Case Study / UX Design
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Pistons App Emotional Redesign
Redesigned Detroit Pistons' mobile app to create an emotionally engaging and seamless user experience.
Designed for
SI 616 (Advanced Graphic Design) at University of Michigan
my Role
Team
Individual Project
Timeline
Background
The Pistons mobile app is the official platform for fans to stay connected with everything related to the Detroit Pistons — from news and game schedules to tickets, stats, and merchandise. However, the current app falls short of delivering an emotionally engaging experience that caters to the needs of avid fans and casual followers alike. Additionally, there are usability challenges that need to be addressed.
Current Design Critique (March, 2024)
Loading
Home
Ticket Menu
Profile Menu
Player
Check-In
Calendar
No Event
🙅🏼 Inconsistent menu system
🙅🏼 Lack of visual cues on system status
👍🏻 Brand Color
👍🏻 Team Spirit
🙅🏼 Accessibility
🙅🏼 Incoherent UI Elements
🙅🏼 Neither fun nor detailed
🙅🏼 Overwhelming numbers of options to choose
🙅🏼 Little excitement
Areas for Improvements
User Experience
• Inconsistent UI: Navigation and UI components lack cohesiveness, causing confusion and hindering the overall app's aesthetic.
• Information Architecture: Overwhelming menus and features make navigation difficult.
• Usability Issues: Insufficient visual cues, low contrast, and small fonts make it challenging for users to explore the app.
Emotional Design
• Limited Brand Identity: Minimal use of Pistons' branding, limited to loading page and font/button colors.
• Lack of Fan Engagement: Few features to evoke excitement or emotional connection.
• Unclear User Targeting: For example, player stats are neither detailed enough for data-enthusiasts nor user-friendly for friendly for casual fans.
Design Process
Goal — Evoke Emotional Response
Using Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions as a foundation, my goal was to evoke feelings of pride, interest, and joy in users. The existing Pistons app delivers lots of information but lacks emotional resonance, failing to capture the joy and pride tied to the team’s legacy and spirit.
The Detroit Pistons have a rich history, including iconic moments from the 'Bad Boys' era, that can inspire a deep sense of pride and excitement among fans. By enhancing the app's design, I focused to celebrate Piston's legacy and create a more engaging experience that reflects the team's identity.
To broaden the app’s appeal beyond avid Pistons fans, I also aimed to attract general NBA followers by integrating vibrant team symbols, iconic players, and storytelling elements that highlight the Pistons’ legacy and culture.
Personas
Moodboard
Wireframe
Home
Ticket
Calendar
Standing
Roster
Player
Fanzone
Shop
✦ Final Design
Design Decision 1: Strengthened Brand Identity Promoting Emotional Connections
To evoke pride, joy, and interest, the Pistons’ brand colors (blue and red), logos, and imagery of star players, rookies, and the team’s legacy are prominently used as design elements. These elements celebrate the team’s spirit and history, enhancing pride and joy among avid fans while fostering interest among casual followers, creating a stronger emotional connection with users.
Design Decision 2: Easy to use with options for Depth, to meet versatile needs
The main pages and navigation system were redesigned to make it simple for casual users to quickly access key updates and navigate core features like tickets, schedules, and the shop. For dedicated fans and analytical followers, detailed player statistics were included and visualized. This approach meets the needs and expectations of both emotional personas.
Design Decision 3: Improved Usability and Accessibility
Used high contrast for key elements utilizing Piston's brand color while maintaining a clean white and grey background. A style guide was set and followed across pages to ensure a cohesive and user-friendly experience.
takeaways & Reflection
I learned the importance of considering users’ emotions when designing — creating emotional personas really helped me come up with ideas and design features that connect with users. I am proud of how the new design effectively brought out the core emotions: pride, joy, and interest.
If I had more time, I would have done more research with real users to make sure the design matched their needs and feelings. I’d also use their feedback to improve the design even more.
Don't be a stranger!
@2025 Justin Jain Lee
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