friction and maximum social motivation.
02 - 02 Key Goal Tasks
Wireframe
Actions users must complete to get value from the app
Key Take out
SportPals helps people get active by making sports feel less like a solo task and more like a chance to connect, interact, and make new friends through shared experiences.
Through research, we uncovered that casual athletes don’t just need games, they need social momentum to keep moving.
By blending local discovery, social proof, and lightweight creation tools, we turned real-world sport into a digital habit loop.
From dynamic filters to peer-driven challenges, the app empowers users to find partners, commit to sessions, and stay inspired — all with minimal friction.
03 - 01 Core
Matchmaking
Discover and join nearby games through filters, maps, and real-time match cards — a core journey that helps users unlock social sport experiences.
Users discover nearby games on a map, filtered by sport, skill, and time. Each card shows real-time info and a clear action to join. This feature tackles social isolation by making it effortless to connect through shared sports.
The filter auto-adjusts based on choices, like setting 1v1 for peer matches or showing team size when needed. It simplifies decisions and helps casual users find the right game faster.
9:30
Filters
Sport Type
⚽️ Soccer
🚵 Mountain Biking
⛷️ Skiing
🏄 Surfing
🏸 Badminton
🤽 Water Polo
🤿 Diving
More
Skill Level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Professional
Match Type
Peer-to-peer match
Doubles
Teams
Team Size
3:3
4:4
5:5
6:6
7:7
8:8
9:9
10:10
11:11
12:12
13:13
14:14
15:15
16:16
17:17
18:18
19:19
Availability
Now
Later Today
This Weekend
June 2024
sun
mon
tue
wed
thu
fri
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Ends
8:00
AM
PM
With In
location
5
Km
1 km
3 Km
5 Km
10 Km
25 Km
⚽️
⚽️
⚽️
Select Other Location
Apply
9:30
Filters
Apply
Now
Later Today
This Weekend
June 2024
sun
mon
tue
wed
thu
fri
sat
2
3
4
5
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Ends
8:00
AM
PM
With In
location
5
Km
1 km
3 Km
5 Km
10 Km
25 Km
⚽️
⚽️
⚽️
Select Other Location
Apply
03 - 02 Core
Exploring
Browse trending challenges, discover active users, and follow games near you, a social-first feed that turns curiosity into connection and action.
The Explore feed is designed to inspire. Challenge widgets highlight trending workouts from peers, sparking motivation through shared progress and commitment.
Alongside, users can browse events, discover active profiles, or find casual games, making social fitness feel more approachable and connected.
🏐
map
Ostpark Soccer... 2.4km
in 2h
Casual 6v6 at Ostpark
Today • 19:00
3 Joined
Quickly explore nearby matches with real-time info on time, location, and team size.
Lisa_simith1990
Boost your cardio with 3 days of high-intensity sprints.
10 / 3 days
Seeing peer progress motivates users to stay active and keep moving.
03 - 03 Core
Start A Game
A quick, flexible flow to make casual sport games social and accessible.
Users can easily create and host sport sessions by setting key details like sport type, time, location, team size, and skill level. All in one adaptive form.
The match type dynamically adjusts group settings, making it easy for users to set up 1-on-1 matches, doubles, or team play.
This feature solves a core user barrier uncovered in our research:
“I’d play more if organizing a game wasn’t so complicated.”
By minimizing friction in the creation flow, we empower users to confidently lead and make social fitness more accessible.
03 - 04 Essential
Essential Social Touch points
Profiles and posts create continuity beyond just game sessions. Users can express themselves, follow others, and share their sports moments — reinforcing a sense of community and ongoing engagement. These features support our goal of making movement feel social, not solo.
